Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Wednesday, March 15
6:00 PM CT
Middle Tennessee
8-8
11
vs
3
Tennessee Tech
7-9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Tennessee Tech
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
0
0
3
9
1
Middle Tennessee
0
0
0
3
2
1
1
4
X
11
13
3
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lee, Justin (1-0)
L: GELORME, Matt (0-1)
S: Sells, James (1)
Batting:
RBI: GILLILAND, Hayden 1 ; MILLS, Peyton 1 ; FORD, Preston 1
Base Running:
RUNS: GILLILAND, Hayden 1 ; DYER, John 1 ; SPARDONE, Nick 1
HBP: MILLS, Peyton 2 ; DYER, John 1
Batting:
2B: Vetetoe, Jared 1 ; Jennings, Gabe 2 ; Snider, Eston 1
HR: Jennings, Gabe 1
RBI: Vinson, Luke 1 ; Boyd, Jeremiah 1 ; Galloway, Jackson 1 ; Vetetoe, Jared 2 ; Jennings, Gabe 6
SH: Mabry, JT 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mabry, JT 1 ; Coker, Brett 1 ; Boyd, Jeremiah 2 ; Johnson, Kam 1 ; Wright, DJ 2 ; Galloway, Jackson 1 ; Vetetoe, Jared 2 ; Jennings, Gabe 1
SB: Coker, Brett 1
CS: Vinson, Luke 1
HBP: Mabry, JT 1 ; Vinson, Luke 1 ; Snider, Eston 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
4
RBI
6
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballC/OF
/ Baseball
OF/LHP
/ Baseball
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Jennings’ Six RBI Lead Blue Raiders to Win over Tennessee Tech
3/15/2023 10:17:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – It was a chilly, early spring evening in Murfreesboro Wednesday night, as Middle Tennessee Baseball faced the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
But Gabe Jennings' bat didn't receive the memo about the weather. Instead, the third baseman, having started each game in 2023 at the corner infield position, went 4-5 with six RBI and a pair of doubles. He also added a home run in the seventh and was a triple away from the cycle.
The eight-hole hitter's output included career-highs in hits, doubles and RBI. It was part of an 11-3 Blue Raider win, in the final non-conference test before Middle Tennessee opens Conference USA action against its rivals from the north.
Jennings opened the scoring in the fourth with a one-out, two-run bases loaded single, before CF Luke Vinson walked with the bases loaded to make it 3-0.
The Lebanon, Tenn. native made it 5-0 with a double in the fifth, scoring DJ Wright and Jeremiah Boyd. After Tennessee Tech got on the board in the sixth, Boyd helped the Blue Raiders maintain their five-run cushion with a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the inning.
Jennings once again delivered in the seventh after the Eagles trimmed the MTSU lead to 6-3, with a solo homer to center. Galloway then drove in a run on a fielder's choice in the eighth, C Jared Vetetoe brought another two home on a double, and Jennings put a cherry on top of his outstanding night with an RBI double to make it 11-3.
The Skipper Speaks
"We got some things going offensively. We still left some things out there. We tacked on some runs late and that was big for us. The difference was we had some better two strike at bats and put some balls in play," said head coach Jerry Meyers.
"We got the leadoff guy on [consistently]. We got the leadoff guy on and sometimes got the first two guys on. We've had several games where we either didn't get the leadoff guy on, or if we did get him on, the next two guys didn't have productive at bats. Today we got some of those [guys on base]."
Player Perspective – Gabe Jennings
"I haven't started the season out the way I have wanted to, but all my teammates have been behind me every day. I've always been in position to drive runs in and today I was able to do it.
"It was staying locked into the middle of the field. I've been spinning off a lot, it's been causing a lot of problems, so I tried to lock in the middle of the field, and let the baseball come to me. I hit a couple of [pitcher's] mistakes. That's what I've been missing lately. I capitalized on them today and I think that was the difference."
By the Numbers
6: Jennings' six RBI is tied for sixth all-time in program history in a single game.
13: MTSU's 13 total hits is the most since having 16 hits against St. Bonaventure on February 25.
.296: The Raiders hit .296 with runners on base Wednesday.
3.0: RHP Ollie Akens tossed three scoreless innings in his first Blue Raider start. The freshman recorded a trio of strikeouts as well.
1-0: Righty Justin Lee moved to 1-0 on the year with the win out of the bullpen, striking out three in two shutout frames.
Blue Raider Notes
RHP James Sells earned his first save of the season, entering the game in the seventh inning with one out and the tying run on deck.
MTSU moves to 7-3 when scoring more than six runs, 5-1 when scoring first, 6-1 when leading in hits and 1-0 in night games in 2023.
Next Up
The Blue Raiders will conclude their opening 16-game homestand as they kick off C-USA play this Friday. The three-game series against rival WKU begins with a 6:00 p.m. first pitch at Reese Smith Jr. Field. All games this weekend will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball) and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
But Gabe Jennings' bat didn't receive the memo about the weather. Instead, the third baseman, having started each game in 2023 at the corner infield position, went 4-5 with six RBI and a pair of doubles. He also added a home run in the seventh and was a triple away from the cycle.
The eight-hole hitter's output included career-highs in hits, doubles and RBI. It was part of an 11-3 Blue Raider win, in the final non-conference test before Middle Tennessee opens Conference USA action against its rivals from the north.
Jennings opened the scoring in the fourth with a one-out, two-run bases loaded single, before CF Luke Vinson walked with the bases loaded to make it 3-0.
The Lebanon, Tenn. native made it 5-0 with a double in the fifth, scoring DJ Wright and Jeremiah Boyd. After Tennessee Tech got on the board in the sixth, Boyd helped the Blue Raiders maintain their five-run cushion with a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the inning.
Jennings once again delivered in the seventh after the Eagles trimmed the MTSU lead to 6-3, with a solo homer to center. Galloway then drove in a run on a fielder's choice in the eighth, C Jared Vetetoe brought another two home on a double, and Jennings put a cherry on top of his outstanding night with an RBI double to make it 11-3.
The Skipper Speaks
"We got some things going offensively. We still left some things out there. We tacked on some runs late and that was big for us. The difference was we had some better two strike at bats and put some balls in play," said head coach Jerry Meyers.
"We got the leadoff guy on [consistently]. We got the leadoff guy on and sometimes got the first two guys on. We've had several games where we either didn't get the leadoff guy on, or if we did get him on, the next two guys didn't have productive at bats. Today we got some of those [guys on base]."
Player Perspective – Gabe Jennings
"I haven't started the season out the way I have wanted to, but all my teammates have been behind me every day. I've always been in position to drive runs in and today I was able to do it.
"It was staying locked into the middle of the field. I've been spinning off a lot, it's been causing a lot of problems, so I tried to lock in the middle of the field, and let the baseball come to me. I hit a couple of [pitcher's] mistakes. That's what I've been missing lately. I capitalized on them today and I think that was the difference."
By the Numbers
6: Jennings' six RBI is tied for sixth all-time in program history in a single game.
13: MTSU's 13 total hits is the most since having 16 hits against St. Bonaventure on February 25.
.296: The Raiders hit .296 with runners on base Wednesday.
3.0: RHP Ollie Akens tossed three scoreless innings in his first Blue Raider start. The freshman recorded a trio of strikeouts as well.
1-0: Righty Justin Lee moved to 1-0 on the year with the win out of the bullpen, striking out three in two shutout frames.
Blue Raider Notes
RHP James Sells earned his first save of the season, entering the game in the seventh inning with one out and the tying run on deck.
MTSU moves to 7-3 when scoring more than six runs, 5-1 when scoring first, 6-1 when leading in hits and 1-0 in night games in 2023.
Next Up
The Blue Raiders will conclude their opening 16-game homestand as they kick off C-USA play this Friday. The three-game series against rival WKU begins with a 6:00 p.m. first pitch at Reese Smith Jr. Field. All games this weekend will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball) and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
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