Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Tuesday, April 19
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
6 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
vs
Belmont University
Photo by: Ian Mahan/MT Athletic Communications
Middle Tennessee Hosts Belmont Before Road Test at La Tech
4/18/2022 5:45:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee baseball concludes its four-game homestand against Belmont, then travels to Louisiana Tech for a series against one of the conference's best teams over the weekend.
SCHEDULE
Tue., April 19 vs. Belmont - 6 p.m.
Fri., April 22 at Louisiana Tech - 6 p.m.
Sat., April 23 at Louisiana Tech - 2 p.m.
Sun., April 24 at Louisiana Tech - 1 p.m.
The Blue Raiders continue to be in contention in the top-half of the Conference USA standings as MT is tied for fourth after four consecutive C-USA series wins.
Winning their last four Conference USA series, MT's last three vs. WKU, at Marshall and vs. Charlotte have been decided by the rubber match while the Blue Raiders won their first two games against UAB.
In one of the biggest hits of the season, Jackson Galloway put the game out of reach with a grand slam as part of an eight-run seventh inning in Middle Tennessee's 13-5 win over Old Dominion. Lighting struck twice this past Sunday as Galloway delivered a home run once again–this time in the sixth inning as part of a nine-run frame to add cushion to what would be a 10-7 Blue Raider win over Charlotte.
Several Blue Raiders are putting up impressive numbers at Reese Smith Jr. Field this season. JT Mabry has 18 hits in 43 at-bats (.419) while recording three doubles and five RBI. Wyatt Morgan is batting .393, including eight RBI, a home run and a double. Jackson Galloway is slashing .351 with three home runs, 13 RBI, two triples, a double and 10 runs scored.
In short spirts off the bench for the Blue Raiders, Briggs Rutter is 3-for-3 while Mason McLeod is 4-for-7 with a home run, double and two RBI.
Peyton Wigginton and Zach Keenan both sit in the top 10 in the program's career strikeout list.
Wigginton, who has served in a swing role this season on the pitching staff, is up to 241 career strikeouts and is now the sixth place. Wigginton is two strikeouts away from passing Chris Mobley for fifth on the list. With 47 games started, the left-handed pitcher out of Franklin, Tenn., also is fifth on the program's list of most games started in a career and seventh in innings pitched (295.1).
Keenan is tied for eighth on the all-time list with 225 career strikeouts. Keenan, a right-hander from Suwanee, Ga., has pitched 239 innings over his five collegiate seasons.
James Sells has emerged as one of MT's most dependable arms. A freshman out of Winchester, Sells set down his first 16 batters faced and totaled 6.1, one hit innings, including eight strikeouts, his first start of the season at Tennessee Tech March 29. Serving primarily as a reliever this season, Sells returned to the role out of the bullpen April 8 at Marshall as the right-hander allowed one hit and struck out two in 2.2 innings pitched.
Sixteen members of the 2022 Blue Raider roster came to Murfreesboro through the junior college level. Ten of them are playing in their first seasons wearing blue, black and white. After standout seasons at Johnson County CC, Jackson Galloway and Wyatt Morgan are teammates once again in the 'Boro. Both student-athletes are contributing to this season's Blue Raider team. Morgan holds the team lead in average, batting .313 in addition to 13 RBI, three doubles and two home runs. Morgan has an on-base percentage of .440. Galloway is batting .307 with five home runs and 20 RBI.
MT's bats have scored 10-or-more runs in a game six times this season, including a 10-run performance most recently against Charlotte. The Blue Raiders have scored in bunches in those games, scoring 11 runs in their final two innings vs. Old Dominion March 20, nine runs in the sixth inning vs. Charlotte, eight runs in the first two innings at Auburn March 11, seven runs in the final two innings vs. Western Carolina March 2 and an 11-run seventh inning vs. Illinois Feb. 26. All of those games have resulted in Blue Raider wins.
PREVIEWING BELMONT Belmont has won each of their first four OVC series and are coming off a series win over Morehead State and is 9-3 in the OVC. Seven wins in 12 games on the road, the Bruins are in the midst of a nine-game road stretch.
Projected starter Jordan Zuger is 1-1 with a 4.76 earned run average in seven starts.
Guy Lipscomb is ranked in the top five in several OVC categories, including second in batting average (.378), fourth in runs scored (35) and fifth in on-base percentage (.467). He is second in the country in stolen bases with 28.
Carson Shacklett is batting .353 in 35 games played with three home runs, six doubles and 15 RBI.
Against common opponents with Middle Tennessee, Belmont beat Lipscomb 5-1 March 2, lost its series 1-2 at UAB, split two games against WKU, took two of three games vs. Austin Peay and won its series 2-1 vs. Tennessee Tech.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS After a back and forth start to the season, La Tech found its rhythm in March by winning seven in a row from March 9 to March 19.
After a loss to UTSA, the Bulldogs beat then-No. 14 LSU in 12 innings and swept FIU. La Tech has won five of its last six games coming into the week and faces Little Rock and Northwestern State at home before hosting MT. Second in the conference with a 25-11 record, the Bulldogs are 16-4 at home this season.
Just two Bulldogs are hitting over .300 but La Tech is batting .272 as a team and posts a .379 on-base percentage. Recording six home runs, 13 doubles, four triples and 28 RBI, Taylor Young leads the team with a .356 batting average. Cole McConnell has 13 home runs, 47 RBI and a .340 batting average.
In nine appearances (one start), Ryan Harland has struck out 23 batters and given up just one run in 21 innings pitched. Jonathan Fincher is 6-1 on the season with 49 strikeouts. In seven starts and 12 appearances, Cade Gibson has set down 68 batters via the punchout.
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS Feeling a little nostalgic? Tuesday is 80s Night as fans are invited to participate in 80s themed trivia while music from the decade will be played throughout the game. Tuesday is also T-Shirt Tuesday with the first 200 fans receiving 80s inspired t-shirts.
SCHEDULE
Tue., April 19 vs. Belmont - 6 p.m.
Fri., April 22 at Louisiana Tech - 6 p.m.
Sat., April 23 at Louisiana Tech - 2 p.m.
Sun., April 24 at Louisiana Tech - 1 p.m.
The Blue Raiders continue to be in contention in the top-half of the Conference USA standings as MT is tied for fourth after four consecutive C-USA series wins.
Winning their last four Conference USA series, MT's last three vs. WKU, at Marshall and vs. Charlotte have been decided by the rubber match while the Blue Raiders won their first two games against UAB.
In one of the biggest hits of the season, Jackson Galloway put the game out of reach with a grand slam as part of an eight-run seventh inning in Middle Tennessee's 13-5 win over Old Dominion. Lighting struck twice this past Sunday as Galloway delivered a home run once again–this time in the sixth inning as part of a nine-run frame to add cushion to what would be a 10-7 Blue Raider win over Charlotte.
Several Blue Raiders are putting up impressive numbers at Reese Smith Jr. Field this season. JT Mabry has 18 hits in 43 at-bats (.419) while recording three doubles and five RBI. Wyatt Morgan is batting .393, including eight RBI, a home run and a double. Jackson Galloway is slashing .351 with three home runs, 13 RBI, two triples, a double and 10 runs scored.
In short spirts off the bench for the Blue Raiders, Briggs Rutter is 3-for-3 while Mason McLeod is 4-for-7 with a home run, double and two RBI.
Peyton Wigginton and Zach Keenan both sit in the top 10 in the program's career strikeout list.
Wigginton, who has served in a swing role this season on the pitching staff, is up to 241 career strikeouts and is now the sixth place. Wigginton is two strikeouts away from passing Chris Mobley for fifth on the list. With 47 games started, the left-handed pitcher out of Franklin, Tenn., also is fifth on the program's list of most games started in a career and seventh in innings pitched (295.1).
Keenan is tied for eighth on the all-time list with 225 career strikeouts. Keenan, a right-hander from Suwanee, Ga., has pitched 239 innings over his five collegiate seasons.
James Sells has emerged as one of MT's most dependable arms. A freshman out of Winchester, Sells set down his first 16 batters faced and totaled 6.1, one hit innings, including eight strikeouts, his first start of the season at Tennessee Tech March 29. Serving primarily as a reliever this season, Sells returned to the role out of the bullpen April 8 at Marshall as the right-hander allowed one hit and struck out two in 2.2 innings pitched.
Sixteen members of the 2022 Blue Raider roster came to Murfreesboro through the junior college level. Ten of them are playing in their first seasons wearing blue, black and white. After standout seasons at Johnson County CC, Jackson Galloway and Wyatt Morgan are teammates once again in the 'Boro. Both student-athletes are contributing to this season's Blue Raider team. Morgan holds the team lead in average, batting .313 in addition to 13 RBI, three doubles and two home runs. Morgan has an on-base percentage of .440. Galloway is batting .307 with five home runs and 20 RBI.
MT's bats have scored 10-or-more runs in a game six times this season, including a 10-run performance most recently against Charlotte. The Blue Raiders have scored in bunches in those games, scoring 11 runs in their final two innings vs. Old Dominion March 20, nine runs in the sixth inning vs. Charlotte, eight runs in the first two innings at Auburn March 11, seven runs in the final two innings vs. Western Carolina March 2 and an 11-run seventh inning vs. Illinois Feb. 26. All of those games have resulted in Blue Raider wins.
PREVIEWING BELMONT Belmont has won each of their first four OVC series and are coming off a series win over Morehead State and is 9-3 in the OVC. Seven wins in 12 games on the road, the Bruins are in the midst of a nine-game road stretch.
Projected starter Jordan Zuger is 1-1 with a 4.76 earned run average in seven starts.
Guy Lipscomb is ranked in the top five in several OVC categories, including second in batting average (.378), fourth in runs scored (35) and fifth in on-base percentage (.467). He is second in the country in stolen bases with 28.
Carson Shacklett is batting .353 in 35 games played with three home runs, six doubles and 15 RBI.
Against common opponents with Middle Tennessee, Belmont beat Lipscomb 5-1 March 2, lost its series 1-2 at UAB, split two games against WKU, took two of three games vs. Austin Peay and won its series 2-1 vs. Tennessee Tech.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS After a back and forth start to the season, La Tech found its rhythm in March by winning seven in a row from March 9 to March 19.
After a loss to UTSA, the Bulldogs beat then-No. 14 LSU in 12 innings and swept FIU. La Tech has won five of its last six games coming into the week and faces Little Rock and Northwestern State at home before hosting MT. Second in the conference with a 25-11 record, the Bulldogs are 16-4 at home this season.
Just two Bulldogs are hitting over .300 but La Tech is batting .272 as a team and posts a .379 on-base percentage. Recording six home runs, 13 doubles, four triples and 28 RBI, Taylor Young leads the team with a .356 batting average. Cole McConnell has 13 home runs, 47 RBI and a .340 batting average.
In nine appearances (one start), Ryan Harland has struck out 23 batters and given up just one run in 21 innings pitched. Jonathan Fincher is 6-1 on the season with 49 strikeouts. In seven starts and 12 appearances, Cade Gibson has set down 68 batters via the punchout.
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS Feeling a little nostalgic? Tuesday is 80s Night as fans are invited to participate in 80s themed trivia while music from the decade will be played throughout the game. Tuesday is also T-Shirt Tuesday with the first 200 fans receiving 80s inspired t-shirts.
Players Mentioned
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