Blue Raiders Drop Season Opener to #13 North Carolina

Friday, February 14

Chapel Hill, NC

2 PM

Middle Tennessee

0-1

North Carolina

1-0

Middle Tennessee

North Carolina

2/14/2020 7:05:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Brady McBride

Chapel Hill, N.C. – Despite leading early, the Middle Tennessee baseball team dropped the first game of their three-game series, and the first game of the season, to #13 North Carolina 3-15.

The Blue Raiders jumped out to an early lead in the top of the second inning on a two-run home run off the bat of junior transfer Nathan Sanders.

"We got up early on Sanders' home run and things were looking good," says Head Coach Jim Toman. "then we let them right back into the inning."

The Raider lead would be short lived as the Tar Heels would one up the Raiders and plate three runs in the bottom half of the inning. MT would keep the North Carolina lead manageable through the middle innings, but would never retake the lead.

Aaron Brown opened the season for the Blue Raiders on the mound. Brown allowed five runs, no earned, on three hits, and punched out two in 2.2 innings pitched.

"I thought Aaron Brown threw fine… I thought he probably could have thrown more if we had made some plays behind him," said Toman.

Freshman Jack Julian had a strong first appearance as a Blue Raider. Julian allowed no runs, on one hit, and struck out one, in two innings of relief.

"At the beginning of the year we have to give guys opportunities and if they throw well they'll get more opportunities, Jack [Julian] was one of the few pitchers that threw pretty well tonight," said Toman.

The Blue Raiders look to even up the series against the Tar Heels tomorrow. First pitch is set for 1:00 PM CST in Chapel Hill.