By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team concludes a stretch of eight road games in its past nine contests with a midweek rematch at Austin Peay on Tuesday evening in Clarksville at 6:00 p.m. CT. The two sides will square off for the second time in as many weeks after clashing in Cookeville last Tuesday.
The contest is scheduled to be streamed live on ESPN+ with Alex Gould on the call.
THE SERIES
Tuesday's match-up represents the 187th meeting between the two ball clubs in the all-time series, with the Governors holding a 98-87-1 lead. Austin Peay also holds the advantage when playing in Clarksville, leading 56-24.
This will mark just the second tilt between the two in-state rivals since Austin Peay's departure from the Ohio Valley Conference following the 2022 campaign. The Govs earned an 11-4 win in the series opener, a contest that featured a rain delay of more than two hours.
Tech rebounded in a rollercoaster of a game two, taking a 4-0 lead before Austin Peay jumped on top in the sixth, 6-5. The purple and gold rallied to plate three in the seventh and two more in the eighth to earn a 10-7 win.
In the series finale, Tech spoiled a great start to the Govs' day, turning a 5-0 deficit after the second winning into a monster win by scoring 14 unanswered runs for a 14-5 victory on Senior Day.
Last Tuesday, the purple and gold played host to Austin Peay in Cookeville, dropping the midweek tilt in eight innings, 13-3. A close battle early turned into a one-sided affair from the fourth inning on, with the Govs scoring nine of their 13 runs over the final five frames. Austin Peay drummed up 16 hits in the contest while holding the purple and gold to just five on a windy night.
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) | 544 | ||
| 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.
OVC HONORS
Senior outfielder Nicho Jordan was recognized as the OVC Player of the Week for the first time in his career, as announced by the league Monday afternoon, sharing the honor with UT Martin shortstop Cameron Greene.
Jordan was a key driving force behind Tech's 3-0 start to OVC play, slashing .583/.688/.1.417 over four games with three home runs, six RBI, and eight runs scored. He opened the week with a double and long ball against Austin Peay, prepping himself for a big weekend of offense.
After opening the series at Little Rock 1-for-4, Jordan exploded in the second contest, tallying two home runs (including one of the inside-the-park variety) on a 4-for-4 day with five RBI, five runs, a walk, and a stolen base. He wrapped up the weekend with two more walks and two runs scored.
On Feb. 17, sophomore catcher Mack Whitcomb earned his first career OVC Player of the Week nod, batting .385 with five extra-base hits, six RBI, and five runs in a four-game sweep over Le Moyne on opening weekend. He slugging 1.154 while turning in an OPS of 1.625, smashing two long balls along the way.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Eagles enter Tuesday's tilt after kicking off the OVC season with a 3-0 sweep at Little Rock over the weekend, with the offense exploding over the final two games. Tech's pitching was the start in game one, outlasting the Trojans long enough for the purple and gold to rally for a 5-2 win.
The bats woke up and dominated in game two to secure the series, piling up a season-high 18 hits in a 14-9 win that wasn't as close as the final score may indicate. The Trojans plated six in the bottom of the ninth to close an otherwise monster gap.
Going for the series sweep on Sunday, the Golden Eagles had to put on their rally caps two separate times, bouncing back from a 3-0 deficit after the first and a 7-5 hole entering the sixth. Tech squared the contest in the sixth at 7-7 before catcher Mack Whitcomb delivered the big blow, smashing a go-ahead, two-run blast to left field with two outs in the top of the ninth. Juan Vargas finished off his second save of the season in the bottom half, securing a 9-7 win for the purple and gold.
THE OPPONENT
Austin Peay heads into the match-up on a five-game winning streak, one that began with the two team's meeting last Tuesday. After topping Tech in Cookeville on Tuesday, the Governors backed it up with a 15-5 win in eight innings against Southern Illinois in Clarksville.
Riding the momentum into the weekend, the Govs turned in a three-game sweep at Atlantic Sun rival Central Arkansas, opening the weekend in Conway with an 8-5 win. Austin Peay claimed the series with a 12-9 victory on Saturday before wrapping up the sweep with a 9-5 decision on Sunday.
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Current Midweek Schedule
Tuesday, Mar. 25 | 6:00 p.m. CT | at Austin Peay
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2025 Record: 18-7
2025 OVC Record: 3-0
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 544-486-2 (19th Season)
Career: 595-562-3 (22nd Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Mack Whitcomb (.322)
2B: Whitcomb (7)
3B: Jackson Green / Whitcomb (1)
HR: Owen Lee / Whitcomb (5)
RBI: Whitcomb (26)
R: O. Lee (22)
BB: O. Lee (16)
SLG%: Whitcomb (.589)
OB%: Preston Steele (.444)
SB: Nicho Jordan (5)
ERA: Reece McDuffie (1.66)
W: Jack Brafa (5)
APP: Drew Mattox (10)
IP: Jaxson Pease (31.2)
K: Pease (29)
BAA: McDuffie (.195)
SV: Juan Vargas (5)
AUSTIN PEAY GOVERNORS
2025 Record: 18-7
2025 ASUN Record: 5-1
Head Coach: Roland Fanning
APSU: 79-58 (3rd Season)
Career: Same
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Cameron Nickens (.386)
2B: Nickens (10)
3B: John Bay (3)
HR: Bay / Nickens (8)
RBI: Nickens (30)
R: Bay (38)
BB: Bay / Nickens (21)
SLG%: Nickens (.743)
OB%: Gus Freeman (.522)
SB: Kyler Proctor (6)
ERA: Kaleb Applebey (1.93)
W: Gavin Braunecker (4)
APP: Landon Slemp (8)
IP: Cody Airington (33.1)
K: Airington (31)
BAA: Airington (.205)
SV: Applebey (3)
Photo by Jim Dillon
