Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Friday, February 18
Wilmington, N.C.
2 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
vs
St. John's University
Blue Raiders Begin Season in Wilmington
2/17/2022 11:00:00 AM | Baseball
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Baseball season is here as Middle Tennessee opens the 2022 campaign against St. John's and UNC Wilmington Feb. 18-20.
Feb. 18 at 11 a.m. CDT - Middle Tennessee vs. St. John's
Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. CDT - Middle Tennessee at UNC Wilmington
Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. CDT - Middle Tennessee vs. St. John's
Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. CDT - Middle Tennessee at UNC Wilmington
MT looks to build off a 2021 season in which the Blue Raiders qualified for the Conference USA Tournament for the first time since 2015. This season's roster features a solid core of returnees supplemented by a plethora of new faces. Head Coach Jim Toman welcomes back 24 players and brings in 20 newcomers.
Notable returnees include Fausto Lopez, Brett Coker, JT Mabry, Peyton Wigginton, Trent Seibert, Eriq Swan and Zach Keenan.
Playing their first eight games, and 16 of their first 17 games away from Reese Smith Jr. Field, the Blue Raiders face a daunting non-conference slate featuring three 2021 NCAA Tournament teams.
Six of the 16 non-conference opponents have made at least one NCAA Regional appearance in the past three seasons.
Pitching and speed were two strengths of the 2021 season and both are expected to impact games once again. Middle Tennessee finished eighth in the country in stolen bases with 107. Fausto Lopez stole a team-best 23 stolen bags, which tied for 23rd nationally. By the end of the season, eight Blue Raiders recorded at least seven stolen bases.
Posting a team earned run average of 4.19, the Blue Raider pitching staff was one of the best in the conference. In addition to a .248 opponent batting average, MT was second in C-USA in hits allowed (420) and first in both earned runs allowed (206) and walks allowed (119).
Keenan, Wigginton and Seibert, all critical pieces on last year's staff, return for their senior seasons in 2022 and are in line to start during opening weekend.
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS UNC Wilmington has been consistently competitive in college baseball over the past two decades. The Seahawaks have 10 NCAA regional appearances since 2003 and 30-or-more wins in 14 consecutive full seasons.
The Seahwaks came out of the 2021 gates hot by winning 11 of their first 14 games and concluded the regular season 10 games over .500. The season, however, came to a heartbreaking end. UNCW reached the CAA Tournament Championship, but fell to Northeastern 10-11 in 10 innings.
UNCW redshirt junior Brooks Baldwin was voted by the CAA's coaches as the co-preseason player of the year ahead of the 2022 season. Baldwin, who opted to return to UNCW after being selected in the 15th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, finished with a .325 average, 15 home runs and 45 RBI.
Picked second in the CAA preseason poll, Seahawk junior catcher Matt Suggs and sophomore right-handed reliever Hunter Hodges earned preseason all-conference honors.
UNC Wilmington loses its top three starters who combined to go 20-9 last season, but return a group of relievers, including Hodges, that saw success a season ago.
WEATHERING THE (RED) STORM Since a 41-win season and an NCAA Regional appearance in 2018, St. John's has won a combined 55 games over the past three seasons (played just 14 games in 2020).
The Red Storm won seven in a row to start the 2021 season but then dropped five of the next seven games. Seven games were canceled from March 23 - April 3. St. John's then went 10-16 in the BIG EAST and did not to qualify for the conference tournament.
Redshirt sophomore infielder Marty Higgins returns after earning First-Team All-BIG EAST in 2021. Higgins hit .333 with an on-base percentage of .404 and slugged .409.
Ian Murphy is the team's top returning pitcher. In nine starts and 10 total appearances, Murphy posted a 3.15 earned run average, 45 strikeouts and a .197 opponent batting average.
Tyler Roche is another pitcher to watch for the Red Storm. Roche recorded a 3.44 ERA in 36.2 innings of work with 35 strikeouts.
Higgins, Roche and Murphy were all named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team as St. John's was picked to finish fourth.
The Blue Raiders have never played St. John's and UNC Wilmington.
Games on Friday and Sunday will air on WGNS 100.5, 101.9 and 1450 AM. Both games against UNC Wilmington are set to stream on FloBaseball.
For more information or updates throughout the weekend, follow Middle Tennessee baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Feb. 18 at 11 a.m. CDT - Middle Tennessee vs. St. John's
Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. CDT - Middle Tennessee at UNC Wilmington
Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. CDT - Middle Tennessee vs. St. John's
Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. CDT - Middle Tennessee at UNC Wilmington
MT looks to build off a 2021 season in which the Blue Raiders qualified for the Conference USA Tournament for the first time since 2015. This season's roster features a solid core of returnees supplemented by a plethora of new faces. Head Coach Jim Toman welcomes back 24 players and brings in 20 newcomers.
Notable returnees include Fausto Lopez, Brett Coker, JT Mabry, Peyton Wigginton, Trent Seibert, Eriq Swan and Zach Keenan.
Playing their first eight games, and 16 of their first 17 games away from Reese Smith Jr. Field, the Blue Raiders face a daunting non-conference slate featuring three 2021 NCAA Tournament teams.
Six of the 16 non-conference opponents have made at least one NCAA Regional appearance in the past three seasons.
Pitching and speed were two strengths of the 2021 season and both are expected to impact games once again. Middle Tennessee finished eighth in the country in stolen bases with 107. Fausto Lopez stole a team-best 23 stolen bags, which tied for 23rd nationally. By the end of the season, eight Blue Raiders recorded at least seven stolen bases.
Posting a team earned run average of 4.19, the Blue Raider pitching staff was one of the best in the conference. In addition to a .248 opponent batting average, MT was second in C-USA in hits allowed (420) and first in both earned runs allowed (206) and walks allowed (119).
Keenan, Wigginton and Seibert, all critical pieces on last year's staff, return for their senior seasons in 2022 and are in line to start during opening weekend.
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS UNC Wilmington has been consistently competitive in college baseball over the past two decades. The Seahawaks have 10 NCAA regional appearances since 2003 and 30-or-more wins in 14 consecutive full seasons.
The Seahwaks came out of the 2021 gates hot by winning 11 of their first 14 games and concluded the regular season 10 games over .500. The season, however, came to a heartbreaking end. UNCW reached the CAA Tournament Championship, but fell to Northeastern 10-11 in 10 innings.
UNCW redshirt junior Brooks Baldwin was voted by the CAA's coaches as the co-preseason player of the year ahead of the 2022 season. Baldwin, who opted to return to UNCW after being selected in the 15th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, finished with a .325 average, 15 home runs and 45 RBI.
Picked second in the CAA preseason poll, Seahawk junior catcher Matt Suggs and sophomore right-handed reliever Hunter Hodges earned preseason all-conference honors.
UNC Wilmington loses its top three starters who combined to go 20-9 last season, but return a group of relievers, including Hodges, that saw success a season ago.
WEATHERING THE (RED) STORM Since a 41-win season and an NCAA Regional appearance in 2018, St. John's has won a combined 55 games over the past three seasons (played just 14 games in 2020).
The Red Storm won seven in a row to start the 2021 season but then dropped five of the next seven games. Seven games were canceled from March 23 - April 3. St. John's then went 10-16 in the BIG EAST and did not to qualify for the conference tournament.
Redshirt sophomore infielder Marty Higgins returns after earning First-Team All-BIG EAST in 2021. Higgins hit .333 with an on-base percentage of .404 and slugged .409.
Ian Murphy is the team's top returning pitcher. In nine starts and 10 total appearances, Murphy posted a 3.15 earned run average, 45 strikeouts and a .197 opponent batting average.
Tyler Roche is another pitcher to watch for the Red Storm. Roche recorded a 3.44 ERA in 36.2 innings of work with 35 strikeouts.
Higgins, Roche and Murphy were all named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team as St. John's was picked to finish fourth.
The Blue Raiders have never played St. John's and UNC Wilmington.
Games on Friday and Sunday will air on WGNS 100.5, 101.9 and 1450 AM. Both games against UNC Wilmington are set to stream on FloBaseball.
For more information or updates throughout the weekend, follow Middle Tennessee baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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RHP
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LHP
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