Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
NOTEBOOK: Don’t miss your last chance to watch MTSU at home in 2023 on Wednesday
12/18/2023 6:27:00 PM | Football, General, Men's Tennis, Women's Basketball, Women's Volleyball
Join us in the Glass House for the final winter holiday season promotion of the year as well! Fans can take pictures with Santa, pick up a collectible cookie cutter (supplies limited) and participate in the annual Teddy Bear Toss to support Vanderbilt's Children's Hospital.
Yesterday was fun... Let's do it again Wednesday!
— Middle Tennessee Women's Basketball (@MT_WBB) December 18, 2023
🆚 Northern Kentucky
📅 Wednesday, Dec. 20
⏰ 6:30 p.m. CT#BLUEnited | #TrueBlue pic.twitter.com/vT0nHbzWTa
What's Happening in the 'Boro – presented by Ole South@MT_WBB is home again on Wednesday for Christmas in the Murphy Center! 🎄🎅
— Middle Tennessee Athletics (@MTAthletics) December 18, 2023
🏀🎟️ https://t.co/nWqwQnNfJB#BLUEnited pic.twitter.com/ocMXTZtP1A
The Lady Raiders, meanwhile, are coming off a dominant 25-point win in their first game in the Murphy Center since November 12, trouncing Stephen F. Austin 72-47 on Sunday. You can relive the highlights from the weekend below!
Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy.#BLUEnited | #TrueBlue pic.twitter.com/vCi98P12C4
— Middle Tennessee Women's Basketball (@MT_WBB) December 18, 2023
Football Signing Day set for Wednesday
It's been a whirlwind for the past few weeks for the Blue Raider football staff, who've been hard at work convincing the next generation of Blue Raiders to commit to the MTSU Football program. Walking around campus over the weekend, or just being out and about in the midstate, one might've been able to see the hard work being done during a big recruiting weekend the past couple of days.
Coach Derek Mason and his staff will have more to reveal on Wednesday, when many players will sign their Letters of Intent at the start of the Early Signing Period. Which is also when I'll be able to share what our coaches know about some of those Blue Raiders. A press conference with Coach Mason is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
In the meantime, we checked in with the coach about 36 hours before the Signing Day begins in earnest!
Time to touch base with Coach Mase again! @CoachDerekMason and his staff are prepping for a big National Signing Day on Wednesday! pic.twitter.com/q3L7EDRAY9
— Middle Tennessee Football (@MT_FB) December 18, 2023
ICYMI: Football Staff Hires are rolling out in the days to come
Coach Derek Mason's staff has started to come into focus in the past few days, with the announcements of the hiring of defensive coordinator Brian Stewart, offensive line coach Kendall Simmons and secondary coach Bryce Lewis.
You can read their bios on their backgrounds in the linked tweets below, featuring Stewart's plethora of DC and NFL experience, Simmons pair of Super Bowl Rings and Lewis' connection to Derek Mason.
Welcome Brian Stewart (@stewdg1) to Middle Tennessee!
— Middle Tennessee Football (@MT_FB) December 14, 2023
Stewart will coach safeties and serve as the Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator on @CoachDerekMason's staff.
📰 Details: https://t.co/dQQLBsqIYl pic.twitter.com/orvDEyiqo0
"During his lengthy career, he has created some of the best run stopping and third down efficiency defenses in both college and the NFL."@CoachDerekMason 🤝 @stewdg1 pic.twitter.com/wtCp11FhED
— Middle Tennessee Football (@MT_FB) December 15, 2023
Welcome to Middle Tennessee, @bigk73!@CoachDerekMason brings in two-time Super Bowl champion Kendall Simmons to coach the offensive line.
— Middle Tennessee Football (@MT_FB) December 15, 2023
📰 Details: https://t.co/AWieDxtIGQ pic.twitter.com/LX6o77IsUN
He's a pro, and now he's a Blue Raider. High praise for new OL coach @bigk73 by @CoachDerekMason! pic.twitter.com/oMCxDLkSwD
— Middle Tennessee Football (@MT_FB) December 15, 2023
Welcome to Middle Tennessee, @coach_b_lewis30!@CoachDerekMason announces the addition of Bryce Lewis to the staff as secondary coach.
— Middle Tennessee Football (@MT_FB) December 18, 2023
📰 Details: https://t.co/yLouiCvEoD pic.twitter.com/hIDlJndG2x
.@CoachDerekMason has seen @coach_b_lewis30's development since their days in West End, and now they're sharing a sideline in the 'Boro. pic.twitter.com/VMsYSqxWPf
— Middle Tennessee Football (@MT_FB) December 18, 2023
I know many of y'all might've been aware of these folks a few days before they were announced, but we here in official communications have to get all the details finalized before we can share in y'all's excitement, even if these coaches are already out on the road hard at work.
With that in mind, you might want to keep your eyes peeled for another announcement coming down as soon as tomorrow, if all goes well!
Henley, Oscarson sign professional volleyball contracts
A pair of Blue Raiders will continue their volleyball careers abroad, after redshirt senior Kayla Henley signed a pro contract with club CAV Esquimo in Spain on Wednesday and graduate student Kaylee Oscarson signed a pro contract with club Regatas Lima in Peru on Friday.
Kayla Henley signs her first pro contract with CAV Esquimo in Spain! ✍️🇪🇸
— Middle Tennessee Volleyball (@MT_Volleyball) December 13, 2023
📰 https://t.co/Lm0hOC8CNA#BLUEnited | #BetterInTheBoro pic.twitter.com/wafXzCqGzh
Kaylee Oscarson signs her first professional contract with Regatas Lima in Peru! ✍️🇵🇪
— Middle Tennessee Volleyball (@MT_Volleyball) December 15, 2023
📰 https://t.co/GDtxlBJVum#BLUEnited | #BetterInTheBoro pic.twitter.com/M18OTM62I8
The two All-CUSA standouts were praised by the coaching staff after signing this week upon the completion of their collegiate careers.
"It is a full circle moment to watch the little girl from Myrtle Beach sign her first professional contract to play in Spain," Associate Head Coach Jenna Orner said of Henley. "We are extremely proud of the player and person Kayla has become. I can't wait to see what more she's going to achieve with this opportunity she has earned."
"Kaylee has meant so much to our program during her time in Murfreesboro," said MTSU Head Coach Chuck Crawford of Oscarson. "We are beyond proud for her as she begins her professional career in Peru. We believe that her success as a professional athlete will impact her new team in the same special ways, she impacted ours."
Men's Basketball hits the road for West Coast Swing
Men's Basketball hit the road this morning for the start of a three-game road swing before conference play. They'll take on WCC power St. Mary's tomorrow night at 9 p.m. CT and Southern Utah on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. CT
✈️ 📍 Cali pic.twitter.com/LkAJG1tffl
— Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball (@MT_MBB) December 18, 2023
Men's Tennis Doubles Clinic fills up fast! Stay tuned for Part Two, coming soon
I was hoping to promote MTSU Men's Tennis' holiday doubles clinic in the notebook today, but before the afternoon was over, all the spots had filled up for the December 28th event!
So, I'll settle for just linking Head Coach Jimmy Borendame's twitter account below, where you should follow along if you want first dibs on signing up for his second clinic on Doubles' tactics, which will be announced soon!
SOLD OUT 🎾😎🔥🔥🔥✅ 2nd clinic announcement coming soon pic.twitter.com/2Q6Ly1Ydkp
— Jimmy Borendame (@CoachJimmyB) December 18, 2023
Congrats to our Blue Raider Graduates!
Nearly three dozen Blue Raider student athletes earned their degrees during this past weekend's commencement. And a certain football coach was also on hand to congratulate them and some of the other new MTSU alumni just before they walked across the Murphy Center stage.
Check out some of my favorite highlights from the weekend below, plus some shots from our Student-Athlete fall graduation ceremony early last week.
It was a special afternoon as we honored our fall 2023 student-athlete graduates!#BLUEnited | #MiddleMade pic.twitter.com/e53P1xEIxo
— Middle Tennessee Athletics (@MTAthletics) December 12, 2023
Congratulations to @JaredJones1_ and @Eliasking15, who are set to walk across the stage Saturday!
— Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball (@MT_MBB) December 13, 2023
The two participated in our student-athlete graduation ceremony yesterday! pic.twitter.com/mLlrSsPxLd
Congratulations to our student-athletes who will be graduating this Saturday! pic.twitter.com/QoTD4XCR1O
— Middle Tennessee XC/Track & Field (@MT_TrackField) December 13, 2023
Congratulations to our student-athletes who are walking in today's graduation! 🎓@vannabehabetz | @ashleejacoway1 pic.twitter.com/FdcBThFHuJ
— Middle Tennessee Softball (@MT_Softball) December 16, 2023
It was a big day at @MTSU, and @CoachDerekMason was there to support those graduates! pic.twitter.com/ddZTiLyglW
— Middle Tennessee Football (@MT_FB) December 16, 2023
