Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Wednesday, May 26
Ruston, LA
2:30 PM CT
Middle Tennessee
24-27-1
7
vs
2
Charlotte
39-18
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Middle Tennessee
1
2
0
0
1
3
0
0
0
7
11
1
Charlotte
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
4
2
Blue Raiders Down No. 1 Seed and Nationally Ranked Charlotte on the First Day of the C-USA Tournament
5/26/2021 7:41:00 PM | Baseball
RUSTON, La. – In their first postseason appearance in six years, the Middle Tennessee baseball team won their opening game of the 2021 Air Force Reserve Conference USA Baseball Championship over top seeded and No. 16 ranked Charlotte, 7-2. The Blue Raiders (24-27-1, C-USA 12-19-1) are the first eight-seed since 2017 and the seventh team in C-USA history to defeat the one-seed in the opening round of the conference tournament.
The game was tied for two batters until Blue Raider third baseman Brett Coker opened up the offense with a solo opposite field home run, down the right field line and off the top of the scoreboard at J.C. Love Field.
After Coker's blast, the Blue Raiders maintained the lead the rest of the way by out hitting the 49ers 11-4 and reaching base safely in seven of the game's nine innings.
Fausto Lopez, Brett Coker, Jake Hagenow, and Cole Escher all had multi-hit games against the Charlotte pitching staff.
Lopez finished the game 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI, two walks, and scored two runs. The Raider shortstop also made several defensive plays including a leaping grab that saved extra bases in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Starting pitcher and All-Conference Second Team member Aaron Brown pitched a gem for his squad. The Mt. Juliet native tossed seven innings, allowed just four hits, and struck out six before turning the ball over to left-hander David Zoz.
Brown's six strikeouts gives him 113 on the year. His season total moves him past John William for the sixth most strikeouts in a single season for a Blue Raider pitcher.
Zoz entered the game with a comfortable 7-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning and held the 49ers scoreless in the final two innings.
Brown and Zoz held the top seeded 49ers to just one hit over the final six innings and combined for seven strikeouts and just two walks all afternoon.
Today's victory is also the first time the Blue Raiders have knocked-off a ranked opponent since beating No. 15 Vanderbilt 4-3 on April 3, 2018.
The Blue Raiders will be back in action tomorrow (5/27) to do battle with Old Dominion in a winners' bracket. First pitch will be at 12:30 p.m. CT at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
You can watch tomorrow's game on ESPN+ and fans can also listen locally on WGNS at 1450 AM, 100.5 FM or 101.9 FM or on TuneIn.
Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball) and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
The game was tied for two batters until Blue Raider third baseman Brett Coker opened up the offense with a solo opposite field home run, down the right field line and off the top of the scoreboard at J.C. Love Field.
After Coker's blast, the Blue Raiders maintained the lead the rest of the way by out hitting the 49ers 11-4 and reaching base safely in seven of the game's nine innings.
Fausto Lopez, Brett Coker, Jake Hagenow, and Cole Escher all had multi-hit games against the Charlotte pitching staff.
Lopez finished the game 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI, two walks, and scored two runs. The Raider shortstop also made several defensive plays including a leaping grab that saved extra bases in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Starting pitcher and All-Conference Second Team member Aaron Brown pitched a gem for his squad. The Mt. Juliet native tossed seven innings, allowed just four hits, and struck out six before turning the ball over to left-hander David Zoz.
Brown's six strikeouts gives him 113 on the year. His season total moves him past John William for the sixth most strikeouts in a single season for a Blue Raider pitcher.
Zoz entered the game with a comfortable 7-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning and held the 49ers scoreless in the final two innings.
Brown and Zoz held the top seeded 49ers to just one hit over the final six innings and combined for seven strikeouts and just two walks all afternoon.
Today's victory is also the first time the Blue Raiders have knocked-off a ranked opponent since beating No. 15 Vanderbilt 4-3 on April 3, 2018.
The Blue Raiders will be back in action tomorrow (5/27) to do battle with Old Dominion in a winners' bracket. First pitch will be at 12:30 p.m. CT at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
You can watch tomorrow's game on ESPN+ and fans can also listen locally on WGNS at 1450 AM, 100.5 FM or 101.9 FM or on TuneIn.
Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball) and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Brown, Aaron (7-5)
L: Spencer Giesting (3-3)
Batting:
2B: Lopez, Fausto 2 ; Hagenow, Jake 1
HR: Coker, Brett 1
RBI: Lopez, Fausto 2 ; Sullivan, Hunter 2 ; Coker, Brett 1 ; Wright, DJ 1 ; Vinson, Luke 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lopez, Fausto 2 ; Coker, Brett 1 ; Escher, Cole 1 ; Mabry, JT 1 ; Hagenow, Jake 1 ; Vinson, Luke 1
SB: Lopez, Fausto 1 ; Coker, Brett 1
HBP: Wright, DJ 1
Batting:
HR: Austin Knight 1
RBI: Austin Knight 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Austin Knight 1 ; Jake Cunningham 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballC
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
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