Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Tuesday, March 15
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
6 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
vs
Austin Peay State University
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Blue Raiders Return Home for Week-Long Homestand
3/14/2022 7:37:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee baseball finally gets to settle in at home for one week as it hosts Austin Peay March 15 and opens Conference USA play vs. Old Dominion in a three-game series March 18-20. After spending 15 of its first 16 games on the road, the Blue Raiders come into the homestand 6-10, including winning two of three games at Auburn March 11 & 13.
SCHEDULE
Austin Peay: March 15 - 6 p.m.
Old Dominion: March 18 - 6 p.m.
Old Dominion: March 19 - 3 p.m.
Old Dominion: March 20 - 11 a.m.
Tickets are available at GoBlueRaiders.com/Tickets or by contacting the MT Ticket Office at tickets@mtsu.edu or 615-898-5261. Click here for the full 2022 home promotional schedule at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
Middle Tennessee's offense came to play in its weekend series at Auburn. The Blue Raiders took the first and third game to win a series vs. a Power Five opponent for the first time since 2016 when the Blue Raiders opened the season winning two of three games against Indiana. MT and Auburn each scored 21 runs in the series as the Blue Raiders hit four home runs, eight doubles and slugged .500.
Mason Speirs and Nathan Sanders continued their career seasons against Auburn. Speirs, a catcher from Westminster, CO, went 7-for-14, drove in four RBI and a .857 slugging percentage in his three starts behind the plate vs. the Tigers. Speirs, who entered the season with 15 career hits in 37 games played, already has 13 hits in 12 games played in 2022 for a batting average of .394.
Sanders launched two more home runs for the Blue Raiders over the weekend to increase his season total to three. Sanders is slugging .656. The outfielder's approach to getting on base was different than usual in Sunday's second game as Sanders walked in four consecutive at-bats to up his on-base percentage to .465. Sanders holds the team lead in RBI with 12.
Through games played on March 13, Peyton Wigginton is one of four pitchers in the country to not have allowed a walk this season. No one on that list has thrown more innings than Wigginton (26.1). Wigginton has shown off his versatility this season by starting three games and appearing in three other games out of the bullpen.
Fausto Lopez, Brett Coker, JT Mabry and Luke Vinson have started all 16 games for the Blue Raiders this season in their respective positions. Lopez carries a streak of 87 consecutive starts in a Blue Raider uniform over the past three seasons. Lopez needs 33 more straight starts to crack the top 10 program list for consecutive games played.
GEARING UP FOR THE GOVERNORS Austin Peay comes to Reese Smith Jr. Field 7-10 and has fell in eight of its last nine games. Despite winning six of seven games from Feb. 19 - March 1, the Governors have dropped its last three series against Eastern Kentucky, Lipscomb and Kent State.
Austin Peay has not won a road game this season in three games played.
Offense has been a bright spot for APSU this season as six players are batting over .300. All of those players have at least 30 at-bats. Jack Alexander leads the group, batting .397, including an 1.192 OPS, 16 RBI and two home runs.
Alexander has hit eight of the team's 44 doubles through 17 games. Hitting 44 doubles over 17 games, Austin Peay's offense ranks third in total doubles.
The Governor pitching staff has struggled. Tyler Delong is the only arm who has an ERA below four. The right-handed two-way player has made six appearances out of the bullpen and has struck out 12. Harley Gollert holds the team lead in strikeouts with 26. As a team, Austin Peay has an ERA of 7.60, a WHIP of 1.84 and opponents are batting .308.
APSU was picked fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll.
SCOUTING OLD DOMINION Receiving votes in the most recent USA Today College Baseball Coaches Poll, Old Dominion has defended its 2021 C-USA Tournament title so far by winning 13 of its 14 games in 2022. The Monarchs have scored 18-plus runs three times, including a 23-run performance vs. Bryant March 6 and 24 runs vs. Iona Feb 19. ODU has only played one road contest this season which was a 3-1 win at VCU March 1.
Before heading to Murfreesboro, the Monarchs will play East Carolina March 15.
Robbie Petracci leads the Monarchs in hitting. In 13 games played, Petraci, an outfielder from New Jersey, has a .361 average, 1.081 OPS and 11 RBI. In the infield, Chris Dengler bats .350 with 12 RBI and an on-base percentage of .422.
Those two Monarchs lead a team that is batting .319, a team OPS of .982 and 22 home runs. ODU ranks 29th nationally with a .312 team batting average.
On the mound, the Monarch bullpen has been a strength for the team this season. Jason Hartline has four saves in as many chances while striking out 15 over 11.1 innings pitched. Three other relievers have an ERA below one while seven total Monarch pitchers have an ERA under two. ODU ranks 19th in the country in ERA (2.55).
For more information or updates throughout the week, follow Middle Tennessee baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
SCHEDULE
Austin Peay: March 15 - 6 p.m.
Old Dominion: March 18 - 6 p.m.
Old Dominion: March 19 - 3 p.m.
Old Dominion: March 20 - 11 a.m.
Tickets are available at GoBlueRaiders.com/Tickets or by contacting the MT Ticket Office at tickets@mtsu.edu or 615-898-5261. Click here for the full 2022 home promotional schedule at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
Middle Tennessee's offense came to play in its weekend series at Auburn. The Blue Raiders took the first and third game to win a series vs. a Power Five opponent for the first time since 2016 when the Blue Raiders opened the season winning two of three games against Indiana. MT and Auburn each scored 21 runs in the series as the Blue Raiders hit four home runs, eight doubles and slugged .500.
Mason Speirs and Nathan Sanders continued their career seasons against Auburn. Speirs, a catcher from Westminster, CO, went 7-for-14, drove in four RBI and a .857 slugging percentage in his three starts behind the plate vs. the Tigers. Speirs, who entered the season with 15 career hits in 37 games played, already has 13 hits in 12 games played in 2022 for a batting average of .394.
Sanders launched two more home runs for the Blue Raiders over the weekend to increase his season total to three. Sanders is slugging .656. The outfielder's approach to getting on base was different than usual in Sunday's second game as Sanders walked in four consecutive at-bats to up his on-base percentage to .465. Sanders holds the team lead in RBI with 12.
Through games played on March 13, Peyton Wigginton is one of four pitchers in the country to not have allowed a walk this season. No one on that list has thrown more innings than Wigginton (26.1). Wigginton has shown off his versatility this season by starting three games and appearing in three other games out of the bullpen.
Fausto Lopez, Brett Coker, JT Mabry and Luke Vinson have started all 16 games for the Blue Raiders this season in their respective positions. Lopez carries a streak of 87 consecutive starts in a Blue Raider uniform over the past three seasons. Lopez needs 33 more straight starts to crack the top 10 program list for consecutive games played.
GEARING UP FOR THE GOVERNORS Austin Peay comes to Reese Smith Jr. Field 7-10 and has fell in eight of its last nine games. Despite winning six of seven games from Feb. 19 - March 1, the Governors have dropped its last three series against Eastern Kentucky, Lipscomb and Kent State.
Austin Peay has not won a road game this season in three games played.
Offense has been a bright spot for APSU this season as six players are batting over .300. All of those players have at least 30 at-bats. Jack Alexander leads the group, batting .397, including an 1.192 OPS, 16 RBI and two home runs.
Alexander has hit eight of the team's 44 doubles through 17 games. Hitting 44 doubles over 17 games, Austin Peay's offense ranks third in total doubles.
The Governor pitching staff has struggled. Tyler Delong is the only arm who has an ERA below four. The right-handed two-way player has made six appearances out of the bullpen and has struck out 12. Harley Gollert holds the team lead in strikeouts with 26. As a team, Austin Peay has an ERA of 7.60, a WHIP of 1.84 and opponents are batting .308.
APSU was picked fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll.
SCOUTING OLD DOMINION Receiving votes in the most recent USA Today College Baseball Coaches Poll, Old Dominion has defended its 2021 C-USA Tournament title so far by winning 13 of its 14 games in 2022. The Monarchs have scored 18-plus runs three times, including a 23-run performance vs. Bryant March 6 and 24 runs vs. Iona Feb 19. ODU has only played one road contest this season which was a 3-1 win at VCU March 1.
Before heading to Murfreesboro, the Monarchs will play East Carolina March 15.
Robbie Petracci leads the Monarchs in hitting. In 13 games played, Petraci, an outfielder from New Jersey, has a .361 average, 1.081 OPS and 11 RBI. In the infield, Chris Dengler bats .350 with 12 RBI and an on-base percentage of .422.
Those two Monarchs lead a team that is batting .319, a team OPS of .982 and 22 home runs. ODU ranks 29th nationally with a .312 team batting average.
On the mound, the Monarch bullpen has been a strength for the team this season. Jason Hartline has four saves in as many chances while striking out 15 over 11.1 innings pitched. Three other relievers have an ERA below one while seven total Monarch pitchers have an ERA under two. ODU ranks 19th in the country in ERA (2.55).
For more information or updates throughout the week, follow Middle Tennessee baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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LHP
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