Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Tuesday, May 17
Nashville, TN
6:00 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
at
Vanderbilt University
Photo by: Emily Cole/MT Athletic Communications
Blue Raiders Ready For Two Ranked Opponents
5/16/2022 6:58:00 PM | Baseball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee baseball saved its toughest week of the season for last as the Blue Raiders are set to take on No. 21 Vanderbilt and No. 17 Southern Miss to wrap up the regular season.
WEEK SCHEDULE
May 17 at Vanderbilt - 6 p.m.
May 19 vs. Southern Miss - 6 p.m.
May 20 vs. Southern Miss - 6 p.m.
May 21 vs. Southern Miss - 1 p.m.
The Blue Raiders are 8-1 in May and have won their last six games to be tied for third in the Conference USA standings entering the week at 29-20 and 17-10 in C-USA. MT has clinched a spot into next week's Conference USA Baseball Championship in Hattiesburg, Miss., but seeding is still at play in the final week.
Peyton Wigginton earned Conference USA Pitcher of the Week May 16 after his complete-game shutout performance at Rice May 13. Wigginton struck out 10 and held the Owls to just two hits in MT's 7-0 win. Wigginton pitched his second complete game of the season, his second-career complete-game shutout and the third pitched by a Blue Raider in 2022.
The recognition marks Wigginton's first conference pitcher of the week nod of his career and the first weekly league honor by a Blue Raider since Aaron Brown was named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week almost a year ago on May 17, 2021.
After recording a season-high 17 hits May 14, Middle Tennessee piled on 21 runs on 18 hits as the Blue Raiders cruised to a 21-7 win over Rice May 15.
It was the first time the Blue Raiders had scored more than 20 runs in a game since dropping 24 at Belmont in 2018. MT scored 11 runs in the third inning, tying the season-best single inning total set on Feb. 26 against Illinois.
MT's bats have scored 10-or-more runs in a game eight times this season. All of those games have resulted in Blue Raider wins.
Middle Tennessee's infield has been scorching as of late. In his last 10 games, JT Mabry is 19-for-41 (.463) with four doubles, six RBI and eight stolen bases. Since the May 4 game at Georgia State, Brett Coker is 16-for-34 (.471) with seven doubles, two triples, a home run and 13 RBI, good enough for an .882 slugging percentage in eight games.
First base has rotated as Wyatt Morgan is 10 for his last 22 and Briggs Rutter is nine for his last 24. Both have combined for four doubles and 10 RBI. Fausto Lopez is tied for the team lead in home runs with eight.
Following the saying "Champions win on Sundays," Middle Tennessee has won seven straight games on Sundays and is 9-4 overall on the day of the week this season. Seven of the Sunday victories have clinched series wins.
Middle Tennessee has emerged as the conference leader in stolen bases with 74, holding a six SB lead over second-place Charlotte. The Blue Raiders stole seven bases at FIU May 6 and six at Georgia State May 4.
Jackson Galloway is 10 for his last 19 (.526) with two doubles, a triple and five RBI. The JUCO transfer from Johnston County Community College wrapped up the series at Rice 3-for-4 with four RBI and a walk, adding on to his team-lead in batting average (.362) and slugging percentage (.604).
Middle Tennessee is in the top 50 in RPI rankings, standing at 48. Tuesday's opponent Vanderbilt is currently third while Auburn, who dropped two of three to the Blue Raiders back in March, ranks fourth. This weekend's opponent, Southern Miss, is 20th while UTSA sits one spot ahead of the Blue Raiders at 47. The Rating Percentage Index rankings are based on strength of schedule.
Middle Tennessee will recognize eight senior student-athletes and one senior manager during senior weekend, including festivities Saturday on Senior Day. The names include:
1 - Brian Dillingham
4 - Fausto Lopez
6 - Trent Seibert
9 - Nathan Sanders
14 - Brycen Thomas
17 - Zach Keenan
23 - Mason Speirs
28 - Peyton Wigginton
Student Manager - Chandler Todd
SCOUTING THE COMMODORES Vanderbilt is 34-16 overall, 14-13 in the SEC and 20-9 at home this season.
Vanderbilt took two of three at No. 4 Arkansas last weekend. After a 1-2 start to the campaign, Vandy won 18 games in a row from Feb. 23 to March 24.
The Commodores then dropped three straight SEC series to South Carolina (1-2), No. 1 Tennessee (0-3) and Auburn (1-2). Vanderbilt has won four of its last five SEC series. Vanderbilt has yet to lose a midweek game this season.
Dominic Keegan has played in all 50 games for Vanderbilt and is batting .382, along with 11 home runs, 55 RBI, a slugging percentage of .661 and on-base percentage of .459. Spencer Jones is batting .363 with a .599 slugging percentage and .458 on-base percentage in 182 at-bats. He leads the team in doubles with 18. All Vanderbilt batters with at least 61 at-bats are hitting over .200.
Vanderbilt's midweek starter, Devin Futrell, is 8-1 on the season with a 2.52 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 53.2 innings pitched. Out of the bullpen Jack Anderson has pitched 10 scoreless innings, including 18 strikeouts, Thomas Schultz, Nelson Berkwich and Brett Hansen each have a sub-two ERA.
EYEING THE GOLDEN EAGLES The conference's top team won its most recent series against UTSA after falling in back-to-back C-USA series to UAB and Old Dominion. The first loss to UAB April 29 snapped a 15-game winning streak. Southern Miss started 10-3 before being swept at Dallas Baptist March 12-13. The Golden Eagles recovered with a midweek win vs. Alabama and a conference series win vs. FAU.
Dustin Dickerson leads the team in batting average (.343), hits (73) and doubles (22). No other Golden Eagle has more than 15 doubles and 56 hits. Reece Ewing has an OPS of 1.009 with seven doubles, two triples and nine home runs in 43 games. Christopher Sargent enters the week with 18 home runs and 50 RBI in 52 games.
Among qualifiers, nine Southern Miss pitchers have a sub-four ERA. Tanner Hall is 7-2 while posting a 2.60 ERA and 117 strikeouts. Hurston Waldrep is 5-1 with a 3.10 ERA and 99 strikeouts. Opponents are batting just .211 against Hurston while Hall leads the conference in strikeouts.
WEEK SCHEDULE
May 17 at Vanderbilt - 6 p.m.
May 19 vs. Southern Miss - 6 p.m.
May 20 vs. Southern Miss - 6 p.m.
May 21 vs. Southern Miss - 1 p.m.
The Blue Raiders are 8-1 in May and have won their last six games to be tied for third in the Conference USA standings entering the week at 29-20 and 17-10 in C-USA. MT has clinched a spot into next week's Conference USA Baseball Championship in Hattiesburg, Miss., but seeding is still at play in the final week.
Peyton Wigginton earned Conference USA Pitcher of the Week May 16 after his complete-game shutout performance at Rice May 13. Wigginton struck out 10 and held the Owls to just two hits in MT's 7-0 win. Wigginton pitched his second complete game of the season, his second-career complete-game shutout and the third pitched by a Blue Raider in 2022.
The recognition marks Wigginton's first conference pitcher of the week nod of his career and the first weekly league honor by a Blue Raider since Aaron Brown was named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week almost a year ago on May 17, 2021.
After recording a season-high 17 hits May 14, Middle Tennessee piled on 21 runs on 18 hits as the Blue Raiders cruised to a 21-7 win over Rice May 15.
It was the first time the Blue Raiders had scored more than 20 runs in a game since dropping 24 at Belmont in 2018. MT scored 11 runs in the third inning, tying the season-best single inning total set on Feb. 26 against Illinois.
MT's bats have scored 10-or-more runs in a game eight times this season. All of those games have resulted in Blue Raider wins.
Middle Tennessee's infield has been scorching as of late. In his last 10 games, JT Mabry is 19-for-41 (.463) with four doubles, six RBI and eight stolen bases. Since the May 4 game at Georgia State, Brett Coker is 16-for-34 (.471) with seven doubles, two triples, a home run and 13 RBI, good enough for an .882 slugging percentage in eight games.
First base has rotated as Wyatt Morgan is 10 for his last 22 and Briggs Rutter is nine for his last 24. Both have combined for four doubles and 10 RBI. Fausto Lopez is tied for the team lead in home runs with eight.
Following the saying "Champions win on Sundays," Middle Tennessee has won seven straight games on Sundays and is 9-4 overall on the day of the week this season. Seven of the Sunday victories have clinched series wins.
Middle Tennessee has emerged as the conference leader in stolen bases with 74, holding a six SB lead over second-place Charlotte. The Blue Raiders stole seven bases at FIU May 6 and six at Georgia State May 4.
Jackson Galloway is 10 for his last 19 (.526) with two doubles, a triple and five RBI. The JUCO transfer from Johnston County Community College wrapped up the series at Rice 3-for-4 with four RBI and a walk, adding on to his team-lead in batting average (.362) and slugging percentage (.604).
Middle Tennessee is in the top 50 in RPI rankings, standing at 48. Tuesday's opponent Vanderbilt is currently third while Auburn, who dropped two of three to the Blue Raiders back in March, ranks fourth. This weekend's opponent, Southern Miss, is 20th while UTSA sits one spot ahead of the Blue Raiders at 47. The Rating Percentage Index rankings are based on strength of schedule.
Middle Tennessee will recognize eight senior student-athletes and one senior manager during senior weekend, including festivities Saturday on Senior Day. The names include:
1 - Brian Dillingham
4 - Fausto Lopez
6 - Trent Seibert
9 - Nathan Sanders
14 - Brycen Thomas
17 - Zach Keenan
23 - Mason Speirs
28 - Peyton Wigginton
Student Manager - Chandler Todd
SCOUTING THE COMMODORES Vanderbilt is 34-16 overall, 14-13 in the SEC and 20-9 at home this season.
Vanderbilt took two of three at No. 4 Arkansas last weekend. After a 1-2 start to the campaign, Vandy won 18 games in a row from Feb. 23 to March 24.
The Commodores then dropped three straight SEC series to South Carolina (1-2), No. 1 Tennessee (0-3) and Auburn (1-2). Vanderbilt has won four of its last five SEC series. Vanderbilt has yet to lose a midweek game this season.
Dominic Keegan has played in all 50 games for Vanderbilt and is batting .382, along with 11 home runs, 55 RBI, a slugging percentage of .661 and on-base percentage of .459. Spencer Jones is batting .363 with a .599 slugging percentage and .458 on-base percentage in 182 at-bats. He leads the team in doubles with 18. All Vanderbilt batters with at least 61 at-bats are hitting over .200.
Vanderbilt's midweek starter, Devin Futrell, is 8-1 on the season with a 2.52 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 53.2 innings pitched. Out of the bullpen Jack Anderson has pitched 10 scoreless innings, including 18 strikeouts, Thomas Schultz, Nelson Berkwich and Brett Hansen each have a sub-two ERA.
EYEING THE GOLDEN EAGLES The conference's top team won its most recent series against UTSA after falling in back-to-back C-USA series to UAB and Old Dominion. The first loss to UAB April 29 snapped a 15-game winning streak. Southern Miss started 10-3 before being swept at Dallas Baptist March 12-13. The Golden Eagles recovered with a midweek win vs. Alabama and a conference series win vs. FAU.
Dustin Dickerson leads the team in batting average (.343), hits (73) and doubles (22). No other Golden Eagle has more than 15 doubles and 56 hits. Reece Ewing has an OPS of 1.009 with seven doubles, two triples and nine home runs in 43 games. Christopher Sargent enters the week with 18 home runs and 50 RBI in 52 games.
Among qualifiers, nine Southern Miss pitchers have a sub-four ERA. Tanner Hall is 7-2 while posting a 2.60 ERA and 117 strikeouts. Hurston Waldrep is 5-1 with a 3.10 ERA and 99 strikeouts. Opponents are batting just .211 against Hurston while Hall leads the conference in strikeouts.
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