By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
Tennessee Tech Baseball Midweek Preview (Mar. 30)
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team wraps up its seven-game road swing against a familiar foe Tuesday afternoon, squaring off with former Ohio Valley Conference rival Belmont in an in-state battle at 4:00 p.m. at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville.
The contest will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Tech will take on Belmont for the first time since the Bruins' departure from the OVC following last season. Belmont took last year's final series between the two teams as league foes, winning the first two meetings, including an 8-7, walk-off in the opener after scoring three runs in the ninth. After falling 4-1 in the second tilt, the Golden Eagles rebounded to salvage an 8-1 victory in the finale.
The two squads faced off one last time in the OVC Tournament, with the Bruins besting the purple and gold in an 8-3 decision to advance to the championship game. Belmont eventually fell to Southeast Missouri for the tournament title.
The Golden Eagles enter the match-up amid a tough stretch, falling in eight of their last nine contests. Tech picked up its first OVC win of the year on Saturday, outlasting Morehead State on the road in 10 innings, 17-12. The Eagles bested the purple and gold in the final two contests of the series, 10-7 and 4-3.
Belmont comes into Tuesday's tilt red hot, winning 10 of its last 11 contests, including a three-game sweep of Evansville last weekend in Missouri Valley Conference action. The Bruins captured relatively easy wins of 8-1 and 9-2 before eking out a 7-5 win in 13 innings in the finale on Sunday.
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Current Weekend Schedule
Tuesday, Apr. 4 | 4:00 p.m. CT | at Belmont | Live Video | Live Stats
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2023 Record: 9-17
2023 OVC Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 485-436-2 (17th Season)
Career: 536-512-3 (20th Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Preston Ford (.329)
2B: Theo Bryant IV / Peyton Mills (6)
3B: 3 players tied (1)
HR: Peyton Mills (10)
RBI: Peyton Mills (33)
R: Peyton Mills (23)
BB: Hayden Gilliland (24)
SLG%: Peyton Mills (.667)
OB%: Troy Baunsgard (.444)
SB: Theo Bryant IV (3)
ERA: Andrew Guardino (5.85)
W: 3 players tied (2)
APP: Colt Taylor (11)
IP: Peyton Calitri (30.2)
K: Hunter Mann (40)
BAA: Brock Smith (.204)
SV: 5 players tied (1)
BELMONT BRUINS
2023 Record: 17-12
2023 MVC Record: 5-1
Head Coach: Dave Jarvis
BU: 713-645-2 (26th Season)
Career: 1,037-797-2 (34th Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Sam Kirkpatrick (.365)
2B: Blake Barton (11)
3B: Blake Barton (2)
HR: Mason Landers (6)
RBI: Blake Barton (23)
R: Sam Kirkpatrick (22)
BB: Brodey Heaton (15)
SLG%: Blake Barton (.556)
OB%: Sam Kirkpatrick (.391)
SB: Drew Lowry (8)
ERA: Ethan Harden (1.35)
W: Jett Thielke (4)
APP: Jett Thielke (12)
IP: Andy Bean (44.2)
K: Andy Bean (46)
BAA: Ethan Harden (.159)
SV: Ethan Harden (5)
Photo by Jim Dillon
