By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team opens a stretch of eight road games over its next nine contests on Tuesday evening, visiting Murfreesboro, Tenn. for a 6:00 p.m. CT battle against in-state rival Middle Tennessee.

THE SERIES
Tuesday's match-up represents the 197th meeting between the two ball clubs in the all-time series, with the Blue Raiders holding a 124-70-2 lead. Last season, the Golden Eagles swept the home-and-home series, picking up wins at each team's ballpark.

Following a two-hour weather delay back on Apr. 2 of last season, the purple and gold overcame a five-run deficit to top their rival to the west in a back-and-forth, 11-9 affair at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex. Trailing 7-2 heading into the bottom of the fourth, Tech's offense went to work, scoring four runs in the frame, two more in the sixth, and a very important three insurance markers in the eighth.

On Apr. 17, the sides squared off again with the Cookeville crew boasting a 5-2 victory in Murfreesboro. Mack Whitcomb belted a go-ahead, two-run long ball in the sixth to provide the necessary offense to secure the win. Tech's bullpen racked up seven shutout frames to close the contest.

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.

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 Golden Eagles enter the midweek battle with four straight wins under their belts, completing a three-game sweep over Purdue Fort Wayne in Cookeville over the weekend. Tech opened the streak with a 16-3 win in eight innings at Belmont last Wednesday, completing the season-series sweep of the Bruins.

In Friday's series opener with the Mastodons, the purple and gold turned in a thrilling, 2-1, walk-off victory in 10 innings. After both sides battled to a scoreless draw through nine, Purdue Fort Wayne scored to open the 10th.

Tech answered with two runs in the bottom half, thanks to an RBI single from Carter Vrabel and a walk-off, hit-by-pitch taken by Jackson Rooker with the bases loaded. Jaxson Pease was spectacular, tossing 9.0 innings with just one run allowed after surrendering a lead-off single in the 10th. He struck out six without issuing a walk as well.

The Cookeville crew saw the pitching staff take over for the game two win, throwing together a 5-0 shutout for the team's first clean sheet of the season. Jared Herzog, Jack Brafa, and Reece McDuffie combined to limit the Mastodons to just four hits.

Early offense and clutch pitching late lifted Tech to the series sweep and an 8-6 win on Sunday, with the bats providing a 7-2 lead heading into the eighth. Purdue Fort Wayne rallied with two runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth. 

Freshman hurlers Micah Summar and Logan Moller provided the biggest moments of the day, each picking up massive strikeouts for the final two outs of the frame. Moller earned his first career save for the effort.

THE OPPONENT
The Blue Raiders head into the contest with a 9-5 record on the season and fresh off a weekend sweep of Oakland at home at Reese Smith Jr Field. Middle Tennessee turned in an 8-4 win on Friday before claiming the series on Saturday behind a walk-off, 6-5 win in 11 frames.

Sunday's series finale belonged to starter Drew Horn, who earned Conference USA Pitcher of the Week honors after tossing the fifth no-hitter in program history. The righty completed nine innings with just two walks allowed and a whopping 13 strikeouts for just the second nine-inning no-hitter in school history.

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Current Weekend Schedule
Tuesday, Mar. 11 | 6:00 p.m. CT | at Middle Tennessee

TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2025 Record: 13-4
2025 OVC Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 539-483-2 (19th Season)
Career: 590-559-3 (22nd Season)

STATS LEADERS
AVG: Mack Whitcomb (.339)
2B: Preston Steele / Whitcomb (5)
3B: Jackson Green / Whitcomb (1)
HR: Whitcomb (4)
RBI: Whitcomb (20)
R: Owen Lee / Whitcomb (14)
BB: Jorsixt Jimenez (10)
SLG%: Whitcomb (.661)
OB%: Smelser (.462)
SB: Nicho Jordan (4)
ERA: Patrick Johnson (0.00)
W: Jack Brafa / Jaxson Pease (3)
APP: Drew Mattox (7)
IP: Pease (25.1)
K: Pease (23)
BAA: Jaxon Pridgen (.095)
SV: Reece McDuffie (3)

MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS
2025 Record: 9-5
2025 CUSA Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Jerry Meyers
MT: 56-70 (3rd Season)
Career: 223-228 (9th Season)

STATS LEADERS
AVG: Eston Snider (.446)
2B: Nathan Brewer (6)
3B: 3 players tied (1)
HR: Brett Vondohlen (7)
RBI: Vondohlen (15)
R: Snider / Matt Wolfe (14)
BB: Tyler Minnick (9)
SLG%: Kenny McKinley (.760)
OB%: Snider (.529)
SB: Snider (8)
ERA: Drew Horn (1.48)
W: 3 players tied (2)
APP: Landen Burch (6)
IP: Horn (24.1)
K: Horn (38)
BAA: Horn (.100)
SV: Burch (2)

Photo by Betty Myers