By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team welcomes in-state rival and former Ohio Valley Conference foe Belmont to Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex Tuesday afternoon for the team's first midweek test of the 2025 campaign. 

Due to expected inclement weather moving into the Cookeville and Upper Cumberland regions Tuesday evening, first pitch for the contest has been pushed up one hour to 2:00 p.m. CT at the Quill.

Admission to all Tech baseball games is free of charge. With inclement weather expected in the Cookeville and Upper Cumberland regions throughout the weekend, fans are encouraged to check TTUSports.com and Tennessee Tech social media for any potential updates to this weekend's schedule.

THE SERIES
Tuesday's tilt represents the 98th between the two ball clubs in the all-time series, with the Golden Eagles holding a 52-45 advantage over the Bruins. In last season's midweek match-up in Cookeville, Belmont left with a 9-8 win in a roller-coaster battle.

The Bruins took as large a lead as 6-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth, but the Golden Eagles battle back with three runs over the next two frames. After Belmont added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth to make it an 8-5 advantage, Tech responded in the bottom half with a two-run double and RBI single to square things at 8-8.

Belmont collected the winning run in the top of the running, stringing together a two-out rally with a first-pitch double and first-pitch RBI single through the left side. 

TEAM NOTES
Four-time Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year Matt Bragga returns for his 19th overall season at the helm of the Golden Eagle program and fourth after making his return to Cookeville in 2022. In 2024, the purple and gold made its ninth straight appearance in the OVC Tournament under the direction of Bragga, finishing the year 29-26 overall and 13-14 in league action.

Bragga is starting to climb the OVC's all-time coaching wins list, currently ranked sixth overall. Bragga and TTU Sports Hall of Famer David Mays represent the only pair of coaches from the same school to rank in the league's top eight of OVC wins.

The purple and gold were selected to finish third in the OVC in a preseason vote of league head baseball coaches and communications directors, falling behind only defending tournament champion Southeast Missouri and defending regular-season champ Little Rock.

The Golden Eagles are off to their first 4-0 start since 2022, when the team opened the year 10-0. It marks the team's third 4-0 start under the direction of  Bragga.

Tech took care of business on opening weekend, sweeping visiting Le Moyne in a four-game set at Bush Stadium. The purple and gold used plenty of pitching to take four close contests during a wet and frigid weekend of ball.

On Friday, the Golden Eagles won both ends of a double dip with the Dolphins, taking home wins of 6-2 and 4-2. The Cookeville crew locked down a 6-3 decision on Saturday before braving a 15-mile-per-hour headwind blowing in from center field and extremely cold conditions for a 4-1 victory on Sunday. 

Following the season's opening weekend, catcher Mack Whitcomb was named the OVC's Player of the Week for the first time in his career Monday afternoon. The driving force behind Tech's offense the Mokene, Ill. native batted .385 with all five hits of the extra-base variety. He scored five times and plated six runs while racking up an eye-popping OPS of 1.625 and slugging percentage of 1.154.

The sophomore opened the season with a go-ahead three-run home run that represented the game-winning RBI and scored the team's game-winning run in game two. In the fourth and final game, Whitcomb went deep again, hammering an oppo taco into a 15-mile-per-hour headwind.

THE OPPONENT
The Bruins close out a four-game road stretch to open the 2025 campaign after spending last weekend in Atlanta. Belmont fell in three straight contests against Georgia State, including a pair of close battles on Saturday and Sunday. 

The Panthers bested the Bruins 9-3 on opening day before holding off a rally by Belmont on Saturday. The Bruins scored three runs in the eighth to tie the contest, but GSU responded with a two-spot in the bottom half. 

The Panthers built a steady lead in game three on Sunday, scoring all 11 runs between the fourth and seventh frames. Belmont mounted another comeback bid in the ninth, scoring twice to pull within three before the Panthers finished things off for an 11-8 win.

Twitter: @TNTech_Baseball 
Facebook: /TennesseeTechBaseball 
Instagram: TNTech_Baseball

Current Midweek Schedule
Tuesday, Feb. 18 | 2:00 p.m. CT | vs. Belmont

TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2025 Record: 4-0
2025 OVC Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 530-479-2 (19th Season)
Career: 581-555-3 (22nd Season)

STATS LEADERS
AVG: Mack Whitcomb (.385)
2B: Whitcomb (2)
3B: Jackson Green / Whitcomb (1)
HR: Whitcomb (2)
RBI: Whitcomb (6)
R: Whitcomb (5)
BB: Eddie Garza (5)
SLG%: Whitcomb (1.154)
OB%: Garza (.727)
SB: Green / Nicho Jordan (2)
ERA: 7 players tied (0.00)
W: 4 players tied (1)
APP: Drew Mattox (2)
IP: Jack Brafa / Carter Casabella (5.0)
K: Jaxson Pease (6)
BAA: Mattox / Lucas Vega (.100)
SV: 3 players tied (1)

BELMONT BRUINS
2025 Record: 0-3
2025 MVC Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Dave Jarvis
BU: 763-713-2 (28th Season)
Career: 1,087-865-2 (43rd Season)

STATS LEADERS
AVG: Michael Lareau (.500)
2B: Ty Allen / Lareau (2)
3B: None
HR: Ty Allen (1)
RBI: Lareau (4)
R: Allen / Lareau (3)
BB: Charlie Davis (3)
SLG%: Lareau (.700)
OB%: Davis (.600)
SB: Blake Barton / Pete Daniel (2)
ERA: Ethan Harden / Jake Timbes (0.00)
W: None
APP: 11 players tied (1)
IP: Joe Ruzicka (4.0)
K: 4 players tied (4)
BAA: Harden (.000)
SV: None

Photo by Betty Myers