Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Thursday, March 10
Murfreesboro, TN
12:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
vs
Northern Iowa
Blue Raiders set for home-opening tournament, hosting MTSU Invitational on Thursday and Friday
3/9/2022 6:20:00 PM | Softball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – After four weeks on the road, Middle Tennessee Softball (9-12) returns to the 'Boro for the first time of the 2022 campaign this week as the Blue Raiders host the 2022 MTSU Invitational on March 10 & 11 at Blue Raider Softball Field.
The Blue Raiders open competition at the MTSU Invitational on Thursday at 12 p.m. against the UNI Panthers, before taking on the UT Martin Skyhawks at 4 p.m. on day one. Middle Tennessee then plays Illinois State on Friday at 11 a.m., before closing out the week against the Chattanooga Mocs at 1 p.m.
All of the Blue Raiders' contests in the MTSU Invitational will be broadcast on CUSA.TV, as well as through live stats.
Quick Hits
The Blue Raiders had their best weekend so far of the 2022 season in Florida, winning four-straight contests to finish the Spring Games 4-2. The Blue Raiders opened the weekend falling in a pair of one-run contests against UAlbany, 3-2, and Georgetown, 8-7, however, the Blue Raiders really turned things on over the final two days of the Spring Games, winning four-straight contests against Central Michigan, 7-5, LIU, 5-4, Radford, 6-3, and Georgia Southern, 9-8.
The Blue Raiders
The Blue Raiders are fresh off a 4-2 weekend at the Spring Games, which saw Middle Tennessee produce its best offensive performance of the season so far.
Harvey leads the Blue Raiders this season, batting a .417 (15-for-36) and posting an incredible .722 slugging percentage, as well as a .447 on-base percentage over 11 games this season. Harvey ranks third on the Blue Raiders with 15 hits, including nine doubles and a triple, while driving in a team-high 19 RBIs and scoring six runs. She also is a perfect 3-for-3 on stolen bases this season.
Senior Corrina Dodd leads the Blue Raiders this season with a 4-3 record over seven appearances, including five complete games, including one complete game shutout. Dodd boasts a 2.95 ERA over 42.2 innings of work, and she's only allowed 18 runs on 34 hits, and has struck out a team-high 30 batters, including a season-high and tying her career-high of eight batters against Radford.
Series History
Thursday's contest marks the first meeting between the Blue Raiders and the UNI Panthers, but it also marks the 46th all-time meeting between UT Martin and Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders hold the all-time lead over the Skyhawks, 29-15-1, including a 12-9 record in Murfreesboro. Middle Tennessee earned the win in the last meeting between the two programs on April 3, 2019, defeating the Skyhawks 2-0. Coach Breeden has an even 4-4 record against UT Martin. Against Illinois State, the Blue Raiders are 0-2 all-time with the Redbirds taking the last meeting between the two programs on March 13, 2021, 1-0. Coach Breeden is 0-1 against the Redbirds all-time. Lastly, the Mocs lead the all-time series against the Blue Raiders 19-2. The Blue Raiders are currently on a nine-game losing streak against Chattanooga, having most recently fell in an 8-5 contest in Chattanooga on April 6, 2016. The Blue Raiders are 2-5 against Chattanooga in contests played in Murfreesboro. Coach Breeden is 0-4 all-time against the Mocs.
Scouting the Competition
UNI is in its 15th season under head coach Ryan Jacobs, who has led the Panthers to a 399-319 overall record during his time in Cedar Falls.
The Panthers are 6-8 so far this season and are just coming off the Austin Peay Tournament that saw the Panthers go 3-1 with their tournament finale against Northern Illinois being rained out. UNI shut out Bellarmine, 3-0, to open the weekend before splitting a pair of contests against host Austin Peay, 2-3 & 6-4, and finished the tournament against Bellarmine, securing a 4-1 victory.
Mya Dodge paces the Panthers' offense, batting a .340 with 16 hits, including five home runs, two doubles, and a triple, and driving in 10 RBIs so far this season.
UNI is led in the circle by Samantha Heyer and Kailyn Packard so far this season. Heyer holds a team-low 1.98 ERA and ranks second on the team with 36.1 innings of work. Heyer has allowed 10 runs on 23 hits and fanned a team-high 45 batters. Packard has a 3-3 record this season, recording a 3.00 ERA and pitching a team-high 42 innings. She has allowed 23 runs on 37 hits and struck out 39 batters during the 2022 campaign for the Panthers.
UT Martin is in its third season under head coach Brian Dunn, who has led the Skyhawks to a 51-34 record over his three seasons in Martin.
The Skyhawks have a 12-5 record so far during the 2022 season, having most recently picked up three wins at the Blues City Classic. UT Martin opened the tournament with a 10-4 win over Indiana State and then closed out the opening day with a six-inning run-rule victory over IUPUI, 16-6. The Skyhawks then closed out the Blues City Classic against host Memphis, earning a 10-4 victory to finish the weekend undefeated.
Kaci Fuller, Paige Clark, and Kaitlyn Kelley lead the Skyhawk offense through their 17 games this season. Fuller boasts a team-high .478 batting average and tying for third on the team with 22 hits, including two home runs, a pair of doubles, and a triple, as well as knocking in eight RBIs. Clark holds a .403 batting average, with team-high 25 hits, including a team-high four doubles, a team-high two triples, and a home run. Clark has also brought across six RBIs and scored a team-high 18 runs herself. Kelley leads the Skyhawks in RBIs with 18, while batting a .393 and posting a team second-best 24 hits, including three home runs and three doubles.
On the mound, UT Martin has been led by Alexis Groet and Erin Gallagher. Groet boasts a 5-2 record and a team-low 1.49 ERA, while recording the most work this season with 37.2 innings pitched. She has allowed 15 runs on 26 hits and has struck out a team-high 40 batters in her seven appearances. Gallagher has a perfect 4-0 record this season and holds a 1.91 ERA over her seven appearances. She has pitched 29.1 innings, allowing 10 runs on 22 hits and striking out 24 batters.
Illinois State is in its 37th season under head coach Melinda Fischer, who has led the Redbirds to a 1106-831-4 record over her long career in Normal.
The Redbirds have produced a 6-12 record so far during the 2022 season and are fresh off a 3-2 weekend at the Florida Atlantic Parents-Weekend Tournament. Illinois State opened things up with an 8-5 win over Delaware, before dropping their first contest of the weekend against SIU, 2-4. The Redbirds bounced back on Saturday, earning a power-5 win over Purdue 6-1 and then finished the day perfect against host FAU with a five-inning run-rule victory, 11-0. Illinois State closed out the weekend on Sunday, falling in a shutout loss against host FAU, 0-2.
Reili Gardner, Abby Knight, and Delainey Bryant lead Illinois State through their 18 games this season. Gardner leads the team batting a .415 and connecting on a team-high 22 hits, including a double, this season. Gardner has also scored 11 runs and brought across six RBIs. Knight is batting a .316 and has knocked across a team-high 12 RBIs this season. She has connected on 12 hits, tallying three doubles and a pair of home runs. Bryant is batting .279 this season, ranking second on the team with 10 RBIs and recording 12 hits, with two home runs, a team-high two triples, and one double, as well as scoring eight runs during the 2022 campaign.
In the circle, Ross and Fox have led Illinois State this season. Ross has posted a 3-5 recording and holds a team-low 3.61 ERA this season. Ross has pitched 52.1 innings, allowing 31 runs on 45 hits and has struck out 27 batters. Fox also holds a 3-5 record for the Redbirds, posting a 3.70 ERA and has pitched a team-high 53 innings. She has allowed 36 runs on 56 hits and has fanned a team-high 40 batters this season for the Redbirds.
Chattanooga is in its 21st season under head coach Frank Reed, who has led the Mocs to a 670-477 record over his two-decade long career in Chattanooga.
The Mocs hold a 9-10 record so far this season and are just coming off a 2-3 weekend at the Jane B. Moore Memorial at Auburn. Chattanooga split its opening day, falling against NC A&T 1-9 before defeating the Toledo Rockets, 5-4. The Mocs then fell in their rematch against Toledo, 4-5, but found revenge in their rematch against NC A&T, 10-1. Chattanooga closed out the weekend on Sunday taking on host Auburn, falling 1-12 in their weekend finale.
Gracey Kruse and Olivia Lipari have led the Mocs during the 2022 campaign. Kruse is batting a team-high .349 and ranks second on the team with 15 hits, including a team-high five doubles, while scoring a team second-best 11 runs and knocking across eight RBIs this season. Lipari has tied for a team-high 10 RBIs this season, batting a .305 with a team-high 18 hits, including two home runs, a team-high two triples, and three doubles, while also scoring a team-high 13 runs during the 2022 campaign.
Chattanooga has been led on the mound by Brooke Parrott, who boasts a team-low 2.12 ERA over a team-high 46.1 innings of work. Parrott has allowed 18 runs on 28 hits and has struck out a team-high 34 batters this season.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders stay at home as they continue their nine-game homestand, taking on the Austin Peay Govs for a midweek matchup on March 16 at Blue Raider Softball Field.
FOLLOW THE BLUE RAIDERS
Follow Middle Tennessee Softball on social media on Facebook (/BlueRaiderSoftball), Twitter (MT_Softball) and Instagram (MT_Softball).
The Blue Raiders open competition at the MTSU Invitational on Thursday at 12 p.m. against the UNI Panthers, before taking on the UT Martin Skyhawks at 4 p.m. on day one. Middle Tennessee then plays Illinois State on Friday at 11 a.m., before closing out the week against the Chattanooga Mocs at 1 p.m.
All of the Blue Raiders' contests in the MTSU Invitational will be broadcast on CUSA.TV, as well as through live stats.
Quick Hits
- Head coach Jeff Breeden is in his 10th season as the head coach at Middle Tennessee and is one game away from earning his 200th career win as a head coach, currently holding a 199-281 record over his decade-long career.
- The Blue Raiders had their best weekend so far of the 2022 season in Florida, winning four-straight contests to finish the Spring Games 4-2. The Blue Raiders opened the weekend falling in a pair of one-run contests against UAlbany, 3-2, and Georgetown, 8-7, however, the Blue Raiders really turned things on over the final two days of the Spring Games, winning four-straight contests against Central Michigan, 7-5, LIU, 5-4, Radford, 6-3, and Georgia Southern, 9-8.
- Freshman Anyce Harvey had an unbelievable weekend in Florida. Harvey batted a .500 (11-for-22) on the weekend and posted an incredible .909 slugging percentage, as well as a .522 on-base percentage, over the Blue Raiders' six contests. Harvey recorded 11 hits, including seven doubles and one triple, while driving in 14 RBIs and scoring five runs. She also went a perfect 2-for-2 on the weekend on stolen bases.
- Harvey knocked in the game-winning RBIs during the Blue Raiders wins over Central Michigan and Georgia Southern.
- Sophomore Amaya Harris connected on her second career home run against Murray State on February 26.
- Senior Kailey Ahlstrom went 2-0 on the weekend, pitching 5.1 innings in relief and a 2.62 ERA. Ahlstrom allowed just four runs on eight hits and fanned four batters in her two appearances.
- Senior Corrina Dodd and junior Kelci Hill were named to the preseason C-USA All-Conference Team on Tuesday, February 8.
- The Blue Raiders were selected sixth in the C-USA preseason coaches' poll, behind Charlotte, North Texas, WKU, UAB, and Marshall, which placed first through fifth, respectively.
- The Blue Raiders return 13 starters, while adding seven impressive freshmen to bolster the Blue Raiders' 2022 lineup.
- Despite losing seven starters, the Blue Raiders add plenty of talent, from a solid seven-player freshman class, to build a solid lineup for the 2022 season.
The Blue Raiders had their best weekend so far of the 2022 season in Florida, winning four-straight contests to finish the Spring Games 4-2. The Blue Raiders opened the weekend falling in a pair of one-run contests against UAlbany, 3-2, and Georgetown, 8-7, however, the Blue Raiders really turned things on over the final two days of the Spring Games, winning four-straight contests against Central Michigan, 7-5, LIU, 5-4, Radford, 6-3, and Georgia Southern, 9-8.
The Blue Raiders
The Blue Raiders are fresh off a 4-2 weekend at the Spring Games, which saw Middle Tennessee produce its best offensive performance of the season so far.
Harvey leads the Blue Raiders this season, batting a .417 (15-for-36) and posting an incredible .722 slugging percentage, as well as a .447 on-base percentage over 11 games this season. Harvey ranks third on the Blue Raiders with 15 hits, including nine doubles and a triple, while driving in a team-high 19 RBIs and scoring six runs. She also is a perfect 3-for-3 on stolen bases this season.
Senior Corrina Dodd leads the Blue Raiders this season with a 4-3 record over seven appearances, including five complete games, including one complete game shutout. Dodd boasts a 2.95 ERA over 42.2 innings of work, and she's only allowed 18 runs on 34 hits, and has struck out a team-high 30 batters, including a season-high and tying her career-high of eight batters against Radford.
Series History
Thursday's contest marks the first meeting between the Blue Raiders and the UNI Panthers, but it also marks the 46th all-time meeting between UT Martin and Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders hold the all-time lead over the Skyhawks, 29-15-1, including a 12-9 record in Murfreesboro. Middle Tennessee earned the win in the last meeting between the two programs on April 3, 2019, defeating the Skyhawks 2-0. Coach Breeden has an even 4-4 record against UT Martin. Against Illinois State, the Blue Raiders are 0-2 all-time with the Redbirds taking the last meeting between the two programs on March 13, 2021, 1-0. Coach Breeden is 0-1 against the Redbirds all-time. Lastly, the Mocs lead the all-time series against the Blue Raiders 19-2. The Blue Raiders are currently on a nine-game losing streak against Chattanooga, having most recently fell in an 8-5 contest in Chattanooga on April 6, 2016. The Blue Raiders are 2-5 against Chattanooga in contests played in Murfreesboro. Coach Breeden is 0-4 all-time against the Mocs.
Scouting the Competition
UNI is in its 15th season under head coach Ryan Jacobs, who has led the Panthers to a 399-319 overall record during his time in Cedar Falls.
The Panthers are 6-8 so far this season and are just coming off the Austin Peay Tournament that saw the Panthers go 3-1 with their tournament finale against Northern Illinois being rained out. UNI shut out Bellarmine, 3-0, to open the weekend before splitting a pair of contests against host Austin Peay, 2-3 & 6-4, and finished the tournament against Bellarmine, securing a 4-1 victory.
Mya Dodge paces the Panthers' offense, batting a .340 with 16 hits, including five home runs, two doubles, and a triple, and driving in 10 RBIs so far this season.
UNI is led in the circle by Samantha Heyer and Kailyn Packard so far this season. Heyer holds a team-low 1.98 ERA and ranks second on the team with 36.1 innings of work. Heyer has allowed 10 runs on 23 hits and fanned a team-high 45 batters. Packard has a 3-3 record this season, recording a 3.00 ERA and pitching a team-high 42 innings. She has allowed 23 runs on 37 hits and struck out 39 batters during the 2022 campaign for the Panthers.
UT Martin is in its third season under head coach Brian Dunn, who has led the Skyhawks to a 51-34 record over his three seasons in Martin.
The Skyhawks have a 12-5 record so far during the 2022 season, having most recently picked up three wins at the Blues City Classic. UT Martin opened the tournament with a 10-4 win over Indiana State and then closed out the opening day with a six-inning run-rule victory over IUPUI, 16-6. The Skyhawks then closed out the Blues City Classic against host Memphis, earning a 10-4 victory to finish the weekend undefeated.
Kaci Fuller, Paige Clark, and Kaitlyn Kelley lead the Skyhawk offense through their 17 games this season. Fuller boasts a team-high .478 batting average and tying for third on the team with 22 hits, including two home runs, a pair of doubles, and a triple, as well as knocking in eight RBIs. Clark holds a .403 batting average, with team-high 25 hits, including a team-high four doubles, a team-high two triples, and a home run. Clark has also brought across six RBIs and scored a team-high 18 runs herself. Kelley leads the Skyhawks in RBIs with 18, while batting a .393 and posting a team second-best 24 hits, including three home runs and three doubles.
On the mound, UT Martin has been led by Alexis Groet and Erin Gallagher. Groet boasts a 5-2 record and a team-low 1.49 ERA, while recording the most work this season with 37.2 innings pitched. She has allowed 15 runs on 26 hits and has struck out a team-high 40 batters in her seven appearances. Gallagher has a perfect 4-0 record this season and holds a 1.91 ERA over her seven appearances. She has pitched 29.1 innings, allowing 10 runs on 22 hits and striking out 24 batters.
Illinois State is in its 37th season under head coach Melinda Fischer, who has led the Redbirds to a 1106-831-4 record over her long career in Normal.
The Redbirds have produced a 6-12 record so far during the 2022 season and are fresh off a 3-2 weekend at the Florida Atlantic Parents-Weekend Tournament. Illinois State opened things up with an 8-5 win over Delaware, before dropping their first contest of the weekend against SIU, 2-4. The Redbirds bounced back on Saturday, earning a power-5 win over Purdue 6-1 and then finished the day perfect against host FAU with a five-inning run-rule victory, 11-0. Illinois State closed out the weekend on Sunday, falling in a shutout loss against host FAU, 0-2.
Reili Gardner, Abby Knight, and Delainey Bryant lead Illinois State through their 18 games this season. Gardner leads the team batting a .415 and connecting on a team-high 22 hits, including a double, this season. Gardner has also scored 11 runs and brought across six RBIs. Knight is batting a .316 and has knocked across a team-high 12 RBIs this season. She has connected on 12 hits, tallying three doubles and a pair of home runs. Bryant is batting .279 this season, ranking second on the team with 10 RBIs and recording 12 hits, with two home runs, a team-high two triples, and one double, as well as scoring eight runs during the 2022 campaign.
In the circle, Ross and Fox have led Illinois State this season. Ross has posted a 3-5 recording and holds a team-low 3.61 ERA this season. Ross has pitched 52.1 innings, allowing 31 runs on 45 hits and has struck out 27 batters. Fox also holds a 3-5 record for the Redbirds, posting a 3.70 ERA and has pitched a team-high 53 innings. She has allowed 36 runs on 56 hits and has fanned a team-high 40 batters this season for the Redbirds.
Chattanooga is in its 21st season under head coach Frank Reed, who has led the Mocs to a 670-477 record over his two-decade long career in Chattanooga.
The Mocs hold a 9-10 record so far this season and are just coming off a 2-3 weekend at the Jane B. Moore Memorial at Auburn. Chattanooga split its opening day, falling against NC A&T 1-9 before defeating the Toledo Rockets, 5-4. The Mocs then fell in their rematch against Toledo, 4-5, but found revenge in their rematch against NC A&T, 10-1. Chattanooga closed out the weekend on Sunday taking on host Auburn, falling 1-12 in their weekend finale.
Gracey Kruse and Olivia Lipari have led the Mocs during the 2022 campaign. Kruse is batting a team-high .349 and ranks second on the team with 15 hits, including a team-high five doubles, while scoring a team second-best 11 runs and knocking across eight RBIs this season. Lipari has tied for a team-high 10 RBIs this season, batting a .305 with a team-high 18 hits, including two home runs, a team-high two triples, and three doubles, while also scoring a team-high 13 runs during the 2022 campaign.
Chattanooga has been led on the mound by Brooke Parrott, who boasts a team-low 2.12 ERA over a team-high 46.1 innings of work. Parrott has allowed 18 runs on 28 hits and has struck out a team-high 34 batters this season.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders stay at home as they continue their nine-game homestand, taking on the Austin Peay Govs for a midweek matchup on March 16 at Blue Raider Softball Field.
FOLLOW THE BLUE RAIDERS
Follow Middle Tennessee Softball on social media on Facebook (/BlueRaiderSoftball), Twitter (MT_Softball) and Instagram (MT_Softball).
Players Mentioned
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