Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Saturday, May 19
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
4pm
Middle Tennessee
vs
Oregon State
Photo by: VASHA HUNT
MT to Take on Oregon State Saturday in Must-Win Game
5/19/2018 10:53:00 AM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Following its NCAA regional-opening loss to host Alabama on Friday, Middle Tennessee's focus is now shifted to Oregon State in a must-win game Saturday.
The two teams have never met. Their first matchup will be maybe the most important contest of the year for both, with the loser's season coming to an end. The game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. CT start at Alabama's Rhoads Stadium.
"We know that their pitcher throws hard and that they like to play the short game and have a lot of speed," MT head coach Jeff Breeden said. "It should be a good matchup."
How Oregon State got here
The Beavers (28-27), who are making their 13th NCAA Tournament appearance all-time and third straight, finished sixth in the Pac 12 during the regular season and are one of seven teams from the conference in the postseason.
While it went into the regional on an emotional high after two thrilling, must-have wins against Utah, Oregon State stumbled to the finish of the regular season, losing nine straight before the pair of wins over the Utes.
The come-from-behind wins that powered the Beavers into the postseason looked to have given them momentum going into the first game of the regional, but they fell apart late to suffer a tough loss.
After taking a 3-2 lead against Wisconsin into the seventh inning on Friday, OSU gave up a run in the top of the frame to send the game to extras. Then, in the top of the eighth, the Badgers exploded for six runs to take a 9-3 win.
Just as she's done all season, senior first baseman Alysha Everett led the Beavers at the plate Friday with a 3-for-3 night, driving in three runs and scoring one herself on a two-run home run, her fifth of the year. She leads the team with a .316 average.
Everett isn't the only upperclassman leading the way for Oregon State, but several freshmen are also having solid first seasons in Corvallis. Senior McKenna Arriola leads the team with 12 doubles, while junior Shelby Weeks has a team-leading 17 steals and freshman Hope Bradner is tops with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs.
In the circle, freshman Mariah Mazon leads the way with 36 appearances and 182 innings pitched, with a 2.90 ERA and 11-17 record. She came in during the eighth inning for the Beavers on Friday, giving up five hits and six runs (two earned) to take the loss.
Junior Meehra Nelson got the start for OSU on Friday, tossing seven innings and giving up three earned runs. She leads the team in ERA (2.54) and wins with a 15-10 record.
"We know that [Nelson] throws hard," Breeden said. "We have to make sure that we shorten up a little bit. We can't be taking long, loopy hacks at it. Our hands have to be tight and we have to catch it out front."
If the Blue Raiders want to be successful Saturday, they'll have to take advantage when Oregon State makes mistakes. The Beavers had an error, four walks and one hit batter against Wisconsin, leading to four unearned runs, and have committed 80 errors this season.
How Middle Tennessee got here
An 8-0 loss to No. 12 Alabama Friday night didn't start the regional out quite the way Middle Tennessee (39-21) had hoped after winning its first Conference USA Tournament title the weekend prior.
The Blue Raiders are still searching for the first NCAA regional victory in program history, and in order to get it, they'll have to show the same grit they've displayed all season.
"We've bounced back all year long," Breeden said. "I told them [after the game] that all year long we've dusted ourselves off if we've gotten beat and bounced right back. That's what I'm expecting out of them tomorrow."
Senior Cori Jennings, a C-USA First Team member and the C-USA Tournament MVP, was roughed up by Alabama Friday.
Middle Tennessee's ace and 21-game winner this season lasted 2.1 innings, giving up seven hits and seven runs (six earned) against the tough Crimson Tide lineup.
Jennings wasn't helped a whole lot by the Blue Raider lineup against the Tide. Sophomore leadoff hitter Summer Burgess finished 2-for-3 with a double, but the blue and white could only manage three more hits in the shutout.
"Timely hitting was not our forte tonight," Breeden said. "I don't know if it was the moment of being in the regional finally sank in … but we surely didn't get timely hits. When you get runners in scoring position, you have to drive them in."
The Blue Raiders are approaching several team single-season hitting records, including batting average, runs scored, hits and RBIs. If they can reach some of those records against the Beavers, they may just get that coveted first regional victory.
The two teams have never met. Their first matchup will be maybe the most important contest of the year for both, with the loser's season coming to an end. The game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. CT start at Alabama's Rhoads Stadium.
"We know that their pitcher throws hard and that they like to play the short game and have a lot of speed," MT head coach Jeff Breeden said. "It should be a good matchup."
How Oregon State got here
The Beavers (28-27), who are making their 13th NCAA Tournament appearance all-time and third straight, finished sixth in the Pac 12 during the regular season and are one of seven teams from the conference in the postseason.
While it went into the regional on an emotional high after two thrilling, must-have wins against Utah, Oregon State stumbled to the finish of the regular season, losing nine straight before the pair of wins over the Utes.
The come-from-behind wins that powered the Beavers into the postseason looked to have given them momentum going into the first game of the regional, but they fell apart late to suffer a tough loss.
After taking a 3-2 lead against Wisconsin into the seventh inning on Friday, OSU gave up a run in the top of the frame to send the game to extras. Then, in the top of the eighth, the Badgers exploded for six runs to take a 9-3 win.
Just as she's done all season, senior first baseman Alysha Everett led the Beavers at the plate Friday with a 3-for-3 night, driving in three runs and scoring one herself on a two-run home run, her fifth of the year. She leads the team with a .316 average.
Everett isn't the only upperclassman leading the way for Oregon State, but several freshmen are also having solid first seasons in Corvallis. Senior McKenna Arriola leads the team with 12 doubles, while junior Shelby Weeks has a team-leading 17 steals and freshman Hope Bradner is tops with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs.
In the circle, freshman Mariah Mazon leads the way with 36 appearances and 182 innings pitched, with a 2.90 ERA and 11-17 record. She came in during the eighth inning for the Beavers on Friday, giving up five hits and six runs (two earned) to take the loss.
Junior Meehra Nelson got the start for OSU on Friday, tossing seven innings and giving up three earned runs. She leads the team in ERA (2.54) and wins with a 15-10 record.
"We know that [Nelson] throws hard," Breeden said. "We have to make sure that we shorten up a little bit. We can't be taking long, loopy hacks at it. Our hands have to be tight and we have to catch it out front."
If the Blue Raiders want to be successful Saturday, they'll have to take advantage when Oregon State makes mistakes. The Beavers had an error, four walks and one hit batter against Wisconsin, leading to four unearned runs, and have committed 80 errors this season.
How Middle Tennessee got here
An 8-0 loss to No. 12 Alabama Friday night didn't start the regional out quite the way Middle Tennessee (39-21) had hoped after winning its first Conference USA Tournament title the weekend prior.
The Blue Raiders are still searching for the first NCAA regional victory in program history, and in order to get it, they'll have to show the same grit they've displayed all season.
"We've bounced back all year long," Breeden said. "I told them [after the game] that all year long we've dusted ourselves off if we've gotten beat and bounced right back. That's what I'm expecting out of them tomorrow."
Senior Cori Jennings, a C-USA First Team member and the C-USA Tournament MVP, was roughed up by Alabama Friday.
Middle Tennessee's ace and 21-game winner this season lasted 2.1 innings, giving up seven hits and seven runs (six earned) against the tough Crimson Tide lineup.
Jennings wasn't helped a whole lot by the Blue Raider lineup against the Tide. Sophomore leadoff hitter Summer Burgess finished 2-for-3 with a double, but the blue and white could only manage three more hits in the shutout.
"Timely hitting was not our forte tonight," Breeden said. "I don't know if it was the moment of being in the regional finally sank in … but we surely didn't get timely hits. When you get runners in scoring position, you have to drive them in."
The Blue Raiders are approaching several team single-season hitting records, including batting average, runs scored, hits and RBIs. If they can reach some of those records against the Beavers, they may just get that coveted first regional victory.
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