By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
Tennessee Tech Baseball Midweek Preview (Apr. 25)
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team wraps up its five-game road stretch Tuesday evening, heading to Nashville for a midweek tilt with in-state rival Lipscomb in a rematch from this year's earlier match-up in Cookeville.
The two sides are set to tangle at 6:00 p.m. CT at Dugan Field, squaring off for the second time this season. The Bisons claimed a 21-7 victory over the Golden Eagles in Cookeville back on Mar. 15. Tuesday's contest is currently slated to be streamed on ESPN+.
Tech enters the game after falling twice over the weekend at UT Martin as part of a trio of offensive slugfests. The Golden Eagles erupted for a 19-6 win on Friday, but fell to the Skyhawks 24-17 on Saturday and 10-9 on Sunday.
Right fielder Ryan Guardino was named a Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week powered by Diamond Sports after making history over the weekend. He smashed seven home runs in the three-game series, becoming the first Tech player with multiple dingers in three straight games and recording the most dingers over a three-game span in school history.
Batting .588 and slugging 1.824 with 11 RBI and 10 runs scored, Guardino also tied the program's single-game home run record, blasting three round trippers in Saturday's contest. He became just the 11th different Golden Eagle to do so.
This season, the purple and gold rank fifth nationally in home runs per game (1.95), 10th in home runs (72), 13th in both slugging percentage (.513), and 23rd in scoring (8.2 runs per game). Tech ranks in the top three in the league with a .300 batting average (first), .513 slugging percentage (second), .396 on-base percentage (second), 303 runs (first), 403 hits (second), 275 RBI (second), 72 home runs (first), 689 total bases (first), walks (183), 43 hit-by-pitches (second), and 20 sacrifice flies (first).
Slugger Jason Hinchman has paced the Golden Eagle offense, ranking seventh nationally with 0.46 home runs per game and 17 total dingers. His 61 career round-trippers are just one shy of tying both the program and OVC records held by former Golden Eagles Zach Stephens and Kevin Strohschein.
Lipscomb comes into the contest after falling in its final two tilts in a three-game series at Jacksonville State over the weekend. After shutting out the Gamecocks for their fifth win in a row, the Bisons fell 16-1 and 8-1 in the final two games in Jacksonville, Ala.
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Tennessee Tech at Lipscomb | Tuesday, Apr. 26, 6:00 PM
Nashville, Tenn. | Dugan Field (1,500)
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2022 Record: 21-16
2022 OVC Record: 5-7
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 467-408-2 (16th Season)
Career: 518-484-3 (19th Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Jason Hinchman (.379)
2B: Gabe Lacy (10)
3B: Austin Turner (2)
HR: Jason Hinchman (17)
RBI: Jason Hinchman (49)
R: Ed Johnson (41)
BB: Austin Turner (28)
SLG%: Jason Hinchman (.771)
OB%: Jason Hinchman (.470)
SB: Austin Turner (4)
ERA: Peyton Calitri (3.77)
W: Connor Adams / Peyton Calitri (4)
APP: Colt Taylor (15)
IP: Peyton Calitri (62.0)
K: Peyton Calitri (45)
BAA: Connor Adams (.250)
SV: Jackson Berry (2)
LIPSCOMB BISONS
2022 Record: 23-17
2022 ASUN Record: 11-7
Head Coach: Jeff Forehand
LU: 392-408 (16th Season)
Career: 621-579-1 (22nd Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Malik Williams (.357)
2B: Rudy Maxwell (9)
3B: 3 players tied (2)
HR: Trace Willhoite (8)
RBI: Malik Williams (42)
R: Maddux Houghton (35)
BB: Mason Lundgrin (30)
SLG%: Malik Williams (.532)
OB%: Mason Lundgrin / Malik Williams (.429)
SB: Caleb Ketchup (22)
ERA: Michael Dunkelberger (2.03)
W: Michael Dunkelberger (6)
APP: Trey Nordmann (17)
IP: Ike Buxton (52.0)
K: Matthew Bohnert (46)
BAA: Matthew Bohnert (.099)
SV: Trey Nordmann (6)
Photo by Emily Armstrong
