By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It's amazing how quickly time flies. It just seems like yesterday that the 2022 campaign kicked off, even if it was two-and-a-half months ago.
It's even more surreal for the Tennessee Tech seniors who are wrapping up their Golden Eagle careers this season and entering their final games at the Tech Softball Field.
Tech hosts Murray State, who dropped into second place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings on Wednesday, but still very much in contention for the regular-season title. The games are slated for a doubleheader Saturday, starting at 1 p.m., followed by a single game on Sunday.
Admission to all games at Tech Softball Field is free to the public.
With inclement weather in the forecast, there is the possibility of a schedule shift. Updates will be given on TTUsports.com and on the team's social media channels when available.
The Senior Day festivities, honoring shortstop Sydney Love-Baker, outfielder Shelby Penning, pitcher Callie Piper and utility player KaDedra Temple, will be held on Saturday. The team will also hold its Alumni Weekend on Sunday.
Also during the weekend, Exercise and Physical Wellness students will hold a fundraiser for Tech lecturer Christina Turnbow at the game. The mother of Cookeville High graduate turned East Tennessee State softball student-athlete Bailey Turnbow and a valuable presence in the campus community, EXPW and its honor society is raising funds to help offset the cost of an important medical procedure.
As the league stands with two weekends of play remain, Belmont currently holds on to the top spot in the standings at 17-5 in OVC play. Murray State stands a game back at 16-6, while Southeast Missouri moved into third with a 13-7 record. UT Martin is at 12-7, while Tech and Austin Peay are both tied for fifth at 13-9.
The Golden Eagles are looking to climb into the top four and avoid a single-elimination contest that befalls the fifth through eighth seeds in the postseason tournament in two weeks at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama. Standing seven games ahead of SIUE, who currently holds the final spot in the field if the regular season ended today, Tech is already assured a spot in the tournament for the first time since the 2017 campaign.
Eastern Illinois, Tech's host next weekend for the final series of the season, is in seventh at 8-14. The Cougars are 6-16, with Morehead State (5-16) and Tennessee State (4-18) both still within reach of overtaking the final spot.
This weekend, however, the focus is on Murray State. The top pitching staff in the conference, the Racers have posted a 1.54 ERA, including a 1.19 for ace Hannah James, who has a 16-4 record on the season. James has 14 complete games, including eight shutouts, working 141 2/3 innings. With opponents hitting .161 against her, she has walked 17 batters and struck out 187.
Jenna Veber, Murray's No. 2, is no slouch either. She has a 12-5 record with a 1.45 ERA, walking 12 and striking out 62. The two pitchers have combined for 46 earned runs, 77 in all.
As a team, the Racers are batting .295, driving in 195 and crossing the plate 225 times. In all, MSU has collected 33 home runs.
Following a 14-game winning streak in March, the Racers dropped two of three to Eastern Illinois, took two from Belmont, swept Tennessee State, tied with Southern Illinois and took two of three from Southeast Missouri to go 8-4-1 in their last 13 games.
Lo Braundmeier is batting .399 with eight home runs and 35 RBI, while Gracie Osbron is putting up nearly identical stats with a .391 average, eight homers and 36 RBI. Sierra Gilmore has also driven in 31 runs with a .308 average.
The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, are batting .285 as a team, driving in 232 and touching home 264 times with 45 home runs. With 31 wins to their credit, the 2022 squad is tied for 14th in program history in wins, while standing in the top 10 in single-season history in batting average, runs scored, home runs, RBI, total bases, fewest runs allowed, fewest walks allowed and highest fielding percentage.
Haeli Bryson leads Tech in hitting with a .399 average, driving in 37, scoring 45 times and knocking nine home runs out of the park. Mackenzie Fitzgerald is close behind with a .360 clip, driving in 24 and scoring 47 times with six home runs and 24 stolen bases. Tech has seven players who have 22 or more RBI on the year, six with five or more home runs.
In the circle, Bryson currently owns the team's best ERA with a 3.42 along with a 6-3 record. She has walked 21 and struck out 51 in 16 appearances and 73 2/3 innings of work. Tyler Erwin has a 12-3 mark on the season in 25 appearances, posting a 3.51 ERA with 22 walks and 48 strikeouts. Alyssa Arden has the most wins for the Golden Eagles with 13, compiling a 3.80 ERA, walking 42 and striking out 88.
Tech has won five of its last six games, but six of the last 10 with Belmont sweeping the Golden Eagles and Morehead State splitting its doubleheader on Wednesday. Tech is 12-4 at home this season.
Photo | Emily Armstrong
