By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
Tennessee Tech Baseball Weekend Preview (May 18)
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team wraps up the 2022 regular season with a three-game set at Murray State starting Thursday evening at Johnny Reagan Field.
First pitch is slated for a 5:00 p.m. CT start. Game two is scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. on Friday while the series finale will commence at 1:00 p.m. Saturday. All three games are to be streamed on ESPN+.
The series marks the last for Tech and Murray as Ohio Valley Conference rivals, with the Racers set to join the Missouri Valley Conference in 2022-23.
The Golden Eagles head into the weekend after falling to Kentucky in midweek action Tuesday evening, 13-0 in seven innings. Leading into the contest at UK, the Golden Eagles claimed 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 .297 batting average (second), .509 slugging percentage (second), .396 on-base percentage (first), 384 runs (first), 522 hits (first), 351 RBI (second), 95 home runs (first), 894 total bases (first), 249 walks (second), 56 hit-by-pitches (second), and 24 sacrifice flies (first).
Murray State enters the weekend series winners in three of their past four games, including two over Western Illinois last weekend. The Racers posted 9-3 and 8-7 victories before falling in the finale 17-6. Murray followed it with a midweek win, 3-2, at Evansville on Tuesday.
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Tennessee Tech at Murray State | Thursday, May 19, 5:00 PM
Murray, Ky. | Johnny Reagan Field (500)
Tennessee Tech at Murray State | Friday, May 20, 5:00 PM
Murray, Ky. | Johnny Reagan Field (500)
Tennessee Tech at Murray State | Saturday, May 21, 1:00 PM
Murray, Ky. | Johnny Reagan Field (500)
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2022 Record: 25-24
2022 OVC Record: 9-12
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 471-416-2 (16th Season)
Career: 522-492-3 (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 (.739)
OB%: Jason Hinchman (.467)
SB: Ed Johnson (6)
ERA: Peyton Calitri (5.01)
W: Peyton Calitri (5)
APP: Travis Odom / Colt Taylor (19)
IP: Peyton Calitri (73.2)
K: Peyton Calitri (51)
BAA: Peyton Calitri (.268)
SV: Jackson Berry / Brock Myers (2)
MURRAY STATE RACERS
2022 Record: 29-22
2022 OVC Record: 10-11
Head Coach: Dan Skirka
MSU: 96-84 (4th Season)
Career: Same
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Jordan Holly (.336)
2B: Drew Vogel (13)
3B: Jake Slunder (7)
HR: Bryson Bloomer (12)
RBI: Bryson Bloomer (65
R: Jake Slunder (49)
BB: Jacob Pennington (33)
SLG%: Bryson Bloomer (.537)
OB%: Jordan Holley (.442)
SB: Jake Slunder (24)
ERA: Hayden Wynja (3.69)
W: Hayden Wynja (6)
APP: Alec Whaley (24)
IP: Hayden Wynja (63.1)
K: Hayden Wynja (74)
BAA: Hayden Wynja (.224)
SV: Alec Whaley (4)
Photo by Emily Armstrong
