By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
Tennessee Tech Baseball Midweek Preview (May 16)
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team will compete in its final midweek tilt of the season Tuesday evening, hitting the road for a visit to Lexington and 5:30 p.m. CT match-up with Kentucky.
The Golden Eagles head into the tilt after taking the final two games of their weekend series with in-state rival Austin Peay. Closing out the home portion of its schedule, Tech boasted 10-7 and 14-5 victories on Saturday and Sunday.
Sluggers Jason Hinchman and Ryan Guardino have paced the Golden Eagle offense, ranking seventh and 14th nationally with 0.44 and 0.39 home runs per game, respectively. Hinchman's 21 dingers on the year rank sixth in the country. Hinchman currently owns the Ohio Valley Conference record for round-trippers with 65 and ranks among the all-time Tech career leaders in slugging percentage (third), walks (fifth), RBI (sixth), runs (tied for eighth), hits (18th), and on-base percentage (tied for 22nd).
This season, the purple and gold rank fifth nationally in home runs per game (1.98), eighth in home runs (95), and 15th in slugging percentage (.513). The 95 bombs also rank third in program history, trailing only the OVC and Tech record of 135 set in 2018 and the 99 hit in 2017.
Tech ranks in the top three in the league with a .298 batting average (third), .513 slugging percentage (second), .398 on-base percentage (first), 384 runs (first), 517 hits (second), 351 RBI (second), 95 home runs (first), 889 total bases (first), 247 walks (second), 56 hit-by-pitches (second), and 24 sacrifice flies (first).
Kentucky comes into the Tuesday affair after falling in two of its three games at South Carolina over the weekend. The Wildcats salvaged a win in the finale, 7-1, after falling 11-3 and 7-0 in games one and two. The week prior, UK handed No. 1 Tennessee its first SEC series loss of the year.
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Tennessee Tech at Kentucky | Tuesday, May 17, 5:30 PM
Lexington, Ky. | Kentucky Proud Park (2,500)
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2022 Record: 25-23
2022 OVC Record: 9-12
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 471-415-2 (16th Season)
Career: 522-491-3 (19th Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Jason Hinchman (.367)
2B: Gabe Lacy (12)
3B: Austin Turner (3)
HR: Jason Hinchman (21)
RBI: Jason Hinchman (60)
R: Jason Hinchman (49)
BB: Austin Turner (41)
SLG%: Jason Hinchman (.745)
OB%: Jason Hinchman (.469)
SB: Ed Johnson (6)
ERA: Peyton Calitri (5.01)
W: Peyton Calitri (5)
APP: Colt Taylor (19)
IP: Peyton Calitri (73.2)
K: Peyton Calitri (51)
BAA: Peyton Calitri (.268)
SV: Jackson Berry / Brock Myers (2)
KENTUCKY WILDCATS
2022 Record: 27-23
2022 SEC Record: 10-17
Interim Head Coach: Nick Mingione
UK: 170-126 (6th Season)
Career: Same
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Daniel Harris (.320)
2B: Adam Fogel (13)
3B: 4 players tied (2)
HR: Chase Estep (13)
RBI: Chase Estep (43)
R: Chase Estep (50)
BB: Chase Estep (33)
SLG%: Chase Estep (.582)
OB%: Chase Estep (.419)
SB: Chase Estep (16)
ERA: Sean Harney (3.09)
W: Sean Harney (5)
APP: Daniel Harper (22)
IP: Sean Harney (55.1)
K: Tyler Guilfoil (1.29)
BAA: Sean Harney (.244)
SV: Tyler Guilfoil (5)
Photo by Emily Armstrong
