By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team kicks off a four-game road stretch with a visit to Knoxville and a 5:00 p.m. CT match-up with No. 1 Tennessee on Tuesday evening, squaring off with the Vols at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The contest will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
THE SERIES
Tuesday's tilt represents the 107th between the two in-state programs, with the Vols owning a 73-32-1 lead in the series. When competing in Knoxville, UT boasts a 48-13 advantage overall.
In last year's match-up at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, the No. 5 Vols played up to their national ranking, downing the purple and gold, 11-1, in seven innings with a walk-off in the bottom of the seventh. Tennessee limited Tech to just three hits in the contest while drumming up 14 of its own.
Prior to last season's affair, the Golden Eagles had captured the previous two meetings with the Vols. Competing in a wood-bat contest at Smokies Stadium in Kodak, Tenn. during the 2022 campaign, the purple and gold knocked off the No. 1-ranked UT squad in a 3-2 decision. Snapping Tennessee's 23-game winning streak, it marked Tech's first victory over a No. 1 nationally-ranked squad in any sport. The Cookeville crew doubled down in 2023's contest, this time in Knoxville, building an early lead and never looking back in a 12-5 victory over the No. 19 Vols.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Eagles enter Tuesday's tilt following a 1-2 weekend at home against SIUE in Ohio Valley Conference play. The visiting Cougars took the first two games of the series, starting with a 5-1 victory on Friday while holding the purple and gold to just three hits.
Both offenses exploded in game one of Saturday's doubleheader, combining for a whopping 35 hits in an 18-12 win for SIUE. Tech bounced back to salvage a win in the series in the back end of the double dip, walking off the Cougars in a thrilling finish to a 12-11 contest.
After squaring the tilt at 8-8 in the eighth behind a solo home run from catcher Mack Whitcomb, the Golden Eagles watched SIUE go right back on top in the top of the ninth behind three unearned runs. Tech never skipped a beat in its comeback in the bottom half, with Eddie Garza reaching on a hit-by-pitch and Owen Lee following with a four-pitch walk.
Following a passed ball that allowed both runners to advance, Jackson Green sent a sacrifice fly to left-center field to score the first run. A walk to Nicho Jordan put runners on the corners before Preston Steele cut the deficit to just one with an RBI single through the left side.
Whitcomb drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases before chaos ensued on a ground ball by Jorsixt Jimenez. The slugger ripped a fielder's choice to third base, where the Cougars' third baseman stepped on the bag for the second out of the frame. In his haste to try and turn a game-ending double play, he threw the ball away, and into deep foul territory, allowing Jordan to tie the game and Whitcomb to score all the way from first base for the winning run.
THE OPPONENT
The nation's No. 1-ranked team comes into Tuesday's contest on a six-game winning streak after completing a three-game sweep at South Carolina this weekend, moving to 8-1 in SEC play and 26-2 overall. Tennessee opened the series in Columbia, S.C. with an 11-7 triumph, taking an early 6-2 advantage without looking back.
The Vols turned to their rally caps late in game two on Saturday, battling back from a 4-3 deficit with a pair of runs in the eighth to take a 5-4 lead. After the Gamecocks squared the tilt at 5-5 in the bottom half, UT completed the comeback with a two-run long ball from pinch-hitter Cannon Peebles.
It took until the fourth frame to get the offense going in game three, but Tennessee quickly left little doubt in completing its sweep with a 7-2 win.
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) | 545 | ||
| 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
Last Monday, senior outfielder Nicho Jordan was recognized as the OVC Player of the Week for the first time in his career, .slashing .583/.688/.1.417 over four games with three home runs, six RBI, and eight runs scored. After opening Tech's first OVC 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.
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.
Twitter: @TNTech_Baseball
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Current Week Schedule
Tuesday, Apr. 1 | 5:00 p.m. CT | at #1 Tennessee
Friday, Apr. 4 | 2:00 p.m. CT | at Western Illinois
Saturday, Apr. 5 | 1:00 p.m. CT | at Western Illinois
Sunday, Apr. 6 | 1:00 p.m. CT | at Western Illinois
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2025 Record: 19-10
2025 OVC Record: 4-2
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 545-489-2 (19th Season)
Career: 596-565-3 (22nd Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Mack Whitcomb (.330)
2B: Jorsixt Jimenez / Whitcomb (8)
3B: Jackson Green / Whitcomb (1)
HR: Whitcomb (7)
RBI: Whitcomb (29)
R: O. Lee (26)
BB: O. Lee (20)
SLG%: Whitcomb (.615)
OB%: Whitcomb (.439)
SB: Nicho Jordan (6)
ERA: Juan Vargas (2.35)
W: Jack Brafa (5)
APP: Drew Mattox (11)
IP: Jaxson Pease (36.2)
K: Pease (32)
BAA: Vargas (.200)
SV: Vargas (5)
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
2025 Record: 26-2
2025 OVC Record: 8-1
Head Coach: Tony Vitello
UT: 321-114 (8th Season)
Career: Same
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Gavin Kilen (.425)
2B: Hunter Ensley (11)
3B: Kilen (3)
HR: Andrew Fischer (11)
RBI: Reese Chapman / Ensley (33)
R: Dean Curley (37)
BB: Fischer (31)
SLG%: Kilen (.973)
OB%: Kilen (.546)
SB: Jay Abernathy (7)
ERA: Dylan Loy (0.00)
W: Liam Doyle / Loy (4)
APP: 3 players tied (11)
IP: Doyle (36.2)
K: Doyle (73)
BAA: Loy (.053)
SV: Nate Snead (3)
Photo by Jim Dillon
