Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Friday, March 9
Murfreesboro, TN
6 PM
Middle Tennessee
vs
West Virginia
Blue Raiders host Big XII opponent West Virginia
3/8/2018 3:30:00 PM | Baseball
GAME INFORMATION
Hashtags: #BlueRaiders
Social Media: @MT_Baseball (Twitter) MT_Baseball (Instagram) MTSU Blue Raider Baseball (Facebook)
Broadcast: 100.5/101.9 WGNS & TuneIn App
Date: Friday, March 9; Saturday, March 10 & Sunday, March 11
Time: 6 p.m., 4 p.m. & 1 p.m.
Match-up: Middle Tennessee (7-6) vs. West Virginia (5-5)
Location: Murfreesboro, Tenn. @ Reese Smith Jr. Field
Projected Starting Pitchers:
Friday: LHP Jake Wyrick
Saturday: RHP Carson Lester
Sunday: LHP Peyton Wigginton
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – History will be made Friday at Reese Smith Jr. Field when Middle Tennessee welcomes the West Virginia Mountaineers for a three-game weekend series.
It will mark the first time a Big 12 Conference team will travel to Murfreesboro for a weekend series. Friday's contest is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., with Saturday's at 4 p.m. and Sunday's set for 1 p.m.
The Blue Raiders (7-6) and Mountaineers (5-5) both go into the series on a hot streak, though this season hasn't yet lived up to expectations for West Virginia.
The Mountaineers returned nine of their program-record 12 all-conference players from last year's team that made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 21 years, losing in the Winston-Salem Regional final to Wake Forest. But, the D1baseball.com preseason No. 22 ranked team in the nation has started slow at just 5-5 overall.
MT has won four of its last five, including a 7-6 redemptive victory over in-state rival Memphis on Wednesday. On the flip side, WVU is fresh off a three-game sweep over Middle Tennessee rival WKU in Bowling Green, Kentucky, March 2-4.
The Mountaineers' three-game winning streak comes on the heels of the return to the lineup of junior Braden Zarbinsky. The NCBWA Preseason First Team All-American pitcher/outfielder missed the team's first six games, but since returning he's ignited the lineup and provided a stabilizing presence on the mound.
Zarbinsky, who was also named a NCBWA Third Team All-American and the District II Player of the Year last season, has hit .471 (8-for-17) with four runs scored since returning. He's also pitched five innings in two appearances, one being a start, with a 3.60 ERA and eight strikeouts.
The Blue Raiders' own Preseason All-American, third-teamer Aaron Aucker, has also caught a hot streak of late to help power the Middle Tennessee lineup.
Aucker's slash line of .519/.556/.889 with two home runs and 11 RBIs over the past six games have helped MT average over seven runs per game in that span. He's now hitting .347 on the season with three dingers and 17 RBIs to lead the team.
Senior Jake Wyrick will get the nod on the bump for Middle Tennessee to start the series Friday.
The left-hander will try to regain his form after having to cut short his outing against Tennessee on March 4, in which he was pulled after just 1/3 of an inning.
Following Wyrick, junior righty Carson Lester (1-1, 5.27 ERA) will make his third start of the season Saturday, with freshman southpaw Peyton Wigginton (1-1, 5.65 ERA) closing out the weekend on Sunday in his fourth start.
Fans can listen to all of the weekend's action on the TuneIn app or 100.5/101.9 WGNS for the call on the Blue Raider Network.
Hashtags: #BlueRaiders
Social Media: @MT_Baseball (Twitter) MT_Baseball (Instagram) MTSU Blue Raider Baseball (Facebook)
Broadcast: 100.5/101.9 WGNS & TuneIn App
Date: Friday, March 9; Saturday, March 10 & Sunday, March 11
Time: 6 p.m., 4 p.m. & 1 p.m.
Match-up: Middle Tennessee (7-6) vs. West Virginia (5-5)
Location: Murfreesboro, Tenn. @ Reese Smith Jr. Field
Projected Starting Pitchers:
Friday: LHP Jake Wyrick
Saturday: RHP Carson Lester
Sunday: LHP Peyton Wigginton
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – History will be made Friday at Reese Smith Jr. Field when Middle Tennessee welcomes the West Virginia Mountaineers for a three-game weekend series.
It will mark the first time a Big 12 Conference team will travel to Murfreesboro for a weekend series. Friday's contest is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., with Saturday's at 4 p.m. and Sunday's set for 1 p.m.
The Blue Raiders (7-6) and Mountaineers (5-5) both go into the series on a hot streak, though this season hasn't yet lived up to expectations for West Virginia.
The Mountaineers returned nine of their program-record 12 all-conference players from last year's team that made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 21 years, losing in the Winston-Salem Regional final to Wake Forest. But, the D1baseball.com preseason No. 22 ranked team in the nation has started slow at just 5-5 overall.
MT has won four of its last five, including a 7-6 redemptive victory over in-state rival Memphis on Wednesday. On the flip side, WVU is fresh off a three-game sweep over Middle Tennessee rival WKU in Bowling Green, Kentucky, March 2-4.
The Mountaineers' three-game winning streak comes on the heels of the return to the lineup of junior Braden Zarbinsky. The NCBWA Preseason First Team All-American pitcher/outfielder missed the team's first six games, but since returning he's ignited the lineup and provided a stabilizing presence on the mound.
Zarbinsky, who was also named a NCBWA Third Team All-American and the District II Player of the Year last season, has hit .471 (8-for-17) with four runs scored since returning. He's also pitched five innings in two appearances, one being a start, with a 3.60 ERA and eight strikeouts.
The Blue Raiders' own Preseason All-American, third-teamer Aaron Aucker, has also caught a hot streak of late to help power the Middle Tennessee lineup.
Aucker's slash line of .519/.556/.889 with two home runs and 11 RBIs over the past six games have helped MT average over seven runs per game in that span. He's now hitting .347 on the season with three dingers and 17 RBIs to lead the team.
Senior Jake Wyrick will get the nod on the bump for Middle Tennessee to start the series Friday.
The left-hander will try to regain his form after having to cut short his outing against Tennessee on March 4, in which he was pulled after just 1/3 of an inning.
Following Wyrick, junior righty Carson Lester (1-1, 5.27 ERA) will make his third start of the season Saturday, with freshman southpaw Peyton Wigginton (1-1, 5.65 ERA) closing out the weekend on Sunday in his fourth start.
Fans can listen to all of the weekend's action on the TuneIn app or 100.5/101.9 WGNS for the call on the Blue Raider Network.
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
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