Baseball

MATT BRAGGA DIVISION I COACHING RECORD
YEAR	OVERALL	CONF	FINISH	POSTSEASON
2004	15-31	10-16	8th
2005	13-42	6-20	9th
2006	18-36	11-16	7th
2007	26-28	12-15	8th
2008	35-23-1	13-14	5th	OVC Tournament
2009	31-24-1	10-11-1	5th	NCAA Regional
2010	31-25	14-6	1st	OVC Tournament
2011	25-29	12-12	4th	OVC Tournament
2012	21-32	10-16	8th
2013	40-17	24-6	1st	OVC Tournament
2014	40-19	18-12	2nd	OVC Tournament
2015	26-29	16-14	4th	OVC Tournament
2016	31-24	17-13	T-4th	OVC Tournament
2017	41-21	23-7	1st	NCAA Regional
2018	53-12	27-3	1st	NCAA Super Regional
2019	26-33	14-16	7th	C-USA Tournament
2020	2-14	0-0	N/A
2021	23-29-1	11-20-1	5th West
2022	30-27	11-13	T-6th	OVC Tournament
2023	21-34	10-14	6th	OVC Tournament
20 Years	548-529-3	269-244-2		TOTAL
17 Years	497-453-2	258-224-1		AT TECH

The 2010, 2013, 2017, and 2018 Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year and the 2009, 2013, and 2018 Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association Coach of the Year, Matt Bragga is in his 18th year at the helm of the Tennessee Tech baseball program after returning for his second stint with the Golden Eagles in November 2021.

The 2023 season featured challenges right out of the gate, with numerous injuries to the pitching staff leading to opportunities for a number of newcomers to the purple and gold. Highlighting the year was the program's second-straight victory over in-state rival Tennessee, with the Golden Eagles delivering a 12-5 decision over the No. 19 Vols in Knoxville, leading wire-to-wire.

On the year, the Golden Eagle bats turned in a .277 collective average with 88 doubles and 89 round-trippers, the fourth-highest total for home runs in program history, all under the direction of Bragga. Catcher Hayden Gilliland and first baseman John Dyer picked up All-OVC First Team honors behind a pair of strong seasons. Third baseman Peyton Mills and reliever Jacob Morin were each named to the All-OVC Second Team while rookies Eddie Garza and Brody Lanham made appearances on the OVC All-Freshman Team.

Prior to the season, Jason Hinchman signed a free agent contract with the Colorado Rockies organization. Right-handed pitcher Hunter Mann earned OVC All-Tournament recognition before hearing his name called in the 14th round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Rockies. He became the 38th Golden Eagles selected in the MLB Draft and 25th under the direction of Bragga.

In his first season back with the purple and gold, Tech made strides back towards the elite programs of the OVC, boasting their first winning record since his departure following the 2018 season. In fact, the Golden Eagles got off to the second-best start in school history, rattling off 10 straight wins to start the year. TTU went on to claim its first OVC Tournament bid since the 2018 campaign, making it to the semifinals as the No. 6 seed.

The offense also returned to the levels Tech fans grew accustomed to during Bragga's first time with the program, batting .303 with 101 doubles and 114 home runs as a unit. It marked the second-most long balls in school history, trailing only the 135 hit in 2018.

One of the top highlights of the year, the Golden Eagles went into a neutral-site, wood-bat contest at Smokies Stadium with in-state rival Tennessee and delivered a signature moment for the program and school. Tech took down the No. 1 ranked Vols, 3-2, producing the University's first victory over a No. 1 team in any sport and snapping UT's 23-game winning-streak.

Outfielder Jason Hinchman earned a trio of All-American honors under Bragga's tutelage, while shortstop Ed Johnson was named a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award for the second straight year.

The 13th head baseball coach in school history during his first run with the program, Bragga also became the 16th head coach in team history on Nov. 11, 2021. Prior to his return to Cookeville, Bragga spent the previous three seasons as the head coach at Rice. 

In his first season at the helm of the Owls in 2019, Bragga led Rice to 26 wins and an appearance in the Conference USA postseason tournament where his club battled its way to a third-place finish. Some 2019 highlights included back-to-back wins in the Minute Maid College Classic against ranked in-state foes Baylor & TCU, and winning two of three games again crosstown rival Houston to bring the Silver Glove Trophy back to South Main. Six of his Owl players were selected in the 2019 MLB Draft.

Offensively, the Owls zoomed past its 2018 total of 35 home runs in just two-thirds of the at-bats. Bragga’s ‘Slugging Owls’ knocked a home run at a rate of one every 41.63 at-bats as well as just under one per game (0.831). Both percentages are among the best the program has done since 2010. The team’s 16 triples were the program’s second-best mark in the last decade. At the conclusion of the year, sophomore shortstop Trei Cruz was drafted by the Washington Nationals but chose to return and help lead the Rice ball club for his junior season in 2020.

On the mound, Rice’s pitching staff led C-USA with 520 strikeouts and Friday-night stalwart Matt Canterino earned conference Pitcher of the Year accolades. At the conclusion of the season, Canterino was selected in the second round of the 2019 MLB draft and four other Rice pitchers were chosen in the draft as well. Left-handed pitcher Evan Kravetz, after an amazing senior season, went in the fifth round. He was followed by juniors Garrett Gayle (12th round), Roel Garcia (27th), and Addison Moss (37th round). With two years of eligibility remaining, Garcia chose to return to help lead the 2020 Owls.

In the classroom, the 2019 Owls had great success as well. Two Owls were named to the C-USA All-Academic team and Canterino was named a 2019 Academic All-American.

Like every college baseball team in 2020, Bragga's second season at Rice came to an abrupt and unexpected end in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were no Conference USA games played nor postseason action of any kind across the college baseball landscape. For the 16 games that were played in 2020, Rice's (non-conference) schedule featuring road series at No. 2 Texas Tech and UC Irvine, plus another four games against Texas and No. 20 Texas A&M, was rated as the 11th-toughest in all of Division I.

In June an abridged Major League Baseball Draft was held and even with just 16 games of data, the Detroit Tigers made it very clear the organization liked the work Bragga had done with his latest star pupil, Trei Cruz. After just a little more than two years of training under Bragga, Cruz (.328 avg, .500 SLG%) rocketed into a third-round MLB draft pick as the 73rd player selected overall.

In year three at Rice, Bragga's Owls earned victories over three nationally-ranked opponents, including a pair against No. 18 Charlotte and wins over No. 22 Old Dominion and No. 22 Southern Miss. Utility man Cade Edwards collected All-C-USA Second Team honors while Nathan Becker earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team. Bradley Gneiting was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team.

The Golden Eagle head coach made the Tech baseball program a model of consistency, winning six OVC championships over the final 10 years of his first stint in Cookeville. His clubs won 40 or more games in four of his last six seasons, setting a school record of 40 in 2013 and 2014 and then breaking that mark with a 41-win campaign in 2017. His 2018 team shattered all those standards, winning 53 games while losing only 12 and breaking their own 2013 record for conference wins in a season by going 27-3 in the OVC. The 2018 season also included a 28-game win streak, the longest in both program and league history.

Always known for a high-powered offense, the 2018 Tech team took it to a new level. The Golden Eagles led the nation in batting average, runs, runs per game, hits, home runs, home runs per game, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage, all while setting single-season school records for runs, hits, extra-base hits, total bases, home runs, runs batted in, slugging percentage, walks, saves, wins, and consecutive wins. In fact, 20 players ranked in the top-10 in the nation in 13 different categories, including the NCAA leaders in RBI and total bases.

Bragga’s squad earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, the first team in OVC history to do so, and played in the Oxford, Miss. Regional. After an opening game victory, the Golden Eagles fell to No. 2 nationally-ranked Ole Miss. Tennessee Tech then staved off three straight elimination games, including defeating the host Rebels twice on the final day to advance to the first Super Regional appearance in school and conference history.

Tech finished the year 5-3 against nationally-ranked competition, including a victory over No. 5 Texas in the first game of the NCAA Austin Super Regional. During the regular season, the Golden Eagles were a perfect 4-0 against Power-5 Conference competition, including victories against in-state foes Vanderbilt and Tennessee.

He saw five players earn a combined 16 All-American honors while a school and OVC-record eight players were selected in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft, tying for the fifth-most in the nation. Right-handed pitcher Ethan Roberts became the highest draft selection in program history, chosen in the fourth round by the Chicago Cubs. Fellow righty hurler Travis Moths joined him in the seventh round.

Third baseman Trevor Putzig was selected in the 17th round, followed by first baseman Chase Chambers in the 18th, center fielder Alex Junior in the 19th, and right-handed pitcher Marcus Evey in the 20th. Rounding the draft selections were second baseman John Ham in the 31st round and shortstop David Garza in the 38th round.

He coached the OVC Pitcher (Travis Moths) and Player of the Year (Kevin Strohschein) and had 11 players earn All-OVC honors, including a league-record 10 on the First and Second teams. He saw Strohschein and Chase Chambers become the first players in program history named as semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy, while Strohschein also was the first Tech player named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award. Shortstop David Garza was named a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, one of two Tech players to earn the honor under Bragga. 

The Golden Eagles also entered the national rankings midway through the season and never left, rising as high as 10th and earning an RPI as high as 16. The Golden Eagles finished the 2018 season ranked 11th in the country, the highest final ranking in program and OVC history. 

Besides winning championships in the 11-team OVC, the consistency of his program is seen as his teams also had the highest overall winning percentage in his last 11 years within the league. TTU’s average finish in the conference standings was also the best in the OVC during Bragga’s last 10 seasons at Tech. Outside of the OVC, the consistency of the Bragga lead Golden Eagles was evident as well. From 2007-2018, Tennessee Tech had the 2nd most wins and 2nd best winning percentage (behind Vanderbilt) of any of the nine NCAA Division I schools in the state of Tennessee.

Recruiting great young men who are willing to work, lead, and make great decisions, then helping them develop into great baseball players, has been a key to the success of Tech baseball under the direction of Bragga. The Golden Eagle squad had players sign with Major League Baseball for nine straight years, including an OVC-record 10 players signing after the 2018 season.

Overall Bragga has coached 41 players that were selected in the MLB Draft or signed by an MLB team (and 38 of the 41 had never been drafted before). The three that had been drafted previously improved their draft stock significantly while under Bragga’s tutelage. The 28 players that signed with an MLB club during his time at TTU, more than tripled the total of players that had signed with an MLB club from Tennessee Tech since the MLB draft began in 1965.

Not only is the development of the student-athletes showing up in terms of championships and draft picks, but also in All-American selections. Since 2010, Bragga has coached an incredible 16 All-Americans and a National Freshman of the Year award winner, Kevin Strohschein.

Off the field, the Bragga-led Golden Eagle baseball program showed great discipline in the classroom. His last 13 Tennessee Tech baseball teams had the 13 highest team GPA marks since records started being kept in 1972. The 2014 team holds the record with a 3.20 GPA and the 2015 squad ranks right behind with a 3.17 mark. The 2015 team won the OVC Baseball Team Academic Achievement Award which is given to the program with the most student-athletes recording a 3.25 GPA. or higher.

Three players under the guidance of Bragga went on to earn CoSIDA Academic All-American honors. Understanding the importance of a great education, Tech has even had an All-American leave a year of eligibility on the table to go pursue his dream of being an engineer.

The 2017 season was one for the record books, as Bragga’s squad broke the school record for wins with 41. They won the OVC regular-season championship for the third time in eight years and won the OVC Tournament title on their way to competing in an NCAA Regional in Tallahassee, Fla. At the Regional, Tech defeated eventual College World Series participant Florida State, 3-1, in the first contest. In the winner’s-bracket championship, TTU fell to Auburn 5-3. Florida State came back to defeat the Golden Eagles by a score of 5-3 to finish another historic season for Tech baseball. Ryan Flick garnered numerous postseason accolades, including five All-American nods and a spot among the five finalists for the Gregg Olson Award (Breakout Player of the Year).

The team saw eight players honored with OVC awards, including First-Team honors to David Garza and Ethan Roberts, Second-Team honors to Chase Chambers, Ryan Flick, Trevor Putzig, Kevin Strohschein, and Michael Wood, and an All-Freshman honor to Devin Lancaster. Flick took home OVC Tournament MVP honors, joining teammates Trevor Putzig, Travis Moths, and Kevin Strohschein on the All-Tournament Team.

In 2016, TTU baseball tallied a 31-24 record to finish fourth in the OVC, a repeat finish of the 2015 season. Freshman Kevin Strohschein became the first player in league history to win both the Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year awards in the same season. He was also earned multiple All-American and Freshman All-American accolades and was named Co-National Freshman Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. 

Bragga's 2014 squad tied the school record for wins, a record it set in 2013, as it became one of only two teams in OVC history to win 40 games in back-to-back seasons. The 2014 team not only had a record six players sign with a Major League Baseball team, but it also had four players drafted in the first 12 rounds. The 2014 season also saw two student-athletes, Daniel Miles and Brandon Thomasson, named postseason TPX Louisville Slugger Collegiate Baseball newspaper First-Team All-Americans. Dylan Bosheers, named a Second-Team All-American, gave Tech a program-record three players with national honors from one publication. Only Oregon State could match this feat. 

The 2014 club ranked No. 1 in the country in runs scored per game (8.3), total home runs (83), (out-slugging their opponents by a margin of 52 home runs), home runs per game (1.41), and slugging percentage (.495). It also ranked seventh in the country in fielding percentage at .979, tying the school record.

2013 was a record-breaking campaign for Bragga’s squad. The team won a then-school-record 40 games and an OVC regular-season title as they racked up a league-record 24 victories against just 6 losses in OVC play. The 2013 squad ranked near the top in the nation in several major categories, covering all facets of the game, including pitching, defense, and offense.

The team ranked seventh in the country in scoring (7.3 runs/game), 13^th in fielding percentage (.979), seventh in home runs per game (.95), eighth in slugging percentage (.464), and second in strikeouts per nine innings (9.0). The 2013 club also had eight members make the All-OVC First or Second Team, six of whom were underclassmen. Daniel Miles and Zach Stephens were both named All-Americans.

The 2013 baseball team tied a school record with a 14-game win streak and defeated the No. 2 nationally-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores on the road. No team in any sport, in the history of Tennessee Tech athletics had ever beaten a higher-ranked team prior to the win at Vanderbilt.

At the conclusion of the 2013 season, Bragga’s Golden Eagles compiled an 8-4 record against teams that reached the 64-team NCAA Regional field, including a mark of 5-3 against opponents ranked in the top 35 in the country.

Off the field, the 2013 team excelled as well, as they set a program record for team GPA. They finished the fall semester with a 3.177 mark and bettered that in the spring with 3.215. Twenty-six out of 35 student-athletes posted a 3.0 GPA or higher that spring. It represented the fifth year out of the past six where a new team GPA record was set and then broken the next school year.

In 2012, one of Bragga’s former student-athletes, Stephen Pryor, reached the Major Leagues with the Seattle Mariners. Pryor had been a fifth-round pick of the Seattle Mariners in 2010 and flashed a 100 mph fastball in his MLB debut against the Chicago White Sox in June of 2012. 

Offensively, in 2012, the Golden Eagles were splendid, ranking 26^th in the nation in batting average (.299), 13^th in home runs per game (.92), 19^th in on-base percentage (.391), and 29^th in slugging percentage (.434). On the mound, Matthew Shepherd helped lead the pitching staff and was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the June MLB draft. Five players from the 2012 team were named All-Conference and power-hitting first baseman Zach Stephens was named Second-Team All-Region.

The 2011 Golden Eagles finished fourth in the league standings as four student-athletes were named to All-OVC teams. Slugger Zach Stephens was named to the TPX Freshman All-American Team and 2010 First Team All-American Chad Oberacker was drafted for the second time in his Tech career, going to the Oakland Athletics. In the classroom, the 2011 team posted the best team GPA in school history with a 2.94 combined fall and spring mark.

In 2010 the Golden Eagles finished the season winning 15 of their last 16 conference games to win the OVC regular-season championship, their second title in as many years. The team was also voted the league's Sportsmanship Award winner.

2010 also marked the first time in history that the Tech program had won 30+ games in a season for three straight years. Individually, five team members were voted to All-Conference teams, and sluggers Chad Oberacker and A.J. Kirby-Jones were both named TPX/ABCA First-Team All-Americans, the first time in school history that two players had been named First-Team All-America in one decade, let alone one season.

Beyond being ranked 29^th nationally in batting average (.332) and 12^th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.7), the team also boasted the second-highest team GPA in its history, garnering a 2.915. The 2010 club also set a program mark for MLB draft picks in a season when four Golden Eagles heard their names called in the draft. Right-handed flamethrower Stephen Pryor went to the Seattle Mariners in the fifth round, all-time home run king A.J. Kirby-Jones went to the Oakland A’s in the ninth round, all-time hits leader Chad Oberacker went to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 19^th round, and left-handed power pitcher Adam Liberatore was chosen by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 21^st round.

In 2009, the Golden Eagles made a thrilling run to sweep the Ohio Valley Conference baseball tournament and eliminate No. 14 Alabama from the NCAA regionals, setting the standard for what proved to be an epic 2010 season. They finished the 2009 season with a 31-24-1 record, marking the first back-to-back 30-win seasons in Tech history. The Golden Eagles swept the OVC tournament, going 4-0, including back-to-back extra-inning victories over Jacksonville State to clinch the OVC title.

They went on to the NCAA regional in Clemson, S.C., where they eliminated No. 14 Alabama before being eliminated by eventual regional-champion Clemson. The Golden Eagles had two All-OVC team members, six All-Tournament team members, and the OVC Tournament MVP in A.J. Kirby-Jones. Alex Henry was also named to the All-Regional team at the Clemson Regional. Following the 2009 season, pitcher Ryan Dennick was drafted by the Kansas City Royals. 

Off the field, the 2009 club established the top GPA mark in school history with a 2.928 mark for the year.

Taking over the head coaching reins in January 2004, Bragga has shown the dedication needed to win multiple OVC championships, and his players exhibit that same down-to-earth determination, day-in and day-out. His plan has brought about marked improvements in the team’s on-field performance, academic performance, alumni support, and program facilities.

On the field, Bragga’s silent resolve has taken the program from a 13-42 record in his first full year in 2005, improving 5.5 games in 2006 with a record of 18-36, making an eight-game improvement in 2007 with a record of 26-28, and another seven-game improvement in 2008 as the Golden Eagles went 35-23-1, leading to the OVC championship and an NCAA Regional berth in 2009 and more OVC Championships in 2010, 2013 and winning multiple titles in 2017.  With success on the recruiting trail, Bragga continues to take the baseball program to a new level.

Before taking the head coaching position at Tech, Bragga spent three and a half years as an assistant coach at Birmingham Southern College under head coach Brian Shoop from July 2000 to December 2003. He spent the majority of his time at BSC working as the hitting and outfielder coach as well as recruiting for the Panthers. Under Bragga’s direction, BSC hitters batted a combined .316 during the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

In 2004, after accepting the job as Tennessee Tech head coach Bragga, led his former Birmingham-Southern ball club to win the Big South Conference title, winning 47 games and losing just 18. They received an at-large birth to the NCAA Regionals in Athens, Ga. in BSC’s first year eligible for NCAA D-I postseason play.  In 2003, the BSC team went 33-18 as 10 Panthers hit over .300 for a team batting average of .318. The Panthers scored 7.9 runs per game which ranked 15th in NCAA Division I.

For the 2002 season, BSC’s first as an NCAA D-I member, the Panthers finished with a 32-20 record. Before moving to the NCAA Division I for the 2002 season, the Panthers won the school’s first-ever NAIA National Championship in 2001 as 11 Panthers hit .300 or better and averaged 8.5 runs per game. In 2001, the Panthers set a school record for most wins in a season, going 55-11.

Bragga also owned some head coaching experience before coming to Tech. After kicking off his career as an assistant coach at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport, Ala. in 1996, he took the head coach position at  Bevill State (Ala.) Community College at the age of 25, serving in that role for four seasons.

Bragga took over a Bevill State baseball program that, prior to his arrival, had an all-time record of 175-350 (.343), and was considered by many one of the worst programs in the state of Alabama. With the Bears going 39-20 in 1998, Bragga’s second season at Bevill State resulted in a school record for most wins in one season. That team also participated in the school's first-ever postseason tournament. In 1999, Bragga led his squad to a 40-19 record, surpassing his previous record and taking the team to another regional tournament.

During his time at Bevill, his teams compiled a 148-86 record and BSCC went from a .343 winning percentage prior to Bragga’s arrival, to one of Alabama’s best Community/Junior College programs, amassing a remarkable .630 winning percentage during his time.

Before jumping into the college ranks, Bragga served as head coach for the Junior American Legion Baseball Team Post 208 which won the Alabama state championship in 1996. That same year, he also took on the role as an assistant coach for the Tuscaloosa County High School baseball squad.

One aspect that makes Bragga such an influential coach, and what some describe as a player’s coach, is that he has coached and played at nearly every level of baseball. Bragga played his collegiate career for the University of Kentucky Wildcats, earning four letters from 1991 to 1994.

He played multiple positions at Kentucky, including outfield, catcher, first base, and designated hitter, and also excelled at the plate. Bragga earned multiple honors including Second-Team All-Southeast Region and Southeastern Conference All-Tournament First-Team in 1993. In his senior season, Bragga finished with a .408 batting average in SEC play, which ranked him second in the league.

He also etched his name in the Kentucky baseball record books, ranking among UK’s all-time best in multiple seasons and career categories. During Bragga’s four-year career with UK, the baseball team compiled the most wins in any four-year period of UK baseball, a record which was broken by the 2005-2008 Kentucky squads.

After graduating from Kentucky with a degree in communications, Bragga signed as a free agent with the Cincinnati Reds organization in 1994. He played one season in the Pioneer League with the Butte (Montana) Copper Kings before moving to Charleston, W.Va., to play with the Cincinnati Reds’ Single-A affiliate the following season. Bragga earned his master’s degree from the University of Alabama.

Matt is married to the former Elisa Currins, a 1997 graduate of the University of Alabama. The pair are the proud parents of two children — Luke and Emerson.

THE BRAGGA PROFILE
Age:	51 (born July 20, 1972)
Wife:	Elisa
Children:	Luke, Emerson (Emmy)
Education:	University of Kentucky – Bachelor's, Communications (1994) University of Alabama – Master's (1997)
Coaching Experience:	1996 » Tuscaloosa County High School (Assistant Coach)
	1997-2000 » Bevill State Community College (Head Coach)
	2000-03 » Birmingham Southern College (Assistant Coach)
	2004-18 » Tennessee Tech (Head Coach)
	2019-21 » Rice (Head Coach)
	2021 (Fall) » Auburn (Director of Player Development)
	2022-Present » Tennessee Tech (Head Coach)