By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team returns to Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex on Friday afternoon, kicking off a three-game series with UIC with a 3:00 p.m. CT tilt.
Game two of the weekend schedule will feature a 2:00 p.m. first pitch on Saturday while Sunday's series finale has been pushed up one hour for a 12:00 p.m. (noon) start. Admission to all Tech baseball games is free of charge. Fans are encouraged to check TTUSports.com and Tennessee Tech social media for any potential updates to this weekend's schedule.
THE SERIES
Friday's series opener represents the 14th meeting between the two ball clubs in the all-time series, with the Golden Eagles boasting a decisive, 12-1 advantage. When competing in Cookeville, the purple and gold has racked up an 8-0 mark over the Flames.
The two sides first square off in a two-game series back in 1964, with Tech picking up a pair of wins on its own campus. In the most recent series between the two, the Golden Eagles swept a three-game set at the Quill during the 2001 campaign, lighting up the scoreboard for wins of 12-5, 18-5, and 7-2.
The Cookeville crew also swept a 2000 three-game slate in Bush Stadium, dropping 42 runs behind victories of 11-7, 22-5, and 9-0. UIC's lone win in the all-time series came in a seven-inning battle in Charleston, S.C., a 5-3 decision during the 1996 campaign.
TEAM NOTES
Four-time Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year Matt Bragga is back for his 19th overall season at the helm of the Golden Eagle program and fourth after making his return to Cookeville in 2022. The Tech legend 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.
| 1. | Gary McClure, Austin Peay (1988-15) | 847 | ||
| 2. | Johnny Reagan, Murray State (1958-93) | 776 | ||
| 3. | Jim Ward, Eastern Kentucky (1980-01) | 628 | ||
| 4. | Jim Case, Jacksonville State (2004-21) | 564 | ||
| 5. | David Mays, Tennessee Tech (1974-98) | 554 | ||
| 6. | Matt Bragga, Tennessee Tech (2004-18, 22-present) | 532 | ||
| 7. | Mark Hogan, Southeast Missouri (1995-12) | 526 | ||
| 8. | Jim Schmitz, Eastern Illinois (1997-15) | 480 | ||
| 9. | John Stanford, Middle Tennessee (1974-87) | 402 | ||
| 10. | Steve Peterson, Middle Tennessee (1988-00) | 401 |
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.
Competing in its fourth game in four days on Tuesday at No. 12 Vanderbilt, the Golden Eagles got off to a fast start in Nashville, plating a pair with a two-run double from Riley Black in the top of the first inning. The Commodores responded with 16 unanswered runs on nine hits and 13 walks over the next five frames, locking down a 16-3 win in seven innings.
THE OPPONENT
UIC heads to Cookeville fresh off its first home contest of the year, a 12-2 victory in eight innings over North Park University. The Flames plated eight runs over the finale three frames of the contest, walking things off with a bases-loaded free pass to reach the run-rule set in place.
The visitors from Chicago earned their first win of the year with a 10-3 triumph at Charleston Southern on Feb. 16. UIC went 1-3 over opening weekend before falling in a quartet of contests at No. 8 Georgia last weekend in Athens.
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Current Weekend Schedule
Friday, Feb. 28 | 3:00 p.m. CT | vs. UIC
Saturday, Mar. 1 | 2:00 p.m. CT | vs. UIC
Sunday, Mar. 2 | 12:00 p.m. CT | vs. UIC
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2025 Record: 6-3
2025 OVC Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 532-482-2 (19th Season)
Career: 583-558-3 (22nd Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Mack Whitcomb (.379)
2B: 3 players tied
3B: Jackson Green / Whitcomb (1)
HR: Whitcomb (3)
RBI: Whitcomb (9)
R: Whitcomb (9)
BB: Nicho Jordan (8)
SLG%: Whitcomb (.828)
OB%: Whitcomb (.500)
SB: Jordan (3)
ERA: Patrick Johnson / Reece McDuffie (0.00)
W: Jaxson Pease (2)
APP: Drew Mattox (4)
IP: Jaxson Pease (10.1)
K: Juan Vargas (12)
BAA: McDuffie (.167)
SV: McDuffie (2)
UIC FLAMES
2025 Record: 2-7
2025 MVC Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Sean McDermott
UIC: 89-77 (4th Season)
Career: Same
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Lucas Smith / Jack Snyder (.333)
2B: Will Flanigan (3)
3B: James Harris (1)
HR: Jackson Bessette (2)
RBI: Snyder (8)
R: Bessette (8)
BB: Smith (10)
SLG%: Bessette (.538)
OB%: Smith (.630)
SB: Smith (4)
ERA: Michael Vitellaro (2.70)
W: Bobby Barrera / Colin Hawkins (1)
APP: Hawkins (5)
IP: Dillon Schueler (8.0)
K: Kendall Lyons / Schueler (8)
BAA: Vitellaro (.091)
SV: None
Photo by Jim Dillon
