By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team plays host to Ohio Valley Conference rival Eastern Illinois in another crucial, three-game set this weekend, taking on the Panthers at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
DUE TO POTENTIAL INCLEMENT WEATHER, INCLUDING THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN, FRIDAY'S SERIES OPENER BETWEEN THE GOLDEN EAGLES AND PANTHERS HAS BEEN PUSHED TO UP TO A 12:00 P.M. CT FIRST PITCH.
Game two of the weekend will feature a 2:00 p.m. CT first pitch while the finale is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start on Sunday afternoon. Saturday's and Sunday's contests are scheduled to be streamed live on ESPN+ with Dylan Vazzano on the call. Admission to all Tech home baseball games is free of charge.
With inclement weather, including rain, in the forecast, fans are encouraged to check TTUSports.com and Tennessee Tech social media for any potential updates/changes to this weekend's schedule.
THE SERIES
Friday's series opener marks the 89th match-up between the two programs all time, with neither side able to claim an advantage with a 44-44 deadlock. Last season, the Panthers took three of the four match-ups with the Golden Eagles, including the final two in their regular-season series in Charleston.
Tech opened that weekend with an 8-3 triumph on Friday, scoring six runs over the final three frames. EIU bounced back for a 12-4 win in the second meeting, plating eight in the first two innings to set the tone. The Panthers held on to defeat the purple and gold in the finale, 11-10, shutting down Tech's comeback bid from a 7-0 deficit with two blank innings to end the game.
Eastern Illinois also claimed the final tilt of the year with Tech, ending the Golden Eagles' season with an 8-2 victory in the OVC Tournament in Marion, Ill. The Panthers went on to win their first tournament crown since 2008 and third overall.
LAST TIME OUT
Tech dropped a heartbreaker at No. 17 Vanderbilt Tuesday evening, building as much as a 6-1 lead heading into the seventh-inning stretch. The Commodores erased the deficit with a six-run seventh before coming out on top, 8-7, in 11 innings.
Freshman designated hitter Mack Whitcomb, who smashed a three-run blast in the fifth, tied the game in the ninth with a clutch, two-out bomb down the right-field line. Vandy used a walk, two singles, and a hit-by-pitch to win the game in the 11th without recording an out.
TEAM NOTES
Known historically under the watch of long-time head coach Matt Bragga as one of the premier, home-run slugging programs in the country year in and year out, this year's Golden Eagles squad sports a slightly different look on offense. The 2024 edition still ranks third in the OVC in long balls, but it's been the patience and speed that has shined during the season.
Heading into the weekend, the Golden Eagles ranked tied for 16th in the nation in triples as a team, boasting 17 so far on the year. Tech also ranked 34th nationally in walks, drawing 239 this year to lead the OVC.
Left fielder Austin Turner paces the group with a whopping 49 in 45 games, ranking fourth nationally and tied for fourth in a single season in program history with Chase Chambers (2018). Boasting 122 in his Tech career, he now ranks sixth in program history for walks, boasting five more than current teammate and Golden Eagle catcher Hayden Gilliland, who ranks seventh. Turner's eight career triples rank eighth in program history while his 127 runs scored rank 22nd and his 26 steals are tied for 24th. Turner and infielder Tanner Shiver are both tied for 20th in the nation with four triples each.
Gilliland has climbed a number of career record charts for the purple and gold in his senior campaign in addition to the all-time walks list. He currently ranks 13th in on-base percentage (.438), 16th in home runs (27), 18th in RBI (123), tied for 23rd in hits (187), tied for 24th in runs (116). Defensively, he now ranks second in program history with 49 runners caught stealing, trailing Britt Clubb (2002-05) by seven for the all-time record.
Peyton Calitri has been special on the bump, ranking fifth nationally with a walks/nine innings mark of 1.16 and seventh with a strikeout/walk ratio of 7.78, fanning 70 batters with just nine free passes on the year. He also has been ascending the all-time career leaderboards, ranking tied for third in strikeout/walk ratio (3.38), third in walks/nine innings (2.20), eighth in starts (37), tied for eighth in wins (17), 13th in strikeouts (176), 14th in innings pitched (210.1)
Tech head coach Matt Bragga is starting to climb the OVC's all-time coaching wins list, closing in on sixth place. Bragga and TTU Sports Hall of Famer David Mays represent the only pair of coaches from the same school to rank in the league's top eight of OVC wins.
| 1. | Gary McClure, Austin Peay (1988-15) | 847 | ||
| 2. | Johnny Reagan, Murray State (1980-01) | 776 | ||
| 3. | Jim Ward, Eastern Kentucky (1980-01) | 628 | ||
| 4. | Jim Case, Jacksonville State (2004-21) | 564 | ||
| 5. | David Mays, Tennessee Tech (1974-98) | 554 | ||
| 6. | Mark Hogan, Southeast Missouri (1995-12) | 526 | ||
| 7. | Matt Bragga, Tennessee Tech (2004-18, 22-present) | 523 | ||
| 8. | Jim Schmitz, Eastern Illinois (1997-15) | 480 | ||
| 9. | John Stanford, Middle Tennessee (1974-87) | 402 | ||
| 10. | Steve Peterson, Middle Tennessee (1988-00) | 401 |
THE OPPONENT
Eastern Illinois comes into the series after dropping 2-of-3 last weekend at home against Southern Indiana. Forced to play a doubleheader on Thursday due to weather, the Panthers claimed the opening tilt 4-2.
The Screaming Eagles answered back to even the series with an 8-1 blowout in game two, scoring five runs in the first. USI exploded in the first inning again in the finale on Saturday, plating six on its way to a 14-3 triumph in an eight-inning, run-rule decision.
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Current Weekend Schedule
Friday, May 3 | 12:00 p.m. CT | vs. Eastern Illinois
Saturday, May 4 | 2:00 p.m. CT | vs. Eastern Illinois
Sunday, May 5 | 1:00 p.m. CT | vs. Eastern Illinois
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2024 Record: 26-19
2024 OVC Record: 10-8
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 523-472-2 (18th Season)
Career: 574-548-3 (21st Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Hayden Gilliland (.347)
2B: Troy Baunsgard (16)
3B: Tanner Shiver / Austin Turner (4)
HR: Hayden Gilliland (10)
RBI: Hayden Gilliland (48)
R: Austin Turner (45)
BB: Austin Turner (49)
SLG%: Tanner Shiver (.588)
OB%: Hayden Gilliland (.464)
SB: Austin Turner (18)
ERA: Peyton Calitri (2.70)*
W: Peyton Calitri (7)
APP: 4 players tied (15)
IP: Peyton Calitri (70.0)
K: Peyton Calitri (70)
BAA: Jaxson Pease (.212)*
SV: Jack Erdman / Jaxson Pease (3)
* minimum 1.0 innings pitcher per team game played
EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHERS
2024 Record: 14-26
2024 OVC Record: 8-10
Head Coach: Jason Anderson
EIU: 203-229 (9th Season)
Career: Same
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Lucas Loos (.361)
2B: Lucas Loos (18)
3B: Grant Lashure (2)
HR: Dylan Drumke / Lucas Loos (13)
RBI: Dylan Drumke (41)
R: Dylan Drumke (39)
BB: Dylan Drumke (23)
SLG%: Lucas Loos (.742)
OB%: Lucas Loos (.435)
SB: Tyler Castro / Quade Peters (11)
ERA: Bryce Riggs (7.21)*
W: Bryce Riggs (3)
APP: Chaney Trout (16)
IP: Bryce Riggs (48.2)
K: Colton Coca (43)
BAA: Colton Coca (.283)*
SV: Jonathon Hanscom (4)
* minimum 1.0 innings pitcher per team game played
Photo by Jim Dillon
