By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It's back to Quillen Field at Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex for the Tennessee Tech baseball team, as the Golden Eagles return from a five-game road stretch (four if discount Wednesday's cancellation at Western Carolina) to host Ohio Valley Conference foe, Murray State, in a three-game set.
The rivaled series will kick off on Friday, Apr. 17 with a 5 p.m. first pitch as the Golden Eagles (15-19, 8-10) look to keep their momentum trending upward after winning five of their past seven contests. Game two against the Racers (14-24, 9-6) is set for a 2 p.m. start with Sunday's finale beginning at 1 p.m.
Fans can follow the action between the two OVC rivals on live stats all weekend.
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Tennessee Tech vs. Murray State |
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| Apr. 17-19, 2015 | Cookeville, Tenn. | Bush Stadium (1,100) |
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| FRI. | 5:00 P.M. |
SAT. | 2:00 P.M. |
SUN. | 1:00 P.M. |
| Probable Starters: | Probable Starters: | Probable Starters: |
| TTU - RHP Chris Chism 5-1, 4.75 ERA, 41.2 IP, 42 K |
TTU - RHP Evan Fraliex 3-2, 5.81 ERA, 48.0 IP, 26 K |
TTU - TBA 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.0 IP, 0 K |
| MUR - LHP Brock Downey 4-4, 4.83 ERA, 54.0 IP, 52 K |
MUR - RHP Brad Boegel 1-3, 4.67 ERA, 52.0 IP, 39 K |
MUR - RHP Sheldon Baxter 0-2, 5.11 ERA, 24.2 IP, 25 K |
SERIES INFO
Dates: Apr. 17-19, 2015
Times: 5 PM | 2 PM | 1 PM CT
Location: Cookeville, Tenn.
Stadium: Bush Stadium
Radio: None
TV: None
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tech leads, 76-67-1
Bragga vs: 25-10
First Meeting: Unknown
Last Meeting: April 26, 2014
MULTIMEDIA
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Audio: None
Video: None
Webstream: None
Twitter Updates: @TNTech_Baseball
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2015 Record: 15-19
2015 OVC Record: 8-10 (8th)
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
Career: 310-325-2 (12th season)
TTU: 310-325-2 (12th season)
STAT LEADERS
AVG: Dylan Bosheers (.339)
2B: Ryan Flick (12)
HR: Flick (5)
RBI: Flick (38)
SB: Anthony El Chibani (5)
MURRAY STATE RACERS
2015 Record: 14-24
2015 OVC Record: 9-6 (5th)
Head Coach: Kevin Moulder
Career: 14-24-0 (1st season)
MUR: 14-24-0 (1st season)
STAT LEADERS
AVG: Brock Downey (.333)
2B: Matthew Johnson (11)
HR: Tyler Lawrence (6)
RBI: Lawrence (27)
SB: Taylor Mathews (11)
CLOSING IN...
All-American shortstop Dylan Bosheers has been the iron man of the Tennessee Tech baseball program his entire career, missing just three games (this season) over his four-year span in the purple and gold. Over that time period, the senior has paved his way into the top 10 career marks in several statistical categories.
Following last weekend's slate at Jacksonville State, Bosheers became just the seventh Tech player to play in 200 career games, starting every single one of them. He now ranks third in Tech history in runs scored with 175 and third with 50 career doubles, sitting just five short of the all-time record.
He also takes the four spot in hits (250) and at bats (759), is tied for third with 390 total bases, and tied for the No. 4 ranking in career RBI with 158. With five home runs on the year, Bosheers has moved into ninth place all time with 26 career bombs.
DOWN MAYBE, BUT NEVER OUT
If there's been anything to learn about this year's version of the Golden Eagles, it's that you can knock them down, but don't you dare count them out. In 31 games this season, Tech has mounted seven come-from-behind victories when trailing in the fifth inning or later.
In the second game of the year, the Golden Eagles headed into the bottom of the ninth, trailing 7-2 to a feisty Longwood squad. Six runs later, Tech walked off with its first victory of the year. A week later, the squad found itself trailing to a dangerous Davidson team in the fifth by two runs. Tech tied it in the bottom half before the flood gates opened up with an eight-run sixth for a 12-5 win.
Morehead State mounted its own rally, taking a two-run lead in the top of the sixth while looking for a series sweep. Two quick runs in the bottom half of the frame led to an exhilarating 9-8, walk-off W for the Golden Eagles in the ninth.
In Nashville, the Golden Eagles looked sure to be done in the fifth, trailing in-state rival Lipscomb by six runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. The Golden Eagles proved they don't care, dropping a seven-spot to take the lead for good in an unreal 12-8 victory.
The series-opener against Eastern Illinois saw the Panthers take a 6-4 lead into the fifth inning before the Tech squad tied things up in the bottom half. The Golden Eagles scored three more times in the sixth and then held off a seventh-inning rally to take down EIU 9-7.
The Golden Eagles showed more resiliency in a midweek bout with in-state rival Middle Tennessee, exploding for six runs in the seventh inning to rally from a 2-0 deficit. Tech captured the contest 6-5 behind a huge three-run RBI by senior Jordan Hopkins and big four-out save by closer Cain Sloan.
Facing Jacksonville State in game one of a three-game set, the Golden Eagles came out on top of contest featuring nine lead changes, rallying from a 6-5 deficit in the sixth and 8-7 deficit in the eighth to take yet another come-from-behind victory, 10-8.
FRESHMAN FOCUS
Freshman Ryan Flick, Tech's designated hitter, has been a huge boon to the offense all season long. Number 11 leads the Golden Eagles with 38 RBI on the year (which also ranks in the top five in the OVC), thanks to a slugging percentage of .532 and 18 extra base hits. He also leads the team with six home runs.
Fellow freshman Chase Chambers ranks fifth on the TTU squad with a .280 average. He has drawn a team-high 19 walks and tallied a .449 slugging percentage and .397 on base percentage this season. The first baseman also ranks third on the squad with 22 RBI.
MR. 300
With a 14-2 win over Northern Illinois on Feb. 28, head coach Matt Bragga earned his 300th career victory, just the second coach in program history to accomplish the feat. He currently ranks second to Hall of Fame coach David Mays in total wins.
Photo by Sean Setters
