Blue Raiders send “a great baseball town” home happy on Opening Day

Photo by: MT Athletic Communications

2/22/2023 6:00:00 PM | Baseball

MTSU starts 16-game homestand strong

By: Sam Doughton, MTSU Athletics

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — At 2:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Bryant Beranek toed the rubber on the mound at Reese Smith Jr. Field.

It wasn't a new location for the freshman right-hander, per se, given the countless practices and scrimmages the Spring Hill, Tenn., native pitched in during the long offseason for Middle Tennessee Baseball. But on Tuesday, in front of 917 fans with the sun shining high and a pleasant breeze whipping across the ballpark, Beranek, making his first career appearance as a college athlete, certainly could've been forgiven for having a little bit of nerves on the mound.

"It was definitely a lot different than high school," Beranek said after the game. "It was very surreal, very fun."

What made it fun? Well, at 3:01 p.m., Beranek fired in strike one of the afternoon, starting off a Top of the First that would end with a 1-2-3 inning. The success, locating his fastball to both sides of the plate, getting ahead, would see Beranek leave after five scoreless innings allowing just one hit. A sterling way to start your career, particularly when he was left in the bullpen over the weekend in MTSU's first set of games on the road.

Just over two and half hours after that first pitch, MTSU had defeated Southeast Missouri 8-3, starting off their 16-game homestand with the win, and sending Blue Raider fans home happy.

"I had a great defense behind me the whole way," Beranek said humbly when asked about the afternoon, before thinking on getting his shot that Tuesday. "I'll let (the coaches) decide what they're going to decide for the rest of the year, but it definitely felt good."

Opening Day inspires those feelings towards the future. Doubly so when it's the home opener, even with the fun of a 10 a.m. local time first pitch for MTSU last Friday, making the Blue Raiders the first team in college baseball to get a hit, hit a home run and get a win in the 2023 season.

For Head Coach Jerry Meyers, taking it all in after his first home game as the skipper after joining the program last year as a pitching coach, the strong day at the plate, "tenacious" defense in the field and the success of his young arm on the mount made for a near perfect start to the Blue Raiders year at The Reese.

"Sometimes you travel on the road, and you come back and it's the first Tuesday game, you've got to get in that rhythm, you're hoping there's not any type of lull," Meyers said. "We didn't see that at all."

Who's keeping that lull from appearing? Well, a lot of guys. Gabe Jennings flashed his glove at third base, picking up assists on several slow rollers. Brett Coker clearly looked comfortable at shortstop with a diving play up the middle to record an out. DJ Wright, back from Tommy John surgery, showed off his athleticism at first base with a trio of impressive stretches to pick up outs across the diamond.

But Blue Raider fans will remember his two towering home runs, the second of which a 432-foot moonshot over the Lee Victory Wall of Champions in left field, long after they left the gates of the Reese.

Wanna see him do it again?? 👀

(@_duhjay_) pic.twitter.com/AHWdcweAmK
— MT Baseball (@MT_Baseball) February 22, 2023

"Is it good to feel this comfortable four games into this season?" Wright postulated post-game. "I think I'll be able to keep it going."

Wright cited his defensive work with Jacob Williams, his back-up at No. 3 in the lineup card, as well as his new approach at the plate, honed by new hitting coach Kevin Nichols, helping him get off to a hot start in his senior season.

On the mound, Beranek earned plenty of praise from his head coach after his first time out.

"His fastball command, it started there," Meyers said of Beranek's success. "He moved his fastball in and out, was able to get ahead with it a little bit. Some hitters were able to foul it off or were right on some fastballs, he still got strike one and had an opportunity to mix it up after that if he wanted to."

As great as the play on the field was, the highlight of the day was seeing MTSU and Murfreesboro back at the ballpark. The mid-60s temperature helped the crowd come early and stay late and kept things going with a nice buzz around the park. The quick work on the mound from both teams kept the pace at a speed Rob Manfred would blush as well, which never hurts.

All of those factors (and let's face it, the $1 hot dogs too) are secondary to what Meyers hopes continues to bring people back as Game 2 of 16 starts this Friday at noon against St. Bonaventure.

"If it had been 40 degrees, we still would've played, but probably wouldn't have had as good a crowd," Meyers said. "We were very appreciative of the people that showed up today and hopefully we can do our part in terms of being fun to watch, playing hard all the time and doing things the right way and get more people coming.

"This is a great baseball town and I think they'll appreciate what we're trying to do if we do our part."