Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
NOTEBOOK: Track and Field earns four All-American honors at NCAA Championships
3/14/2022 6:00:00 PM | Baseball, Football, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Tennis, Men's Cross Country and Track & Field, Softball, Women's Basketball, Women's Golf, Women's Cross Country and Track & Field, BRAA, Track & Field/Cross Country
MT's best finish came from senior Eusila Chepkemei, who finished sixth in the mile after earning automatic qualification with a top-four finish in her prelim heat, earning first-team All-American honors in the process. The Kapsabet, Kenya native finished the season with the fifth best mile time in the country, 4:32.39, which she set at the Boston Last Chance Meet last week.
NO SURPRISE 👀
— MT XC/Track & Field (@MT_TrackField) March 13, 2022
Eusila Chepkemei ends her indoor season as a First Team All-American for her sixth-place finish during the NCAA Indoor T&F Championships!#BlueRaiders | #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/ooJWQw2X2d
The Blue Raiders' other first teamer was high-jumper Omamuyovwi Erhire, who finished seventh and made First Team All-American. His C-USA Championships jump of 2.23m was the fifth best mark in the country this indoor season.
Say 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓁𝑜 to the newest 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧!@erhire_o took seventh today at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with a jump of 2.20m in the men's high jump! 👏#BlueRaiders | #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/m3L706JQIL
— MT XC/Track & Field (@MT_TrackField) March 12, 2022
Freshman Alaba Akintola earned Second Team All-American honors after finishing 14th in the 200m dash. The Ondo, Nigeria native also finished the year with the 14th best 200m time indoors, a 20.72 seconds run at the Conference USA Championship.
He's just getting started! 😤
— MT XC/Track & Field (@MT_TrackField) March 13, 2022
Freshman @Akintolaalaba1 finishes his first indoor season as a 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 for his top-15 finish in the 200 meter at the NCAA Indoor T&F Championships!#BlueRaiders | #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/mEP71qfYB7
Graduate student Esther Isa was the final Second Team All-American honoree, earning a top-15 finish in the triple jump. Her season-best mark of 13.48m, set at the C-USA Championships, was the 12th best mark in the country this season.
✨𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧✨
— MT XC/Track & Field (@MT_TrackField) March 13, 2022
Esther Isa was one of the best triple-jumpers in the nation and ended the season with a top-15 finish at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend! 👏#BlueRaiders | #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/ZF8zhG4F9o
Baseball battles back for series win at Auburn ahead of C-USA opener
Blue Raider baseball had their best weekend of the season down in the Yellowhammer State over the weekend, taking two games off the Auburn Tigers to earn their first series win of 2022, just ahead of the team's C-USA opening series against Old Dominion.
The weekend started with an old-school slugfest on Friday, where Middle Tennessee scored eight runs in the first two innings and tacked on two more in the top of the seventh to hold on to a 10-8 win in the series opener. Trent Seibert pitched four innings of scoreless ball in relief to earn the win, while Nathan Sanders and Brycen Thomas each drove in three runs.
Post-game, reliever Jack Julian went viral after celebrating Sanders' seventh inning home run, getting retweeted by former UVA reliever and college baseball personality Stephen Schoch.
When you beat an SEC school you gotta let 'em know about it! @MT_Baseball pic.twitter.com/MUc3cwmWD9
— Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) March 12, 2022
After trailing by as much as 10 runs, MT battled back in Game 2, which was delayed to Sunday due to freezing rain, before ultimately losing 10-7. But in the rubber match, MT came from behind down 3-0 to tie the game 3-3 on a two-RBI double off the bat of Tatsunori Negishi. The Blue Raiders went on to win the seven inning game of the double header in extra innings, when Sanders walked with the bases loaded to force in the winning run in the top of the eighth.
Peyton Wigginton earned the win in relief, pitching 4.1 innings of shutout ball with three strikeouts.
T8 | FOURTH. STRIAGHT. WALK.
— MT Baseball (@MT_Baseball) March 13, 2022
Nathan Sanders walks with the bases loaded, his fourth consecutive AB with a walk, and gives the Blue Raiders the lead!
🔵 4
🟠 3 pic.twitter.com/FLsDdzHnpi
What a weekend for this duo at the plate. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/A8zAPACpuG
— MT Baseball (@MT_Baseball) March 14, 2022
MT Baseball has four games at Reese Smith Jr. Field, starting on Tuesday with a game against Austin Peay, featuring a St. Patrick's Day T-shirt giveaway. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. MT will then face Old Dominion to open C-USA play at home this weekend.
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the #BlueRaiders! 🍀
— MT Athletics (@MTAthletics) March 14, 2022
We're giving out FREE shirts to the first 𝟐𝟎𝟎 @MT_Baseball fans on Tuesday 𝘼𝙉𝘿 the first 𝟏𝟎𝟎 @MT_Softball fans on Wednesday.
We'll see you at The Reese and Blue Raider Softball Field this week! pic.twitter.com/6CITdQ54sl
Men's Basketball accepts bid to CBI
Middle Tennessee men's basketball, after winning the C-USA East Division this season and going on the run to the C-USA semi finals, has accepted a bid to the 2022 Roman College Basketball Invitational in Daytona Beach, Fla.
We're not done! Your Blue Raiders will be competing in the @CBITourney in Daytona Beach, FL!#StickTogether pic.twitter.com/42MGL4fkBT
— MT Basketball (@MT_MBB) March 14, 2022
The Blue Raiders open the tournament, hosted at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center from from March 19-23, as the No. 2 seed, taking on No. 15 seed California Baptist Saturday, March 19, at 4 pm CT. Advance tickets for the tournament are available through Ticketmaster. Tickets on the day of the game must be purchased on site.
MT enters the 16-team tournament as the No. 2 overall seed in a bracket filled with MT connections, including C-USA rivals Florida Atlantic and Rice, former Sun Belt rival Troy, head coach Nick McDevitt's alma mater UNC Asheville and Stephen F. Austin, who MT lost to earlier this season.
The full bracket: pic.twitter.com/pFkyEYt1Nr
— MT Basketball (@MT_MBB) March 14, 2022
The tournament's first two rounds will be carried on FloHoops, with ESPN carrying the semifinals and championship game.
Women's Basketball in the field for WNIT
Closer to home, Middle Tennessee women's basketball accepted a bid to the WNIT over the weekend, joining the 64-team field for MT's 18th consecutive postseason appearance.
The 𝓛𝓪𝓭𝔂 𝓡𝓪𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓼 have accepted an invitation to play in the @WomensNIT! 😤
— MT Women's Basketball (@MT_WBB) March 14, 2022
The location, date, and team for the first game will be announced on Monday.#BlueRaiders | #MT pic.twitter.com/BgiE6XenDm
The Lady Raiders will host Wofford on Thursday, March 17, at 8 pm in the Glass House to open the tournament. MT is one of four C-USA schools in the 64-team field.
🎶 𝓗𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓼𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓽 𝓱𝓸𝓶𝓮 🎶
— MT Women's Basketball (@MT_WBB) March 14, 2022
The #BlueRaiders are kicking their @WomensNIT run off Thursday at 8 pm with a game in the Glass House against Wofford!
Full release ⤵️https://t.co/pcuN1o8y93
Jeff Breeden reaches win No. 200 in charge of MT Softball
With a 4-3 win over UT Martin on Thursday, head coach Jeff Breeden reached 200 wins as the head coach of the Blue Raiders.
2⃣0⃣0⃣ is just the 𝕓𝕖𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘.#BlueRaiders | ⚡️⬆️ pic.twitter.com/Wb8kJMXuNY
— MT Softball (@MT_Softball) March 11, 2022
The Blue Raiders were 2-2 over the weekend in their home opening tournament, and have four games at home this weekend, starting with a game against Austin Peay on Wednesday, and heading into their first C-USA series of the year against Southern Miss over the weekend.
There's nothing better than being back at Blue Raider Softball Field. 😎
— MT Softball (@MT_Softball) March 13, 2022
📽️ (@wilde_sammy)#BlueRaiders | ⚡️⬆️ pic.twitter.com/12CjdCpXqd
Men's Tennis posts another trio of victories
Men's Tennis continued its strong season over spring break, picking up a ranked win on the road midweek against No. 65 South Florida, and then picking up a pair of sweeps against Tennessee Tech and Bellarmine on Sunday at the Adams Tennis Complex.
With the weekend sweep, the Blue Raiders have won 12-straight matches and are 11-1 inside the ATC this season.
Still some work to do 😤 Hear from @CoachJimmyB after sweeping Tennessee Tech and Bellarmine!#BlueRaiders pic.twitter.com/VRVgIc1gLk
— MT Men's Tennis (@MT_MensTennis) March 13, 2022
Wednesday's match was a tight one, coming down to Court 6, where Pavel Motl claimed the third set to give MT its clinching point of the match, after uncharacteristically dropping the doubles point to open proceedings.
PAVEL MOTL FOR THE WIN!!! 🔥🔥🔥#BlueRaiders pic.twitter.com/GeOhibPttj
— MT Men's Tennis (@MT_MensTennis) March 10, 2022
Men's Tennis next home match is on the 25th of March, against ranked foe Texas Tech.
ICYMI: Spring Football Starts back on Tuesday
Back on the practice field this week! 👊#BlueRaiders | #EATT pic.twitter.com/tVBQZX4TvS
— Middle Tennessee FB (@MT_FB) March 13, 2022
Let's check in with @CoachStock before spring practice starts tomorrow!
— Middle Tennessee FB (@MT_FB) March 14, 2022
After the 2021 team finished strong, winter workouts for the 2022 group remained positive. @CoachStock and the #BlueRaiders are ready to attack the next phase of the off-season. ✊ pic.twitter.com/ojjWSYGbYD
Women's Golf tees off today in Boulder City
Time to go low!
— MT Women's Golf (@MT_WGolf) March 14, 2022
🏌️♀️ Jackrabbit Invitational
⛳️ Boulder Creek Gol Course
📍 Boulder City, NV
📅 March 14-15
🔢 https://t.co/rJu3DLD3Wc
📰 https://t.co/P2x6y7ZzVd#BlueRaiders | #MT pic.twitter.com/8glg2xT0c8
Players Mentioned
