Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Bair Down: Carter Bair solidifying MT's pitching staff
3/26/2018 1:00:00 PM | Baseball
Bears are known for their gnarly teeth and the sweeping right hook they throw with those big paws. When in the wild, the reserved personality of bears usually makes them a rare site. However, should you get a bit too close to try and get a great picture to send to the family, the threatened king of the forest will rise up on its hind legs and overpower you with the gnashing of its teeth and that all-too-familiar swipe of its long, pointy claws.
In baseball, the relief pitcher could be what you'd call the bears of the team.
They spend most of their time in the bullpen spitting sunflower seeds and, in some places, can be seen looking at the action through cutout Gatorade cups that are turned into binoculars. But when the opposing team is at the plate and threatening a narrow lead or pounding a starter, the phone from the dugout rings and all attention is turned toward the person on the receiving end of that phone call. A reliever is called out, and it's go time.
They stomp around and dig their spikes into the dirt and begin throwing their entire barrage of pitches. When the manager makes the signal, they trot out to the mound, and similar to the bear, they use their aggressive mentality to eliminate the threat.
Luckily for Middle Tennessee, a Bair of their own usually resides in the bullpen. When MT travels to Belmont for a 4 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday, though, he'll take the mound as a starter.
Since arriving in Murfreesboro, things haven't always been easy for junior right-hander Carter Bair. Last season, he had a tough time transitioning from being the workhouse at Volunteer State Community College (76.1 innings, 70 strikeouts and 24 walks as a freshman) to pitching at the Division I level. In 13.2 innings, the Columbia, Tennessee, native allowed 20 runs (all earned) and opponents hit .362 against him and had an on-base percentage of .487.
"Coming in (to MTSU), the competition was a lot better (than at Vol State)," Bair said. "My confidence wasn't what it was at Vol State. Getting adjusted after a year here, my confidence is a lot better, and it's shown on the field."
In 2018, it's been another world for the quiet, 6-foot-4 hurler. Though his workload and the role he fills aren't necessarily the biggest in the bullpen, the leaps and bounds he's made from a season ago have been astronomical, proof that he's ready for his first career start on Tuesday.
In the 9.2 innings he's pitched this season, opponents are hitting a mere .121 against Bair and he has a team-best ERA of 0.93. Only 12 opposing batters have reached base against him.
"Mentally, (Bair's) starting to make the turn," pitching coach Caleb Longshore said. "It's never been a stuff issue for him. It's been the confidence of, 'Hey, I have the belief in myself I can make this pitch when I need to make this pitch,' and that's what he's been focusing on as he's started to make a good progression for us."
Perhaps the most notable performances for Bair this season have come against in-state foes East Tennessee State and Lipscomb.
Against ETSU, Bair entered in the seventh inning of a ballgame where both sides were certainly swinging the bats well. Looking to stop the bleeding after the Raiders surrendered four runs in the sixth, Bair shut the door on the Buccaneers by delivering three innings of one-run, two-hit ball, collecting four punch outs and a save along the way.
Against Lipscomb, Bair had a career day with a personal twist.
Bair's older brother, Cameron, caught at Lipscomb in 2013 before transferring to Vol State, where he caught Carter as a freshman in 2015.
Bair entered the game against the Bisons in the second inning with the Raiders facing an early 5-2 deficit. After already having thrown an inning in mop-up time and bridging the gap for an inning or two, what Bair was missing on his résumé was a good outing of long-relief work.
The 200-pound righty threw a career-high 5.1 innings, allowing Lipscomb just two hits and racking up a career-high five strikeouts. Over the span of Bair's 5.1 innings, the Blue Raiders were able to claw their way back to a 6-5 lead and eventually won the game in extra innings to improve to 12-9 on the year.
"(My brother) texted me after the game and congratulated me and told me to keep it up," Bair said. "He was on me all the time (growing up). He'd chew me out if things were rough, but he's probably the reason I'm here right now. He's always on me and making sure I'm giving my best effort."
The ability to plug Bair into any situation has been a huge plus for the Middle Tennessee pitching staff as it slowly improves. Having started games at the junior college level and proving his versatility out of the pen this season, Bair approaches his role with the mentality that, "I can close or throw five innings and it doesn't matter."
"It's good that we have a few guys on the team that have pitched in a variety of different roles," Longshore said. "Carter has starter-type stuff. He's got spin on his pitches where he can come in and strike guys out and he's got a fastball that can get him deep into games, too. At Lipscomb, I told him, 'Hey, this is going to be your moment. Go compete and get what you worked for.'"
Murfreesboro isn't exactly a native area for a bear, but if a rally threatens the Bair on the Blue Raider staff, expect the bats to fall silent when he enters his natural habitat.
In baseball, the relief pitcher could be what you'd call the bears of the team.
They spend most of their time in the bullpen spitting sunflower seeds and, in some places, can be seen looking at the action through cutout Gatorade cups that are turned into binoculars. But when the opposing team is at the plate and threatening a narrow lead or pounding a starter, the phone from the dugout rings and all attention is turned toward the person on the receiving end of that phone call. A reliever is called out, and it's go time.
They stomp around and dig their spikes into the dirt and begin throwing their entire barrage of pitches. When the manager makes the signal, they trot out to the mound, and similar to the bear, they use their aggressive mentality to eliminate the threat.
Luckily for Middle Tennessee, a Bair of their own usually resides in the bullpen. When MT travels to Belmont for a 4 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday, though, he'll take the mound as a starter.
Since arriving in Murfreesboro, things haven't always been easy for junior right-hander Carter Bair. Last season, he had a tough time transitioning from being the workhouse at Volunteer State Community College (76.1 innings, 70 strikeouts and 24 walks as a freshman) to pitching at the Division I level. In 13.2 innings, the Columbia, Tennessee, native allowed 20 runs (all earned) and opponents hit .362 against him and had an on-base percentage of .487.
"Coming in (to MTSU), the competition was a lot better (than at Vol State)," Bair said. "My confidence wasn't what it was at Vol State. Getting adjusted after a year here, my confidence is a lot better, and it's shown on the field."
In 2018, it's been another world for the quiet, 6-foot-4 hurler. Though his workload and the role he fills aren't necessarily the biggest in the bullpen, the leaps and bounds he's made from a season ago have been astronomical, proof that he's ready for his first career start on Tuesday.
In the 9.2 innings he's pitched this season, opponents are hitting a mere .121 against Bair and he has a team-best ERA of 0.93. Only 12 opposing batters have reached base against him.
"Mentally, (Bair's) starting to make the turn," pitching coach Caleb Longshore said. "It's never been a stuff issue for him. It's been the confidence of, 'Hey, I have the belief in myself I can make this pitch when I need to make this pitch,' and that's what he's been focusing on as he's started to make a good progression for us."
Perhaps the most notable performances for Bair this season have come against in-state foes East Tennessee State and Lipscomb.
Against ETSU, Bair entered in the seventh inning of a ballgame where both sides were certainly swinging the bats well. Looking to stop the bleeding after the Raiders surrendered four runs in the sixth, Bair shut the door on the Buccaneers by delivering three innings of one-run, two-hit ball, collecting four punch outs and a save along the way.
Against Lipscomb, Bair had a career day with a personal twist.
Bair's older brother, Cameron, caught at Lipscomb in 2013 before transferring to Vol State, where he caught Carter as a freshman in 2015.
Bair entered the game against the Bisons in the second inning with the Raiders facing an early 5-2 deficit. After already having thrown an inning in mop-up time and bridging the gap for an inning or two, what Bair was missing on his résumé was a good outing of long-relief work.
The 200-pound righty threw a career-high 5.1 innings, allowing Lipscomb just two hits and racking up a career-high five strikeouts. Over the span of Bair's 5.1 innings, the Blue Raiders were able to claw their way back to a 6-5 lead and eventually won the game in extra innings to improve to 12-9 on the year.
"(My brother) texted me after the game and congratulated me and told me to keep it up," Bair said. "He was on me all the time (growing up). He'd chew me out if things were rough, but he's probably the reason I'm here right now. He's always on me and making sure I'm giving my best effort."
The ability to plug Bair into any situation has been a huge plus for the Middle Tennessee pitching staff as it slowly improves. Having started games at the junior college level and proving his versatility out of the pen this season, Bair approaches his role with the mentality that, "I can close or throw five innings and it doesn't matter."
"It's good that we have a few guys on the team that have pitched in a variety of different roles," Longshore said. "Carter has starter-type stuff. He's got spin on his pitches where he can come in and strike guys out and he's got a fastball that can get him deep into games, too. At Lipscomb, I told him, 'Hey, this is going to be your moment. Go compete and get what you worked for.'"
Murfreesboro isn't exactly a native area for a bear, but if a rally threatens the Bair on the Blue Raider staff, expect the bats to fall silent when he enters his natural habitat.
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballFacility tour – Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center
Wednesday, July 30
Spring Sports Show hosted by The Boulevard – April 21, 2025: Softball and Baseball
Monday, April 21
🎥 from the 52nd annual Groundhog Day Luncheon! Also, we play baseball this month 🤩
Sunday, February 02
MTSU Baseball 2025 52nd Annual Groundhog Day Luncheon
Friday, January 31
