Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
NOTEBOOK: Softball takes the series against WKU in thrilling pitcher’s duel
4/17/2023 5:36:00 PM | Baseball, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Tennis, Men's Cross Country and Track & Field, Softball, Women's Golf, Women's Tennis, BRAA
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — It's always exciting to get a chance to defeat WKU if you're a Blue Raider, but even sweeter if you can clinch the season series against them, as Middle Tennessee softball did on Sunday with a tightly-contested 1-0 pitcher's duel to claim the weekend series against the Hilltoppers.
After a heartbreaking loss on Friday, a bounce-back win on Saturday set up the Blue Raiders to rely on Gretchen Mead, who threw her third shutout of the season on the biggest stage, only needing a Shelby Echols triple and WKU throwing error as run support to carry MTSU to the big win.
"I think it hurt (Gretchen) to lose on Friday, because she knew that she pitched a great game that day as well," head coach Jeff Breeden said. "She was ready to go back Saturday and pitch Game 2 if we had wanted her too. She was determined and pitched with a lot of energy, a lot of heart."
Softball is one of many hidden gems in Blue Raider Athletics, as its free admission makes games incredibly accessible to fans. That, plus our team's action-packed speed, defense and small ball style, makes for a great viewing experience every time their home for a Conference USA series.
Your next shot to catch the Blue Raiders at home is April 28, when they welcome UTSA to Murfreesboro.
Baseball Alumni Reunion Set for Saturday
The MTSU Varsity Club and BRAA are excited to invite former Blue Raider baseball players and their families to Reese Smith Jr. Field this weekend for the annual Baseball Alumni Reunion, which will take place this Saturday ahead of the Blue Raiders' game against Rice.
The reunion starts at 1 p.m. ahead of the 3 p.m. first pitch. Lettermen are encouraged to reach out to Tony Stinnett (at either tony.stinnett@mtsu.edu or (615) 631-9521) or online at www.goblueraiders.com/23BBreunion to RSVP if they have not already.
Fans can enjoy four games at home at the Reese this weekend, starting with Tuesday night's contest against Lipscomb at 6 p.m.
Come out to Bark in the Park at Blue Raider Baseball and Softball!
A reminder to all our fans of the Blue Raiders on the Diamond that baseball and softball are excited to welcome them and their dogs to the ballpark not this weekend, but next.
The Blue Raider softball game against UTSA on Saturday, April 29th and the baseball game against Louisiana Tech on Sunday, April 30th will be open to MTSU fans and their pets.
Fans will need to purchase a ticket for themselves to the baseball game, but their pet gets in free with their ticket. Softball games, as always, offer free admission to Blue Raider fans. There will be pet-themed giveaways along with exciting on-field action.
Fans wishing to cheer on the Blue Raiders with their dogs must sign a waiver before entering the stadium. Those who wish to attend are encouraged to register online at GoBlueRaiders.com. There will be a chance to sign the waiver on gameday at the park if a fan is unable to complete the online form.
Fans can find more details in the attached article below!
Men's and Women's Tennis end regular season with Ws ahead of C-USA Championships
Both Blue Raider men's and women's tennis finished the 2023 spring strong, grabbing wins in their final matches of the regular season to grab some momentum entering this weekend's Conference USA Championships.
Traveling on the road to No. 32 Louisville, the No. 28 men's team spoiled the Cardinals' Senior Day with a 4-1 win. Two tight wins in doubles, including 7-6 clincher from the No. 48 pairing Oskar Brostrom Poulsen and Francisco Rocha, set the tone early, as MTSU's three singles wins helped push MTSU to its 19th win of the season and Coach Jimmy Borendame's first win on the road at Louisville.
The men's program will be the top seeded team at this week's C-USA Championships, hosted by Rice. They'll face the winner of the first-round matchup between the No. 4 seeded Owls and No. 5 seed UAB.
The women's team, meanwhile, defended their own home court on Senior Day, easily dispatching C-USA rival UTEP 6-1 and finishing the 2023 season undefeated at home. Seniors Love-Star Alexis, Muskan Gupta and Noelle Mauro all won in singles to help power MTSU to the dominant win.
The Blue Raiders will be the No. 7 seed in Denton, Texas this week at the C-USA Championships, taking on No. 10 seed WKU, who MTSU dispatched at home earlier this season, 4-3. The winner of that match will take on No. 3 seed Rice the following day.
Akintola takes home two golds in Azusa, California
Alaba Akintola continued his excellent performance out on track this season, taking home wins in both the 100m and 200m at the Bryan Clay Invitational over the weekend.
The Nigerian international posted a time of 10.21s in the 100m and a 20.46s 200m time in both finals.
Women's Golf lands three on Conference USA All-Academic Teams
Three Blue Raider golfers were honored by the Conference USA office on Monday with All-Academic Selections. Abbie Lee made the All-Academic First Team while Taylor Edlin and Molly Bebelaar were named to the Second Team.
Lee holds a 4.0 GPA in Mechatronics Engineering and finished the regular season with a 75.9 scoring average. The sophomore from Glasgow, Ky., was a member of the Blue Raider lineup in all nine team tournaments this season.
Edlin has a 3.8 GPA in Criminal Justice Administration and Spanish. Her 74.3 regular season stroke average was more than two strokes lower than her career average entering the season. The senior from Louisville, Ky., has three top-10 individual finishes and leads Middle Tennessee with 74 birdies on the season.
Bebelaar has a 3.8 GPA in Leisure and Sport Management and recorded a 76.0 stroke average in the regular season. Her score of 216 at the Evie Odom Invitational was the second-lowest tournament score of the season by a Blue Raider.
Men's Basketball Signs Two to 2023-24 team
It was a busy weekend in the Middle Tennessee men's basketball office, as the Blue Raiders announced the signing of Chris Loofe and Tyronn Mosley to next year's team.
Loofe, a 6-foot-11 forward from Leander, Texas, averaged 13 points and seven rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the floor, 70 percent from the free throw line and 32 percent from 3-point range for Link Year Prep in Branson, Mo.
"We are excited to welcome Chris to our Blue Raider basketball family," head coach Nick McDevitt said of Loofe. "He has very good mobility for someone his size, he plays with great energy and effort, and has developing perimeter skills that will fit in well with our team concepts."
Mosley, a 6-foot-6 win that comes to MTSU by way of Mississippi Valley State, is a sharpshooter, shooting .515 from the floor and .492 from 3-point range and .795 from the free throw line a season ago while averaging over 11 points per game for MVSU.
ICYMI: Malashka drafted by the Chicago Sky in the 3rd Round of the 2023 WNBA Draft
RCA Fan Voting Now Open
This year's Raider's Choice Awards are scheduled for April 27th, and you have a chance to vote for winners from the past year of Blue Raider Athletics!
Check out the nominees in the video for Game/Event of the Year, Performance of the Year and Play of the Year, and vote at this link: https://goblueraiders.com/sb_output.aspx?form=120
After a heartbreaking loss on Friday, a bounce-back win on Saturday set up the Blue Raiders to rely on Gretchen Mead, who threw her third shutout of the season on the biggest stage, only needing a Shelby Echols triple and WKU throwing error as run support to carry MTSU to the big win.
"I think it hurt (Gretchen) to lose on Friday, because she knew that she pitched a great game that day as well," head coach Jeff Breeden said. "She was ready to go back Saturday and pitch Game 2 if we had wanted her too. She was determined and pitched with a lot of energy, a lot of heart."
Series win over WKU! ✅#BLUEnited | ⚡⬆ pic.twitter.com/KUTa0Mk0X4
— MT Softball (@MT_Softball) April 16, 2023
Head coach Jeff Breeden and Gretchen Mead's thoughts on today's win over WKU!#BLUEnited | ⚡⬆ pic.twitter.com/0kKC4qg7Nt
— MT Softball (@MT_Softball) April 16, 2023
Softball is one of many hidden gems in Blue Raider Athletics, as its free admission makes games incredibly accessible to fans. That, plus our team's action-packed speed, defense and small ball style, makes for a great viewing experience every time their home for a Conference USA series.
Your next shot to catch the Blue Raiders at home is April 28, when they welcome UTSA to Murfreesboro.
Baseball Alumni Reunion Set for Saturday
The MTSU Varsity Club and BRAA are excited to invite former Blue Raider baseball players and their families to Reese Smith Jr. Field this weekend for the annual Baseball Alumni Reunion, which will take place this Saturday ahead of the Blue Raiders' game against Rice.
The reunion starts at 1 p.m. ahead of the 3 p.m. first pitch. Lettermen are encouraged to reach out to Tony Stinnett (at either tony.stinnett@mtsu.edu or (615) 631-9521) or online at www.goblueraiders.com/23BBreunion to RSVP if they have not already.
Fans can enjoy four games at home at the Reese this weekend, starting with Tuesday night's contest against Lipscomb at 6 p.m.
What's Happening in the 'Boro – presented by Ole South@MT_Baseball's got four home games this week!
— MT Athletics (@MTAthletics) April 17, 2023
🎟 https://t.co/FpVYoaILSx#BLUEnited pic.twitter.com/u6lw96jJMV
Come out to Bark in the Park at Blue Raider Baseball and Softball!
A reminder to all our fans of the Blue Raiders on the Diamond that baseball and softball are excited to welcome them and their dogs to the ballpark not this weekend, but next.
The Blue Raider softball game against UTSA on Saturday, April 29th and the baseball game against Louisiana Tech on Sunday, April 30th will be open to MTSU fans and their pets.
Fans will need to purchase a ticket for themselves to the baseball game, but their pet gets in free with their ticket. Softball games, as always, offer free admission to Blue Raider fans. There will be pet-themed giveaways along with exciting on-field action.
Fans wishing to cheer on the Blue Raiders with their dogs must sign a waiver before entering the stadium. Those who wish to attend are encouraged to register online at GoBlueRaiders.com. There will be a chance to sign the waiver on gameday at the park if a fan is unable to complete the online form.
Fans can find more details in the attached article below!
Join us at @MT_Softball on April 29 and @MT_Baseball on April 30 for Bark in the Park! 🐾https://t.co/60SKpGlbUK
— MT Athletics (@MTAthletics) April 17, 2023
Men's and Women's Tennis end regular season with Ws ahead of C-USA Championships
Both Blue Raider men's and women's tennis finished the 2023 spring strong, grabbing wins in their final matches of the regular season to grab some momentum entering this weekend's Conference USA Championships.
Traveling on the road to No. 32 Louisville, the No. 28 men's team spoiled the Cardinals' Senior Day with a 4-1 win. Two tight wins in doubles, including 7-6 clincher from the No. 48 pairing Oskar Brostrom Poulsen and Francisco Rocha, set the tone early, as MTSU's three singles wins helped push MTSU to its 19th win of the season and Coach Jimmy Borendame's first win on the road at Louisville.
The men's program will be the top seeded team at this week's C-USA Championships, hosted by Rice. They'll face the winner of the first-round matchup between the No. 4 seeded Owls and No. 5 seed UAB.
The 2023 C-USA Men's Tennis Championship Bracket! 🎾🏆#CUSATEN | https://t.co/gjIyXuNbgZ pic.twitter.com/RjZVR1tkgj
— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) April 17, 2023
The women's team, meanwhile, defended their own home court on Senior Day, easily dispatching C-USA rival UTEP 6-1 and finishing the 2023 season undefeated at home. Seniors Love-Star Alexis, Muskan Gupta and Noelle Mauro all won in singles to help power MTSU to the dominant win.
The Blue Raiders will be the No. 7 seed in Denton, Texas this week at the C-USA Championships, taking on No. 10 seed WKU, who MTSU dispatched at home earlier this season, 4-3. The winner of that match will take on No. 3 seed Rice the following day.
The 2023 C-USA Women's Tennis Championship Bracket! 🎾🏆#CUSATEN | https://t.co/kogDZx8k8l pic.twitter.com/Q7Vc82xKLz
— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) April 17, 2023
Akintola takes home two golds in Azusa, California
Alaba Akintola continued his excellent performance out on track this season, taking home wins in both the 100m and 200m at the Bryan Clay Invitational over the weekend.
The Nigerian international posted a time of 10.21s in the 100m and a 20.46s 200m time in both finals.
Two events wins for @alabaman__ in California! #BLUEnited https://t.co/94lqOPIRcs
— MT XC/Track & Field (@MT_TrackField) April 16, 2023
Women's Golf lands three on Conference USA All-Academic Teams
Three Blue Raider golfers were honored by the Conference USA office on Monday with All-Academic Selections. Abbie Lee made the All-Academic First Team while Taylor Edlin and Molly Bebelaar were named to the Second Team.
Congrats to Abbie Lee (First Team) and Taylor Edlin and Molly Bebelaar (Second Team) on being named to the Conference USA All-Academic teams! #BlueRaiders pic.twitter.com/rEoZeGIlGS
— MT Women's Golf (@MT_WGolf) April 17, 2023
Lee holds a 4.0 GPA in Mechatronics Engineering and finished the regular season with a 75.9 scoring average. The sophomore from Glasgow, Ky., was a member of the Blue Raider lineup in all nine team tournaments this season.
Edlin has a 3.8 GPA in Criminal Justice Administration and Spanish. Her 74.3 regular season stroke average was more than two strokes lower than her career average entering the season. The senior from Louisville, Ky., has three top-10 individual finishes and leads Middle Tennessee with 74 birdies on the season.
Bebelaar has a 3.8 GPA in Leisure and Sport Management and recorded a 76.0 stroke average in the regular season. Her score of 216 at the Evie Odom Invitational was the second-lowest tournament score of the season by a Blue Raider.
Men's Basketball Signs Two to 2023-24 team
It was a busy weekend in the Middle Tennessee men's basketball office, as the Blue Raiders announced the signing of Chris Loofe and Tyronn Mosley to next year's team.
Loofe, a 6-foot-11 forward from Leander, Texas, averaged 13 points and seven rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the floor, 70 percent from the free throw line and 32 percent from 3-point range for Link Year Prep in Branson, Mo.
"We are excited to welcome Chris to our Blue Raider basketball family," head coach Nick McDevitt said of Loofe. "He has very good mobility for someone his size, he plays with great energy and effort, and has developing perimeter skills that will fit in well with our team concepts."
Chris Loofe | 6'11 Center | 2023
— Michael Porter Jr. Elite (@MPJelite) March 28, 2022
One of the most skilled center prospects in the country! Stretches the floor with ease. Pick & pop specialist. Great footwork facing up and on the block + soft touch with both hands. High basketball IQ. (@cwloofe_08) pic.twitter.com/Vbtpl8h6kq
Mosley, a 6-foot-6 win that comes to MTSU by way of Mississippi Valley State, is a sharpshooter, shooting .515 from the floor and .492 from 3-point range and .795 from the free throw line a season ago while averaging over 11 points per game for MVSU.
Tyronn Mosley chooses Blue Raidershttps://t.co/uK0Vz5BdOk pic.twitter.com/Xjh8mzjPEf
— MT Basketball (@MT_MBB) April 15, 2023
ICYMI: Malashka drafted by the Chicago Sky in the 3rd Round of the 2023 WNBA Draft
It was a dream come true for Kseniya Malashka on Monday night.#BLUEnited | #TrueBlue pic.twitter.com/tAcXxSM6UU
— MT Women's Basketball (@MT_WBB) April 12, 2023
Make it 🖐 @WNBA draft picks for the #LadyRaiders! That's as many or more than 5️⃣ schools in the final top 25 rankings and 1️⃣3️⃣ power five programs.#BLUEnited | #TrueBlue pic.twitter.com/IwUIjGt0ri
— MT Women's Basketball (@MT_WBB) April 13, 2023
RCA Fan Voting Now Open
This year's Raider's Choice Awards are scheduled for April 27th, and you have a chance to vote for winners from the past year of Blue Raider Athletics!
Check out the nominees in the video for Game/Event of the Year, Performance of the Year and Play of the Year, and vote at this link: https://goblueraiders.com/sb_output.aspx?form=120
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Men's Cross Country and Track & Field
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Golf
/ Men's Tennis
2B
/ Softball
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Tennis
RHP
/ Softball
/ Men's Tennis
MTSU Football at Nevada highlights – 9/13/25
Sunday, September 14
MTSU Football Postgame Press Conference @ Nevada on 09-13-25
Sunday, September 14
MTSU Volleyball Recap 9/5/25-9/7/25
Tuesday, September 09
MTSU Tennis Pro-Am 9/6/25
Tuesday, September 09
