By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team is back in Cookeville to host Purdue Fort Wayne in a weekend slate at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex starting Friday afternoon with a 3:00 p.m. CT affair.
Game two of the series will kick off at 1:00 p.m. CT on Saturday while Sunday's series finale will also feature a 1:00 p.m. 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 seventh meeting between the two ball clubs in the all-time series, with the Golden Eagles holding a 4-4 advantage over the Mastodons. All six previous match-ups have come at Quillen Field, with Purdue Fort Wayne picking up a series win the first time the two tangoed.
The visitors from Indiana won 5-3 in the first seven-inning tilt of a doubleheader before Cookeville crew bounced back for a 9-4 victory in the second half of the double dip. The Mastodons eked out a 10-9 win to win the series.
The Golden Eagles didn't leave much intrigue to the most recent series between the two programs, completing a three-game sweep at the beginning of March during the 2022 campaign. Tech delivered three monster victories with scores of 13-4, 7-1, and 15-7.
CLIMBING THE LEADERBOARD
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) | 536 | ||
| 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 |
PRESEASON OUTLOOK
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.
During its 2025 OVC Season Preview, D1baseball.com selected southpaw Jared Herzog as the No. 1 prospect in the league for the 2025 MLB Draft while outfielder Jorsixt Jimenez was ranked 11th. The D1baseball crew listed catcher Mack Whitcomb as the No. 2 prospect from the OVC for the 2026 MLB Draft, right-handed pitcher Jack Brafa No. 7 and right-handed hurler Juan Vargas No. 9. Rookie righty Carter Casabella was selected as an Impact Freshman, sitting at No. 10.
LAST TIME OUT
The bats erupted to the tune of 15 hits and six walks on Wednesday, leading the Golden Eagles to a 16-3 win against Belmont at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville. The purple and gold completed the season series sweep of the Bruins, having already earned a win of 10-8 in Cookeville back in February.
All 10 Tech batters that saw the field recorded at least one hit on the night, led by third baseman Preston Steele's 3-for-4 showing with two RBI and two runs. Shortstop Owen Lee and catcher Mack Whitcomb each finished 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs while center fielder Nicho Jordan added three RBI and two runs.
Tech fell to WKU on Monday afternoon, dropping a 15-4 decision in eight innings at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex. The Hilltoppers exploded for big innings in an otherwise competitive ball game, plating five in the first and, after taking a 9-4 lead, dropping six, unearned runs with two outs in the top of the eighth.
THE OPPONENT
The Dons enter the weekend at 1-10 on the season, picking up their first victory of the year at Tech's OVC rival Southeast Missouri. The Redhawks claimed three of the four outings in Cape Girardeau, Mo., with Purdue Fort Wayne capturing a 9-5 decision in the first contest of a doubleheader last Saturday.
Purdue Fort Wayne is coached by former longtime Purdue head coach Doug Schreiber, who spent 18 years as the lead man of his alma mater.
Twitter: @TNTech_Baseball
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Current Weekend Schedule
Friday, Mar. 7 | 3:00 p.m. CT | vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
Saturday, Mar. 8 | 1:00 p.m. CT | vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
Sunday, Mar. 9 | 1:00 p.m. CT | vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2025 Record: 10-4
2025 OVC Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 536-483-2 (19th Season)
Career: 587-559-3 (22nd Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Mack Whitcomb (.347)
2B: Whitcomb (5)
3B: Jackson Green / Whitcomb (1)
HR: Whitcomb (4)
RBI: Whitcomb (18)
R: Whitcomb (13)
BB: Jorsxit Jimenez (9)
SLG%: Whitcomb (.735)
OB%: Whitcomb (.459)
SB: Jordan / Owen Lee (3)
ERA: Patrick Johnson / Jaxon Pridgen (0.00)
W: Jaxson Pease (3)
APP: Drew Mattox (6)
IP: Pease (16.1)
K: Pease (17)
BAA: Pridgen (.000)
SV: 3 players tied (2)
PURDUE FORT WAYNE MASTODONS
2025 Record: 1-10
2025 HL Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Doug Schreiber
PFW: 67-171 (6th Season)
Career: 552-660 (23rd Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Sage Adams (.333)
2B: Nick Hockemeyer / Jackson Micheels (2)
3B: Grant Sawa (1)
HR: Micheels (2)
RBI: Camden Karczewski / Micheels (5)
R: Micheels (6)
BB: Brooks Sailors (5)
SLG%: Sawa (.625)
OB%: Adams (.455)
SB: Justin Osterhouse (3)
ERA: Zane Danielson (3.86)
W: Rex Stills (1)
APP: 3 players tied (4)
IP: Danielson (16.1)
K: Dillon Fischer (6)
BAA: Danielson (.246)
SV: Sean Kasper (1)
Photo by Betty Myers
