Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
NOTEBOOK: Senior Day Send Off Caps Home Men’s Tennis Regular Season
4/11/2022 6:00:00 PM | Baseball, Football, General, Men's Tennis, Men's Cross Country and Track & Field, Women's Basketball, Women's Cross Country and Track & Field, BRAA, Track & Field/Cross Country
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A lot of times, particular in college, sports teams can form themselves around the identity of their coach.
It doesn't happen every time, for myriad reasons. Player personalities, skill level, just overall team chemistry, etc. But when it does, it's really something to behold.
From the moment I set foot on MTSU's campus, the Blue Raider team that I thought best demonstrated that specific dynamic was the men's tennis team under head coach Jimmy Borendame. Maybe it was just because their locker room and practice courts are right beside our office, so I'd run into them more than perhaps any team in those early summer months, but the players on that team seemed to reflect the best parts of Coach Borendame: passionate, focused on details, charismatic and, perhaps most importantly, willing to have fun.
Which made my trip out to the Adams Tennis Center on Friday such a delight to see that observation confirmed in such a great way on senior day.
After easily dismantling Memphis to open the day, as the Blue Raiders have done to 22 other opponents already this spring, the program took some time to honor its two Super Seniors, Stepan Holis and Chris Edge, before blanking Alabama A&M afterwards.
Jimmy Borendame took it upon himself to be the master of ceremonies, to no one's surprise. Stepan, the grad-year transfer from New Mexico who's held things down on Court No. 4 almost all year, went first, with Borendame praising the Czech player's professionalism every single day.
Then came Chris Edge, who decided to come back after COVID to play one more year for Borendame. His coach, after running through a biography filled with impressive numbers (such as being the second Blue Raider ever to record 100 wins in both singles and doubles), labeled Edge the GOAT, his personal Greatest of All Time that he's coached..
But it was the next bit, where Borendame's voice was caught in his throat momentarily as he recalled all that his fifth-year senior meant to him and the MT program, that stuck with me.
"Chris has made me a better man," Borendame said. "He's made me a better coach."
It's that kind of impact, between player and coach, to me, that keeps college sports thriving amidst all the changes the college sports world is undergoing. And why I'm excited to see Men's Tennis continue to roll ahead of C-USA play and the NCAA Tournament.
Pitching comes up big in Sunday Sweep to take series over Herd
Middle Tennessee baseball's pitching beared down at the right time on Sunday, allowing only three runs across two seven-inning games in a Sunday double header to take the series from Marshall and continue to keep pace in the top half of the Conference USA standings.
Eriq Swan and Jaden Hamm combined to hold the Thundering Herd to just one run in game one, with Hamm striking out six batters across three innings of scoreless work to earn the save in the 3-1 win. Peyton Wigginton then responded with a complete game in game two, tossing seven innings of two run ball while striking out five in a 5-2 victory.
At the dish, Eston Snider went 3-for-4 on the afternoon, securing his first hit as a Blue Raider in game one. MT also scored a run in about the oddest way this writer has ever heard of, getting hit by the pitch in four straight at bats to score their first run of the day.
With the two wins, the Blue Raiders have moved back to .500 on the season, but are tied for third in the conference standings with a 7-5 C-USA record ahead of Charlotte's visit to the Reese this weekend.
Track and Field Fares Well at Tennessee Relays
Amidst a loaded field in Knoxville over the weekend, the Blue Raider Track and Field program continued to post great numbers in the outdoor season, fighting through the rain on Friday in particular to shine as a program.
A new twist this year was the Power Hour, which, in true UT Knoxville fashion, was not actually an hour, but an hour and 30 minutes from 6-7:30 p.m. on Friday, featuring many of the top seeded athletes across a plethora of events all competing in that time slot.
Alaba Akintola was the star for MT in that Power Hour, taking first place in both the 100m dash (10.27 seconds, second best time in C-USA this season) and the 200m dash (21.04 seconds, just 0.05 seconds off from the C-USA best). The 200m dash, as you can watch below, was not even close.
Blue Raider jumpers and distance runners also continued their dominance over the weekend, with Abigail Kwarteng taking the first place podium spot in both the triple jump (12.79m, second best in C-USA this season) and the high jump (1.83m, also second in C-USA). On the distance front, Eusila Chepkemei and Brian Rono both took fourth place in their 800m runs, but each time they posted was the best time for any C-USA athlete in the event thus far this season.
On hurdles as well, good things continued to happen for MT, with a male and female sweep of the 400m hurdles from Stephen Eloji (53.92 seconds, second in the NATION) and Glory Nyenke (1:03.67).
In all, the Blue Raiders finished in the top-five 11 times over the weekend!
Open Practice for Football this Saturday
With your Blue Raiders hard at work on the gridiron, Middle Tennessee football invites you to an open practice to cap off the final week of Spring Ball this Saturday, April 16.
The gates at Floyd Stadium will open for the 10:30 a.m. start, where fans can catch a glimpse of Rick Stockstill's 2022 squad, new offensive coordinator Mitch Stewart's air raid offense, and defensive coordinator Scott Shafer's always dialed defensive front.
As announced last week, season tickets for football are on sale at the same rates from 2021!
Click here for in-depth instructions for those looking to renew their seats from a year ago, or those looking to upgrade to some of our premium seat packages, including Open Air Boxes and the Jeff Hendrix Stadium Club.
Whitson earns Spirit of Service Award from C-USA
On Thursday, Courtney Whitson was honored as the winter recipient of the Conference USA Spirit of Service Award.
The award is given out three times during each academic year, with the winter award being given to student athletes competing in C-USA in track and field, swimming and diving and basketball.
Whitson, who also earned the Spirit of Service Award from the conference in 2021, boasts a 3.71 GPA with a major in English and minor in secondary education. She was named to the five-person C-USA All-Academic team in March. Whitson was the recipient of the Dr. Pepper/College Football Playoff Foundation Tuition Scholarship in the fall, and she is a two-time recipient of the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal. The well-rounded Whitson is also heavily involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Reed Blankenship was Middle Tennessee's fall Spirit of Service Award honoree from the conference.
Week Ahead
It doesn't happen every time, for myriad reasons. Player personalities, skill level, just overall team chemistry, etc. But when it does, it's really something to behold.
From the moment I set foot on MTSU's campus, the Blue Raider team that I thought best demonstrated that specific dynamic was the men's tennis team under head coach Jimmy Borendame. Maybe it was just because their locker room and practice courts are right beside our office, so I'd run into them more than perhaps any team in those early summer months, but the players on that team seemed to reflect the best parts of Coach Borendame: passionate, focused on details, charismatic and, perhaps most importantly, willing to have fun.
Which made my trip out to the Adams Tennis Center on Friday such a delight to see that observation confirmed in such a great way on senior day.
After easily dismantling Memphis to open the day, as the Blue Raiders have done to 22 other opponents already this spring, the program took some time to honor its two Super Seniors, Stepan Holis and Chris Edge, before blanking Alabama A&M afterwards.
Jimmy Borendame took it upon himself to be the master of ceremonies, to no one's surprise. Stepan, the grad-year transfer from New Mexico who's held things down on Court No. 4 almost all year, went first, with Borendame praising the Czech player's professionalism every single day.
Then came Chris Edge, who decided to come back after COVID to play one more year for Borendame. His coach, after running through a biography filled with impressive numbers (such as being the second Blue Raider ever to record 100 wins in both singles and doubles), labeled Edge the GOAT, his personal Greatest of All Time that he's coached..
But it was the next bit, where Borendame's voice was caught in his throat momentarily as he recalled all that his fifth-year senior meant to him and the MT program, that stuck with me.
"Chris has made me a better man," Borendame said. "He's made me a better coach."
Lasting legacy 💙
— MT Men's Tennis (@MT_MensTennis) April 8, 2022
Thank you @TjeChris and @HolisStepan for the countless memories and your service to MTSU!#BlueRaiders | #Superb pic.twitter.com/MpxiLutIax
It's that kind of impact, between player and coach, to me, that keeps college sports thriving amidst all the changes the college sports world is undergoing. And why I'm excited to see Men's Tennis continue to roll ahead of C-USA play and the NCAA Tournament.
What a day it was 🥲
— MT Men's Tennis (@MT_MensTennis) April 9, 2022
Relive our Senior Day sweep over Memphis! (p.s. feel free to watch this over and over and over again)#BlueRaiders | 📽️: @ReedSellers1 pic.twitter.com/6S5qkTlbSH
Pitching comes up big in Sunday Sweep to take series over Herd
Middle Tennessee baseball's pitching beared down at the right time on Sunday, allowing only three runs across two seven-inning games in a Sunday double header to take the series from Marshall and continue to keep pace in the top half of the Conference USA standings.
Eriq Swan and Jaden Hamm combined to hold the Thundering Herd to just one run in game one, with Hamm striking out six batters across three innings of scoreless work to earn the save in the 3-1 win. Peyton Wigginton then responded with a complete game in game two, tossing seven innings of two run ball while striking out five in a 5-2 victory.
E6 | @pwigg28 completes his sixth inning. He's retired seven of the last eight batters!
— MT Baseball (@MT_Baseball) April 10, 2022
🔵 5
🟢 2 pic.twitter.com/pmd6AUhHvU
At the dish, Eston Snider went 3-for-4 on the afternoon, securing his first hit as a Blue Raider in game one. MT also scored a run in about the oddest way this writer has ever heard of, getting hit by the pitch in four straight at bats to score their first run of the day.
T4 | Something you don't see every day.
— MT Baseball (@MT_Baseball) April 10, 2022
Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR hit batters in the fourth for the Blue Raiders. A run scores and the bases continue to be loaded with no outs.
🔵 1
🟢 0
With the two wins, the Blue Raiders have moved back to .500 on the season, but are tied for third in the conference standings with a 7-5 C-USA record ahead of Charlotte's visit to the Reese this weekend.
Champions win on Sundays. Let's go home. 🚌 pic.twitter.com/D4ElpLcUZ2
— MT Baseball (@MT_Baseball) April 10, 2022
Track and Field Fares Well at Tennessee Relays
Amidst a loaded field in Knoxville over the weekend, the Blue Raider Track and Field program continued to post great numbers in the outdoor season, fighting through the rain on Friday in particular to shine as a program.
A new twist this year was the Power Hour, which, in true UT Knoxville fashion, was not actually an hour, but an hour and 30 minutes from 6-7:30 p.m. on Friday, featuring many of the top seeded athletes across a plethora of events all competing in that time slot.
Alaba Akintola was the star for MT in that Power Hour, taking first place in both the 100m dash (10.27 seconds, second best time in C-USA this season) and the 200m dash (21.04 seconds, just 0.05 seconds off from the C-USA best). The 200m dash, as you can watch below, was not even close.
Nope, this video isn't sped up.
— MT XC/Track & Field (@MT_TrackField) April 8, 2022
Neither rain nor wind were going to stop @Akintolaalaba1 from taking 𝙁𝙄𝙍𝙎𝙏 in the 200m dash at the Tennessee Relays' Power Hour! 🥇#BlueRaiders | #MT pic.twitter.com/CdWdoN5CdC
Blue Raider jumpers and distance runners also continued their dominance over the weekend, with Abigail Kwarteng taking the first place podium spot in both the triple jump (12.79m, second best in C-USA this season) and the high jump (1.83m, also second in C-USA). On the distance front, Eusila Chepkemei and Brian Rono both took fourth place in their 800m runs, but each time they posted was the best time for any C-USA athlete in the event thus far this season.
On hurdles as well, good things continued to happen for MT, with a male and female sweep of the 400m hurdles from Stephen Eloji (53.92 seconds, second in the NATION) and Glory Nyenke (1:03.67).
In all, the Blue Raiders finished in the top-five 11 times over the weekend!
Open Practice for Football this Saturday
With your Blue Raiders hard at work on the gridiron, Middle Tennessee football invites you to an open practice to cap off the final week of Spring Ball this Saturday, April 16.
The gates at Floyd Stadium will open for the 10:30 a.m. start, where fans can catch a glimpse of Rick Stockstill's 2022 squad, new offensive coordinator Mitch Stewart's air raid offense, and defensive coordinator Scott Shafer's always dialed defensive front.
If you're missing Blue Raider Football at Floyd Stadium, we've got good news for you...
— Middle Tennessee FB (@MT_FB) April 10, 2022
Join us for the final practice of the spring on Saturday!#BlueRaiders | #EATT pic.twitter.com/z4DsJlggSR
As announced last week, season tickets for football are on sale at the same rates from 2021!
Click here for in-depth instructions for those looking to renew their seats from a year ago, or those looking to upgrade to some of our premium seat packages, including Open Air Boxes and the Jeff Hendrix Stadium Club.
Whitson earns Spirit of Service Award from C-USA
On Thursday, Courtney Whitson was honored as the winter recipient of the Conference USA Spirit of Service Award.
The award is given out three times during each academic year, with the winter award being given to student athletes competing in C-USA in track and field, swimming and diving and basketball.
Whitson, who also earned the Spirit of Service Award from the conference in 2021, boasts a 3.71 GPA with a major in English and minor in secondary education. She was named to the five-person C-USA All-Academic team in March. Whitson was the recipient of the Dr. Pepper/College Football Playoff Foundation Tuition Scholarship in the fall, and she is a two-time recipient of the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal. The well-rounded Whitson is also heavily involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Reed Blankenship was Middle Tennessee's fall Spirit of Service Award honoree from the conference.
Week Ahead
Saturday is the @MT_WomensTennis Senior Day!
— MT Athletics (@MTAthletics) April 11, 2022
Also, we've got the 49ers coming to town to play @MT_Baseball and @MT_Softball. @MT_Soccer finishes up its spring season on Thursday night.
🎾🥎⚽️🎟 FREE
⚾️🎟 https://t.co/FpVYoaIe2Z pic.twitter.com/4UmALanmfy
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Men's Cross Country and Track & Field
S
/ Football
/ Women's Cross Country and Track & Field
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Cross Country and Track & Field
RHP
/ Baseball
/ Men's Tennis
/ Women's Cross Country and Track & Field
/ Women's Cross Country and Track & Field
/ Men's Cross Country and Track & Field
INF
/ Baseball
F
/ Women's Basketball
LHP
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