By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team returns to Cookeville for a four-game homestand starting Wednesday evening, as the Golden Eagles play host to in-state rival Lipscomb in a 6:00 p.m. meeting at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
The contest will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Dylan Vazzano providing the coverage. Fans are encouraged to check TTUSports.com and Tennessee Tech social media for any potential updates to this week's schedule.
THE SERIES
Wednesday's contest marks the 89th match-up since 1949 between the two programs, with the Golden Eagles owning a 50-38 lead in the series. Tech swept last season's home-and-home series with the Bisons.
The Golden Eagles went into Nashville and took the first meeting with Lipscomb last year, topping their in-state rival 9-5. Seven different hitters drove in at least one run for the Cookeville crew, while a combination of four pitchers took care of business on the mound.
In the return to the Quill, the Tech squad dominated on the mound while the offense provided plenty of support in an 8-1 victory. Four members of the Golden Eagle pitching staff combined for 11 strikeouts while limiting the visitors from Nashville to just one run on four hits.
The bats took care of business in just two innings, starting with a six-run explosion in the fifth. Tech blasted a pair of three-run long balls in the frame, courtesy of Hayden Gilliland and Theo Bryant IV. Tech added two more in the sixth to take care of business.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Eagles enter Wednesday's tilt after winning their second Ohio Valley Conference series of the year at Western Illinois over the weekend, topping the Leathernecks in the first two match-ups. WIU salvaged a win in the finale on Sunday.
The Tech offense dominated in the first two meetings, helping produce wins of 14-2 and 10-5. Starter Jaxson Pease moved to 5-1 on the year after tossing 6.0 innings with five punch-outs and just two runs allowed in game one, with the offense delivering 16 hits.
In game two, the Golden Eagles rallied from a couple of small deficits, taking a 6-5 lead into the ninth before plating four more to put the contest to bed. Jack Brafa improved to 6-2 on the season with 3.0 innings of work out of the bullpen, allowing just a single unearned run on four hits. Juan Vargas earned his team-leading sixth save of the year by finishing the final 2.2 innings with four strikeouts.
Western Illinois held Tech to just seven hits in the finale, with the Golden Eagles' lone run coming off a lead-off home run by Ryan Lee. Up 3-1, the Leathernecks put the game out of reach in the seventh with five insurance runs.
THE OPPONENT
The Bisons come into the midweek battle after dropping two of their three Atlantic Sun Conference tilts over the weekend, losing the bookends of their series at Central Arkansas. The Bears topped Lipscomb in just seven innings in the opener on Sunday, dominating in an 11-1 victory.
Lipscomb flipped the script in game two, rolling to a 17-4 win in eight innings in the first contest of a doubleheader on Monday. Central Arkansas won a true slobber knocker in the second match-up, out-pacing the Bisons 14-11.
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) | 547 | ||
| 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
Back on Mar. 24, 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
Wednesday, Apr. 9 | vs. Lipscomb | 6:00 p.m. CT
Friday, Apr. 11 | vs. Southern Indiana | 6:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, Apr. 12 | vs. Southern Indiana | 2:00 p.m. CT
Sunday, Apr. 13 | vs. Southern Indiana | 1:00 p.m. CT
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2025 Record: 21-12
2025 OVC Record: 6-3
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 547-491-2 (19th Season)
Career: 598-567-3 (22nd Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Mack Whitcomb (.358)
2B: Whitcomb (10)
3B: Jackson Green (2)
HR: Whitcomb (7)
RBI: Whitcomb (30)
R: Whitcomb (29)
BB: Owen Lee (24)
SLG%: Whitcomb (.626)
OB%: Whitcomb (.470)
SB: Nicho Jordan (8)
ERA: Juan Vargas (2.10)
W: Jack Brafa (6)
APP: Drew Mattox (13)
IP: Jaxson Pease (42.2)
K: Pease (37)
BAA: Vargas (.191)
SV: Vargas (6)
LIPSCOMB BISONS
2025 Record: 12-18
2025 ASUN Record: 6-6
Head Coach: Jeff Forehand
LIP: 492-521 (19th Season)
Career: 703-663-1 (25th Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: David Coppedge (.345)
2B: Coppedge (12)
3B: Brady Miller / Jacob Tobias (2)
HR: Coppedge / Kai Holm (6)
RBI: Coppedge (29)
R: Coppedge (27)
BB: Jake Berg (19)
SLG%: Coppedge (.621)
OB%: Coppedge (.439)
SB: 3 players tied (4)
ERA: Brock Puckett (1.42)
W: Puckett (2)
APP: Jake Lynch (14)
IP: Cole O'Brien (32.2)
K: Rigo Ramos (30)
BAA: Puckett (.163)
SV: 3 players tied (1)
Photo by Betty Myers
