Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
NOTEBOOK: Baseball Set to Celebrate the Life of Steve Peterson Friday
10/25/2021 5:00:00 PM | Baseball, General
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Steve Peterson compiled stats over his 24-year career as head coach of the Blue Raiders that are hard to wrap your mind around.
He posted 791 of his 944 career wins in Murfreesboro, won 11 regular season conference championships and nine conference tournament titles, resulting in nine NCAA regional berths. He was inducted into no less than five different Hall of Fames for his contributions on the field as a coach.
But far more important to him than any personal honors were his players. On the field success was great, of course, with 44 First Team All-Conference selections and 12 All-Americans playing for his program during his time in Murfreesboro. Coach Pete mentored 71 players that eventually played professional baseball, including eight major leaguers. But those who played for Coach Pete will be the first to tell you he cared most about making them successful in life, regardless of where baseball took them.
Now, this Friday, the Middle Tennessee baseball program will meet to honor the life of Coach Peterson, who passed away March 2020. The Celebration of Life will take place at Reese Smith Jr. Field at 6:30 pm, with gates opening for the event at 6 pm.
"I am looking forward to celebrating Coach Peterson's life and legacy with his former players, family, friends, community and Blue Raider fans," Director of Athletics Chris Massaro said. "This is something we have wanted to do for quite awhile but circumstances have not allowed until now.
"Steve Peterson touched a countless number of lives and not just those of the baseball players he coached, but people from all walks of life," Massaro said. "He genuinely cared about the needs of others. Coach Peterson groomed his players not only to be successful on the baseball field, but also in life. More than 50 of his players are coaching high school baseball and passing along the knowledge he bestowed in them. He was a player's coach who always got the most out of his players."
Former players are scheduled to speak during the ceremony, and an announcement regarding a project at the stadium honoring Coach Peterson will also be made.
If you plan on attending, please RSVP to Tony Stinnett at stinnett@goblueraiders.com
Football ready for Homecoming game against Southern Miss
Coming off a dominant win on the road against UConn, Middle Tennessee football turns its attention to 1-6 Southern Miss for MTSU Homecoming this coming Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 pm in Floyd Stadium.
The Golden Eagles haven't posted great results in the first half of their season, with their only win coming at home against FCS opponent Grambling State. But, their first seven games have featured five opponents with winning records, and a defense that, outside of a 63 point day from Alabama, is only giving up 22.67 points a game.
"This is a great example of a team where you better not look at their record and assume something," head coach Rick Stockstill said. "Because this is a very capable team. They're talented on both sides of the ball and just had a tough stretch here the past couple of weeks."
Stockstill and Chase Cunningham highlighted the speed of the Golden Eagle defense as a challenge for opposing offenses, with Stockstill praising the Southern Miss defense for limiting big plays throughout the year. Southern Miss is coming off an open date heading into this weekend.
"You look at them statistically, especially defensively, they're up there in a lot of statistical categories," Stockstill said. "They're athletic, they're fast, they can run. They've dealt with some injuries this year at some critical positions, so I assume that they've got some guys this week coming in here."
Offensively, however, the Golden Eagles have struggled, only posting 14.14 points per game this season, in large part due to the carousel of quarterbacks that have appeared under center due to injuries at the position. Four different quarterbacks have thrown passes for the Golden Eagles this season.
Saturday will mark the first of three home games in the Blue Raiders final five contests to close the season out. Middle Tennessee has been on the road for five of their first seven games this season.
"We'll have a big fan base coming out to support us, and it'll just be great to be back home again," safety Reed Blankenship said. "We've been on the road so long. I don't think since I've been here that we've been on the road this many times. Just having the home atmosphere again is going to be huge for us."
Insell Excited by Women's Basketball Freshman Class
The reigning C-USA champion Lady Raiders start their season officially this Friday, with an exhibition against Lane College at 4 pm in the Murphy Center. It's a bit of a new look roster for head coach Rick Insell's squad this year, with only two starters (Courtney Whitson, Alexis Whittington) returning from last year's team. But this year's freshman class has got the veteran coach excited about the future.
"To be honest with you, this freshman class has really been exciting to watch," Insell said. "I think we've had somewhere around 20 or 30 practices since the summer, and each and every day you see them getting better. I think before it's all said and done and if we can keep them all together, I think it'll be one of the best classes we've put together at Middle Tennessee State."
The five player true freshman class (guards Courtney Blakely, Skye Payne, Gracie Dodgen and Jalynn Gregory & center Anastasiia Boldyreva) will team up with transfers Dor Saar (Maine) and transfer Kseniya Malashka (VCU) to reload the core of the Blue Raiders this season, which will strive to feature the same hard nosed defense and high quality shooting Insell's teams are known for.
Most exciting, of course, will be the return of full capacity crowds to the Murphy Center this season, something which Whitson is very excited to share with her teammates.
"I think we have one of the best fan systems in the country," Whitson said. "I was talking to some of the sophomores, and I was telling them that there was nothing like it. You didn't experience it last year. I'm just excited to get back in that environment."
Depth will aid new look Men's Basketball in 2021-22
Poke one's head into a men's basketball practice on a weekday after at the Murphy Center, and you might find the Blue Raiders meticulously practicing variants of a full court press. A rarely used weapon in the first few years of head coach Nick McDevitt's tenure at Middle Tennessee, it's something fans will likely see more of this year, as added depth on the roster has given McDevitt confidence in a deeper rotation.
"We'll definitely be doing some things different this year defensively, just because of that (depth)," McDevitt said. "It's hard to play really up-tempo and try to press a lot and be aggressive when you have what most would consider a short bench. You can't get out and play 94 feet for 40 minutes if you're playing seven or eight deep."
McDevitt highlighted how his first roster in Murfreesboro only featured eight eligible scholarship players, but a longer rotation, buoyed by veterans Donovan Sims and Jared Coleman-Jones, as well as lengthy newcomers like Isaiah Turner and Justin Bufford, will help keep the fresh bodies on the floor and result, hopefully, in more aggressive play on both ends of the floor.
"Ever since June, we've had about 13 or 14 guys each week, and we've just ramped it up this year," Sims said. "The vibe is a lot different, the energy is there every day. Each guy on the roster brings energy in different ways, and it's just great to be out there with your teammates this year."
Basketball Season Tickets on Sale Now
Basketball season continues to grow closer and closer, and season tickets for the Blue Raiders and Lady Raiders are now on sale.
Men's season tickets are $170 per seat, and the women's season tickets are $120 per seat, or fans may purchase a combination of both men's and women's season tickets at a discounted rate of $220. MTSU staff and faculty also may purchase discounted season tickets by contacting the ticket office at 615-898-5261.
The Lady Raiders' home slate includes 15 games, including two exhibition contests. The first exhibition game is slated for Oct. 29. The Lady Raiders' home and season opener is Nov. 9 against East Carolina. The non-conference home slate also includes Vanderbilt, Mercer and Southern Illinois.
The Blue Raiders also have a healthy helping of home games for the fans with 15 games at Murphy Center in 2021-22, including three straight to tip off the campaign. In fact, five of the team's first eight games will be played at home.
Single Game Tickets are also available, and the MT Marketing department has a great slate of promotions scheduled for each team's non-conference slate, including Christmas in the Murphy Center on Dec. 17, when the Lady Raiders take on Southern Illinois. The full promotion schedule can be found here.
Fans can purchase their season tickets online at GoBlueRaiders.com/Tickets, or by visiting the MTSU Ticket Office. For more information, call the MTSU Ticket Office at 615-898-5261.
He posted 791 of his 944 career wins in Murfreesboro, won 11 regular season conference championships and nine conference tournament titles, resulting in nine NCAA regional berths. He was inducted into no less than five different Hall of Fames for his contributions on the field as a coach.
But far more important to him than any personal honors were his players. On the field success was great, of course, with 44 First Team All-Conference selections and 12 All-Americans playing for his program during his time in Murfreesboro. Coach Pete mentored 71 players that eventually played professional baseball, including eight major leaguers. But those who played for Coach Pete will be the first to tell you he cared most about making them successful in life, regardless of where baseball took them.
Now, this Friday, the Middle Tennessee baseball program will meet to honor the life of Coach Peterson, who passed away March 2020. The Celebration of Life will take place at Reese Smith Jr. Field at 6:30 pm, with gates opening for the event at 6 pm.
"I am looking forward to celebrating Coach Peterson's life and legacy with his former players, family, friends, community and Blue Raider fans," Director of Athletics Chris Massaro said. "This is something we have wanted to do for quite awhile but circumstances have not allowed until now.
"Steve Peterson touched a countless number of lives and not just those of the baseball players he coached, but people from all walks of life," Massaro said. "He genuinely cared about the needs of others. Coach Peterson groomed his players not only to be successful on the baseball field, but also in life. More than 50 of his players are coaching high school baseball and passing along the knowledge he bestowed in them. He was a player's coach who always got the most out of his players."
Former players are scheduled to speak during the ceremony, and an announcement regarding a project at the stadium honoring Coach Peterson will also be made.
If you plan on attending, please RSVP to Tony Stinnett at stinnett@goblueraiders.com
Football ready for Homecoming game against Southern Miss
Coming off a dominant win on the road against UConn, Middle Tennessee football turns its attention to 1-6 Southern Miss for MTSU Homecoming this coming Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 pm in Floyd Stadium.
The Golden Eagles haven't posted great results in the first half of their season, with their only win coming at home against FCS opponent Grambling State. But, their first seven games have featured five opponents with winning records, and a defense that, outside of a 63 point day from Alabama, is only giving up 22.67 points a game.
"This is a great example of a team where you better not look at their record and assume something," head coach Rick Stockstill said. "Because this is a very capable team. They're talented on both sides of the ball and just had a tough stretch here the past couple of weeks."
Stockstill and Chase Cunningham highlighted the speed of the Golden Eagle defense as a challenge for opposing offenses, with Stockstill praising the Southern Miss defense for limiting big plays throughout the year. Southern Miss is coming off an open date heading into this weekend.
"You look at them statistically, especially defensively, they're up there in a lot of statistical categories," Stockstill said. "They're athletic, they're fast, they can run. They've dealt with some injuries this year at some critical positions, so I assume that they've got some guys this week coming in here."
Offensively, however, the Golden Eagles have struggled, only posting 14.14 points per game this season, in large part due to the carousel of quarterbacks that have appeared under center due to injuries at the position. Four different quarterbacks have thrown passes for the Golden Eagles this season.
Saturday will mark the first of three home games in the Blue Raiders final five contests to close the season out. Middle Tennessee has been on the road for five of their first seven games this season.
"We'll have a big fan base coming out to support us, and it'll just be great to be back home again," safety Reed Blankenship said. "We've been on the road so long. I don't think since I've been here that we've been on the road this many times. Just having the home atmosphere again is going to be huge for us."
Insell Excited by Women's Basketball Freshman Class
The reigning C-USA champion Lady Raiders start their season officially this Friday, with an exhibition against Lane College at 4 pm in the Murphy Center. It's a bit of a new look roster for head coach Rick Insell's squad this year, with only two starters (Courtney Whitson, Alexis Whittington) returning from last year's team. But this year's freshman class has got the veteran coach excited about the future.
"To be honest with you, this freshman class has really been exciting to watch," Insell said. "I think we've had somewhere around 20 or 30 practices since the summer, and each and every day you see them getting better. I think before it's all said and done and if we can keep them all together, I think it'll be one of the best classes we've put together at Middle Tennessee State."
The five player true freshman class (guards Courtney Blakely, Skye Payne, Gracie Dodgen and Jalynn Gregory & center Anastasiia Boldyreva) will team up with transfers Dor Saar (Maine) and transfer Kseniya Malashka (VCU) to reload the core of the Blue Raiders this season, which will strive to feature the same hard nosed defense and high quality shooting Insell's teams are known for.
Most exciting, of course, will be the return of full capacity crowds to the Murphy Center this season, something which Whitson is very excited to share with her teammates.
"I think we have one of the best fan systems in the country," Whitson said. "I was talking to some of the sophomores, and I was telling them that there was nothing like it. You didn't experience it last year. I'm just excited to get back in that environment."
Depth will aid new look Men's Basketball in 2021-22
Poke one's head into a men's basketball practice on a weekday after at the Murphy Center, and you might find the Blue Raiders meticulously practicing variants of a full court press. A rarely used weapon in the first few years of head coach Nick McDevitt's tenure at Middle Tennessee, it's something fans will likely see more of this year, as added depth on the roster has given McDevitt confidence in a deeper rotation.
"We'll definitely be doing some things different this year defensively, just because of that (depth)," McDevitt said. "It's hard to play really up-tempo and try to press a lot and be aggressive when you have what most would consider a short bench. You can't get out and play 94 feet for 40 minutes if you're playing seven or eight deep."
McDevitt highlighted how his first roster in Murfreesboro only featured eight eligible scholarship players, but a longer rotation, buoyed by veterans Donovan Sims and Jared Coleman-Jones, as well as lengthy newcomers like Isaiah Turner and Justin Bufford, will help keep the fresh bodies on the floor and result, hopefully, in more aggressive play on both ends of the floor.
"Ever since June, we've had about 13 or 14 guys each week, and we've just ramped it up this year," Sims said. "The vibe is a lot different, the energy is there every day. Each guy on the roster brings energy in different ways, and it's just great to be out there with your teammates this year."
Basketball Season Tickets on Sale Now
Basketball season continues to grow closer and closer, and season tickets for the Blue Raiders and Lady Raiders are now on sale.
Men's season tickets are $170 per seat, and the women's season tickets are $120 per seat, or fans may purchase a combination of both men's and women's season tickets at a discounted rate of $220. MTSU staff and faculty also may purchase discounted season tickets by contacting the ticket office at 615-898-5261.
The Lady Raiders' home slate includes 15 games, including two exhibition contests. The first exhibition game is slated for Oct. 29. The Lady Raiders' home and season opener is Nov. 9 against East Carolina. The non-conference home slate also includes Vanderbilt, Mercer and Southern Illinois.
The Blue Raiders also have a healthy helping of home games for the fans with 15 games at Murphy Center in 2021-22, including three straight to tip off the campaign. In fact, five of the team's first eight games will be played at home.
Single Game Tickets are also available, and the MT Marketing department has a great slate of promotions scheduled for each team's non-conference slate, including Christmas in the Murphy Center on Dec. 17, when the Lady Raiders take on Southern Illinois. The full promotion schedule can be found here.
Fans can purchase their season tickets online at GoBlueRaiders.com/Tickets, or by visiting the MTSU Ticket Office. For more information, call the MTSU Ticket Office at 615-898-5261.
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