By TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A weekend starter since he first set foot on the campus of Tennessee Tech, Tristan Archer built a remarkable career on the mound for the Golden Eagle baseball team, one full of program records, league honors, and multiple championships.
He is one of five inductees into the 49th class of the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame. Along with Archer, Tim Benford (football, 2008-11), Bruce Hatfield (football, 1984-87), Dr. M. Dianne Murphy (women's basketball/volleyball/women's tennis/supporter, 1969-present), and Beth Underhill (women's golf, 2002-06) will be inducted during the annual Hall of Fame Dinner on Friday, Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m. CT at the Roaden University Center's Multipurpose Room. Tickets for the dinner are on sale by calling (931) 372-3940, visiting the Eblen Center ticket office, or by visiting TTUsports.com.
From 2010-13, Archer provided the Tech baseball program with one of the most valuable traits an athlete can possess; consistency. In four seasons representing the purple and gold, the Kingsport, Tenn. native made a whopping 55 starts on the bump, setting both a program and Ohio Valley Conference career record that still stands today.
The right-handed hurler also ended his illustrious career first in school history with 323 and two-thirds innings pitched, first with 23 wins (now ranks second), second with 273 strikeouts (now third), third with a 2.81 strikeout-to-walk ratio (now sixth), and fifth with a 2.70 walks per nine innings ratio (now sixth). He led the Golden Eagles in wins, strikeouts, starts on the mound, and innings pitched three times each and ERA once during his career.
He wrapped up his four seasons in Cookeville with a 4.87 ERA, a 23-14 record, and one save in 58 total appearances and the record-setting 55 starts. Covering 323 and two-thirds innings, Archer struck out 273 batters while issuing just 97 free passes and allowing 175 earned runs.
Following a 2010 campaign that saw the rookie take his lumps in 12 starts, Archer progressed into a steady arm as a sophomore, tallying seven wins in 88 and two-thirds frames over 14 starts. He represented Tech's Friday-night ace in his final two seasons posting a 4.04 ERA in 14 starts and 89 innings as a junior before posting an impressive 9-4 record, 3.34 ERA, and 97 strikeouts in 97 innings in 15 starts as a senior.
His nine wins as a senior tied for the third-most in program history (fourth today) while his 97 Ks were tied for the fourth-most (seventh today). Archer represents the only Golden Eagle to make 14 or more starts three times during their career, tying the single-season record of 15 as a senior and making 14 both as a sophomore and junior.
Archer's 97 innings pitched in 2013 was the third-highest total in school history (fifth today) and he still represents the only Tech hurler to toss 88 or more innings in three separate seasons, completing 88 and two-thirds in 2011 and 89 in 2012. All three totals ranked in the top 10 in program history at the conclusion of his career.
The Golden Eagle ace was a key cog in leading the purple and gold to the 2010 OVC regular season title, making 12 starts as a freshman. He was the ace of the 2013 OVC regular season championship squad that set a program record with 40 wins (since broken) and an OVC-record 24-6 mark in conference action (since broken).
During his career, Archer was named All-South Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association, All-OVC First Team, and to the OVC All-Tournament Team as a senior in 2013 and to the OVC All-Freshman Team in 2010. He earned OVC Pitcher of the Week four times over his final three seasons on the hill, including the week following his career-high performance of 13 strikeouts against Austin Peay, tied for the fourth-most in a single game in program history at the time (fifth now).
Strong in the classroom and the community as well during his career, Archer was named Tennessee Tech's 2013 Man of the Year. He was a six-time member of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll, a member of the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll, and was twice named to the Dean's List.
Following the 2013 season, Archer became the 22nd Tennessee Tech player selected in the MLB Draft in program history, picked in the 21st round by the Milwaukee Brewers. He played seven seasons in the Brewers' system, reaching AAA Colorado Springs in 2017. He was traded during the 2019 season to the Cincinnati Reds organization, finishing the year with the AAA affiliate in Louisville.
During his minor league campaign, he posted a 27-23 record, 3.83 ERA, 11 saves, and 414 strikeouts to just 127 walks across 481 and two-thirds innings of work.
Archer graduated from Tennessee Tech in 2013 with a degree in agriculture.
