By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team hits the road for an early Ohio Valley Conference weekend, visiting Charleston, Ill., for three tests against Eastern Illinois beginning Thursday, Apr. 17.
Due to expected inclement and severe weather in the Charleston area on Saturday, the weekend slate was altered and will now feature a doubleheader on Thursday, beginning with an 11:00 a.m. CT first pitch. Game two will follow at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon.
The series finale will commence on Friday with a 12:00 p.m. start. All three contests are still slated to be streamed on ESPN+. Fans are encouraged to check TTUSports.com and Tennessee Tech social media for any potential updates to this weekend's schedule.
THE SERIES
Thursday's series opener marks the 92nd match-up between the two programs all time, with the Golden Eagles holding a slight, 46-45 edge in the series. Last season, the purple and gold rallied to earn the series win in Cookeville, claiming close victories in the final two contests of the weekend.
The Panthers took the opener after an explosive six-run sixth inning, dropping five more in the ninth for a 12-5 triumph. Tech squared the series in game two, winning a back-and-forth affair in walk-off fashion.
Building as large as a 4-0 lead, the Golden Eagles watched EIU fight back and tie the ball game at 5-5 in the eighth. The Cookeville crew's patience paid off in the end, as three walks loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth with two outs before a wild pitch let the winning run dent the dish.
Tech outlasted the Panthers in a 16-14 slobber knocker in the series finale, holding off a late surge by the visitors to take home the series win.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Eagles enter Thursday's series opener after picking up a massive OVC series sweep of Southern Indiana over the weekend, replacing the Screaming Eagles at the top of the league standings with sole possession of first place.
The Tech bats set the tone in the opener with some strong pitching backing up the effort. The purple and gold opened an 8-0 lead through three innings and tacked on some late insurance to pick up an 11-6 victory.
In game two, the offense brought the Golden Eagles back from a deficit in the fifth to allow an elite relief appearance to lead the way home. Center fielder Nicho Jordan smashed a go-ahead, three-run bomb in the fifth to give Tech an 8-6 lead, paving the way for Reece McDuffie to earn his first win of the year behind 5.2 innings of work out of the bullpen and just three hits allowed.
It took just seven innings for the Cookeville crew to finish things off on Sunday, picking up a walk-off, run-rule victory by a score of 13-3. Junior infielder Eddie Garza led the way with a pair of round-trippers while the pitching staff limited the USI bats to just three runs.
THE OPPONENT
The Panthers head into the weekend series after picking up a 13-3 win of their own in eight innings on Tuesday, besting Saint Xavier in a midweek tilt in Charleston. Prior to the midweek win, EIU dropped two of its three contests at OVC rival Southeast Missouri last weekend.
Eastern Illinois captured the first meeting of the series, scoring three times in the top of the 19th inning for a grueling, 6-3 victory for the longest outing in the OVC this season. SEMO answered with a game-two victory on its home field, scoring five times in the third and holding off a late push by the Panthers for a 5-4 win.
In game three, the visitors from Charleston came so close to claiming the series, taking a 6-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth. After one out, the Redhawks evened the tilt with a solo home run before walking things off in the bottom of the 11th with another solo shot, this one with two outs.
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) | 550 | ||
| 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
On Monday, junior infielder Eddie Garza picked up the first OVC Player of the Week honor of his career after helping lead the Golden Eagles to a three-game sweep of Southern Indiana. The second baseman hit .667 with three home runs, four runs scored, and nine RBI during the week, slugging a ridiculous 1.417.
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 slugged 1.154 while turning in an OPS of 1.625, smashing two long balls along the way.
Twitter: @TNTech_Baseball
Facebook: /TennesseeTechBaseball
Instagram: TNTech_Baseball
Current Week Schedule
Thursday, Apr. 17 | at Eastern Illinois | 11:00 a.m. CT
Thursday, Apr. 17 | at Eastern Illinois | 2:30 p.m. CT
Friday, Apr. 18 | at Eastern Illinois | 12:00 p.m. CT
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2025 Record: 24-13
2025 OVC Record: 9-3
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 550-492-2 (19th Season)
Career: 601-568-3 (22nd Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Mack Whitcomb (.366)
2B: Whitcomb (11)
3B: Jackson Green (2)
HR: Whitcomb (9)
RBI: Whitcomb (34)
R: Whitcomb (36)
BB: Owen Lee (25)
SLG%: Whitcomb (.664)
OB%: Whitcomb (.494)
SB: Nicho Jordan (10)
ERA: Juan Vargas (1.98)
W: Jack Brafa (6)
APP: Drew Mattox (14)
IP: Jaxson Pease (46.0)
K: Pease (39)
BAA: Vargas (.189)
SV: Vargas (6)
EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHERS
2025 Record: 16-17
2025 OVC Record: 6-5
Head Coach: Chris Ramirez
EIU: 225-253 (10th Season)
Career: Same
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Jake Ferguson (.333)
2B: Chris Worcester (9)
3B: 43 players tied (1)
HR: Mike O'Conor (7)
RBI: O'Conor (24)
R: Brett Stanley (33)
BB: Stanley (22)
SLG%: Ethan Rossi (.457)
OB%: Ferguson (.482)
SB: Stanley (15)
ERA: Bryce Riggs (2.33)
W: Christian Carew (4)
APP: Carew (14)
IP: Tyler Conklin (50.2)
K: Conklin (36)
BAA: Nate Marshall (.221)
SV: Dalton Boruff / Riggs (2)
Photo by Betty Myers
