By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team continues its seven-game home stand with a midweek match-up against in-state rival Middle Tennessee, squaring off with the Blue Raiders at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex Wednesday afternoon in a 3:00 p.m. CT affair.
DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER, INCLUDING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN, TUESDAY'S ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED CONTEST BETWEEN THE GOLDEN EAGLES AND BLUE RAIDERS HAS BEEN PUSHED TO WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AT 3:00 P.M. CT.
The contest is scheduled to be streamed live on ESPN+ with Dylan Vazzano on the call. Admission to all Tech home baseball games is free of charge. With inclement weather in the forecast, fans are encouraged to check TTUSports.com and Tennessee Tech social media for any potential updates/changes to this week's schedule.
Tuesday's tilt marks the 195th match-up since 1949 between the two programs, with the Blue Raiders owning a 124-68-2 lead in the series. Middle Tennessee has won eight of the last 10 meetings, including each of the past four.
Tech's last win against its in-state rival came in 2019, a wild, 10-9 victory in 10 innings. Golden Eagle slugger Jason Hinchman smacked a lead-off bomb in the bottom of the ninth to force the extra frame, but the Blue Raiders responded with a sac fly in the top of the 10th to back up 10-8.
The Golden Eagles patiently wore down the Middle Tennessee bullpen in the bottom of the 10th, gathering a double and RBI single to pull even. Another single put a pair on before a pair of quick outs made it seem as if an 11th inning would be necessary. Hinchman drew a five-pitch walk to load the bags before Nathan McMeans watched four straight offering miss for the walk-off free pass.
Last season, the Blue Raiders earned a pair of eight-run wins, besting the Golden Eagles twice over a six-day span with victories of 11-3 in Murfreesboro and 13-5 in Cookeville.
The purple and gold enter Tuesday's contest fresh off an Ohio Valley Conference series sweep of Western Illinois at the Quill. Hurler Landon Smiddy tossed 8.1 innings with just two earned and three total runs allowed in the series opener, striking out a career-high 11 batters in the 6-3 win. He was rewarded with OVC Pitcher of the Week honors for the first time in his career on Monday.
The Tech bats took care of business the rest of the weekend, banging out 13 hits in Friday's 12-2 triumph. They followed with 14 more knocks in a 12-8 win in the series finale on Saturday.
Known historically under the watch of long-time head coach Matt Bragga as one of the premier, home-run slugging programs in the country year in and year out, this year's Golden Eagles squad sports a slightly different look on offense. The 2024 edition still ranks third in the OVC in long balls, but it's been the patience and speed that has shined during the season.
Heading into the week, the Golden Eagles led the nation in triples as a team, boasting 15 so far on the year. Tech ranks 15th nationally in walks, drawing 170 this year to lead the OVC.
Left fielder Austin Turner paces the group with a whopping 35 in 28 games, tying for second among national leaders. Boasting 108 in his Tech career, he now ranks eighth in program history for walks, trailing his own teammate, catcher Hayden Gilliland, who ranks seventh with 109 free passes. His eight career triples rank eighth in program history.
Turner is also tied for sixth in the nation with four triples while center fielder Nicho Jordan ranks tied for 16th with three. Peyton Calitri has been special on the bump, ranking third nationally with a strikeout/walk ratio of 15.00, fanning 45 batters with just three free passes on the year.
Middle Tennessee enters the week on a five-game skid, dropping all four games last week, starting with a 12-5 decision to Indiana in Bloomington. The Blue Raiders returned home to Murfreesboro only to fall in a three-game series to visiting Binghamton.
The Bearcats topped MTSU 8-4 in the opener on Thursday before pitching a 9-0 shutout in the middle contest on Friday. Binghamton closed out the series with a 14-3 blowout on Saturday.
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Current Midweek Schedule
Tuesday, Apr. 2 | 6:00 p.m. CT | vs. Middle Tennessee
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2024 Record: 16-12
2024 OVC Record: 4-2
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 513-465-2 (18th Season)
Career: 564-541-3 (21st Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Hayden Gilliland (.363)
2B: Troy Baunsgard (11)
3B: Austin Turner (4)
HR: Preston Steele (7)
RBI: Nicho Jordan (31)
R: Austin Turner (31)
BB: Austin Turner (35)
SLG%: Tanner Shiver (.701)
OB%: Hayden Gilliland (.504)
SB: Austin Turner (11)
ERA: Peyton Calitri (2.40)*
W: Peyton Calitri (4)
APP: Jack Erdman / Drew Mattox (10)
IP: Peyton Calitri (45.0)
K: Peyton Calitri (45)
BAA: Peyton Calitri (.232)*
SV: Jack Erdman (3)
* minimum 1.0 innings pitcher per team game played
MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS
2024 Record: 10-16
2024 C-USA Record: 2-4
Head Coach: Jerry Meyers
MT: 37-45 (2nd Season)
Career: 204-203 (8th Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Briggs Rutter (.429)
2B: Briggs Rutter (8)
3B: 3 players tied (2)
HR: Briggs Rutter (7)
RBI: Briggs Rutter (30)
R: Briggs Rutter (31)
BB: Briggs Rutter (16)
SLG%: Briggs Rutter (.765)
OB%: Briggs Rutter (.513)
SB: Luke Vinson (8)
ERA: Chandler Alderman (4.82)*
W: James Sells (3)
APP: Cole Torbett (12)
IP: James Sells (34.1)
K: Chandler Alderman (34)
BAA: Chandler Alderman (.225)*
SV: Cole Torbett (2)
* minimum 1.0 innings pitcher per team game played
Photo by Jim Dillon
