By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team had its historic, record-breaking 2018 campaign recognized by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame over the weekend. The organization named the Golden Eagles the 2018 Amateur Team of the Year at its annual induction banquet fundraiser in Nashville.
The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2019 was one of the most prestigious ever, including: Kippy Brown, David Cutcliffe, Charles Davis, Kara Lawson, Peyton Manning, George Taliaferro, Bob Tillman, Kim Valek and Patrick Willis.
In addition to honoring the Tech baseball team, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame also presented its 2018 Significant Historical Achievement Award (David Williams), Pat Summit Lifetime Achievement Award (Rick Byrd), Tennessean of the Year (Amy Adams Strunk), Professional Athlete of the Year (Mookie Betts), Female Amateur Athlete of the Year (Maria Bulanova), Male Amateur Athlete of the Year (Grant Williams), Pro Sports Team of the Year (Jackson Generals & Memphis Redbirds) and Female Amateur Team of the Year (Vanderbilt women's bowling).
The Tech squad, which set both program and Ohio Valley Conference records with 53 wins, 27 league wins and an appearance in the NCAA Super Regional, finished the 2018 campaign ranked as high as No. 11 nationally, the highest final ranking in league history. During the season, the Golden Eagles climbed to as high as No. 10 in the national rankings, the highest by any team in program and OVC history.
In 2018, Tech boasted the nation's most potent offense, leading all of Division I baseball in batting average (.332), hits (788), home runs (135), home runs per game (2.08), on base percentage (.430), runs (639), scoring (9.8) and slugging percentage (.576). The team also finished second nationally with 53 wins, a .815 win/loss percentage and 371 base on balls.
More than 20 team records fell during the season, most notably the season records for wins, consecutive wins (a national best and OVC record-breaking 28), home runs, hits, runs scored, RBI, slugging percentage, innings pitched and saves. The Golden Eagles also boasted a school and league record eight student-athletes selected in the MLB First Year Player Draft with a ninth signing as a free agent. Five different Tech players combined to take home 16 All-American nods. Junior Kevin Strohschein claimed his second career OVC Player of the Year honor while senior Travis Moths became the third Tech player to win OVC Pitcher of the Year honors.
Tech thrilled the nation in winning its first-ever NCAA Regional title, finishing 4-1 at the Oxford Regional with incredible back-to-back elimination-game wins over No. 4 Ole Miss on its home field. The Golden Eagles became the first team in league history to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals and finished just one win away from Omaha after defeating No. 5 Texas in the first contest of the Austin Super Regional.
The Golden Eagles collected its 10th OVC regular season title in program history during the season, finishing an astonishing 27-3 in league play without dropping a single OVC series. The team won 11 straight weekend series, including 13 of its 14 during the season. Tech also finished a perfect 11-0 during midweek competition.
