Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Friday, April 28
6:00 PM CT
Middle Tennessee
vs
Louisiana Tech
Photo by: Emily Cole/MT Athletic Communications
Blue Raiders and Bulldogs Primed for Three-Game Series
4/27/2023 4:30:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee Baseball is back at home and back in Conference USA play. The LA Tech Bulldogs come to Murfreesboro for a critical three-game series at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
First pitch for Friday's series opener is set for 6:00 p.m. A 3:00 p.m. start is slated for Saturday before a 1:00 p.m. series finale is scheduled for Sunday.
ESPN+ will broadcast the series, with WGNS 101.9 FM / 1450 AM (Murfreesboro), WGNS 100.5 FM (Smyrna), GoBlueRaiders.com and the Varsity Network App carrying the radio broadcast.
Series History
LA Tech leads the all-time series between the teams, 19-13. However, Middle Tennessee took last year's series in Ruston, winning Sunday's rubber matchup in 12 innings behind a Gabe Jennings two-run double.
Probable Starting Pitchers
The Raiders will use RHP Patrick Johnson in Friday's game before turning the ball over to fellow righty Jaden Hamm for Saturday. Sunday's starter is still TBD.
Standings Glace
At 21-19 overall and 10-8 in C-USA, the Blue Raiders sit in fourth place the league, one game ahead of the Bulldogs (20-22, 9-9). Both teams are playing for seeding in next month's Conference USA Championships in Houston.
Quick Hitters
MTSU's Sunday win over Rice was significant for more reasons than being the series-clincher. It was the first time the Raiders started a left-handed pitcher all year, and was the first time the team went to extra innings in 2023. And in both cases, the Blue Raiders delivered. LHP Jake Cothran gave 3.2 innings of one-run production, striking out four. But the highlight Sunday was CF Luke Vinson's walk-off home run to lead off the 11th inning. It was the junior's first homer this year, and the first walk-off homer by any Blue Raider in exactly two years, since Briggs Rutter walked off UAB with a three-run home run in 2021.
DH Jeremiah Boyd had an invaluable week at the plate last week, hitting four home runs and hitting a combined .313 against Lipscomb and Rice. The graduate student drove in seven runs and slugged 1.063 across the four matchups. Twice this season, Boyd has hit homers in consecutive games, including in Games 2 and 3 against Rice, and is the only Blue Raider to own that feat this year, while also being one of two players (DJ Wright) two have two home runs in a game, having done so in Sunday's rubber.
In MTSU's 8-4 Tuesday night win at Belmont, DJ Wright was 2-3 with two doubles, two runs and two RBI. One of Wright's doubles came in a five-run sixth inning in Nashville. The Raiders are 7-0 when the graduate student has multiple RBI.
Across conference games, SS Brett Coker leads the league in hits (30) and is fourth in AVG (.395), while RHP James Sells is second in saves (6).
The Blue Raiders have won 14 of their past 17 when playing either in the States of Tennessee or nearby Kentucky.
Scouting the Bulldogs
LA Tech has dropped four in a row, suffering a sweep at league leading Dallas Baptist last weekend before dropping a midweek decision at Southern Miss on Wednesday.
At .235, the Bulldogs have the league's second-lowest team batting average. However, they make up for that with their power, boasting 53 home runs on the year coming into the weekend. That figure is third-best in C-USA.
Junior infielder Logan McLeod leads the squad with a .289 AVG. Junior C/OF Jorge Corona carries a team-best .914 OPS and OF/1B Philip Matulia has a team-high13 home runs.
LHP Jonathan Fincher leads the team and is second in C-USA with 62.1 innings pitched. He carries a 4.48 ERA and is slated to start Friday's series opener. The Shreveport, La. native has gone longer than six innings in five consecutive games.
RHP Greg Martinez is the Bulldogs' scheduled Saturday starter. The native of the Miami area has struck out 33 batters across 35.0 innings. His ERA stands at 7.46. Sunday's starting pitcher for LA Tech remains TBD.
Next Up
Middle Tennessee will not play a midweek contest this upcoming week. After the LA Tech series, the squad is back in action at Dallas Baptist May 5-7.
The final home weekend series is in two weeks, against UAB May 12-14.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball) and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
First pitch for Friday's series opener is set for 6:00 p.m. A 3:00 p.m. start is slated for Saturday before a 1:00 p.m. series finale is scheduled for Sunday.
ESPN+ will broadcast the series, with WGNS 101.9 FM / 1450 AM (Murfreesboro), WGNS 100.5 FM (Smyrna), GoBlueRaiders.com and the Varsity Network App carrying the radio broadcast.
Series History
LA Tech leads the all-time series between the teams, 19-13. However, Middle Tennessee took last year's series in Ruston, winning Sunday's rubber matchup in 12 innings behind a Gabe Jennings two-run double.
Probable Starting Pitchers
The Raiders will use RHP Patrick Johnson in Friday's game before turning the ball over to fellow righty Jaden Hamm for Saturday. Sunday's starter is still TBD.
Standings Glace
At 21-19 overall and 10-8 in C-USA, the Blue Raiders sit in fourth place the league, one game ahead of the Bulldogs (20-22, 9-9). Both teams are playing for seeding in next month's Conference USA Championships in Houston.
Quick Hitters
MTSU's Sunday win over Rice was significant for more reasons than being the series-clincher. It was the first time the Raiders started a left-handed pitcher all year, and was the first time the team went to extra innings in 2023. And in both cases, the Blue Raiders delivered. LHP Jake Cothran gave 3.2 innings of one-run production, striking out four. But the highlight Sunday was CF Luke Vinson's walk-off home run to lead off the 11th inning. It was the junior's first homer this year, and the first walk-off homer by any Blue Raider in exactly two years, since Briggs Rutter walked off UAB with a three-run home run in 2021.
DH Jeremiah Boyd had an invaluable week at the plate last week, hitting four home runs and hitting a combined .313 against Lipscomb and Rice. The graduate student drove in seven runs and slugged 1.063 across the four matchups. Twice this season, Boyd has hit homers in consecutive games, including in Games 2 and 3 against Rice, and is the only Blue Raider to own that feat this year, while also being one of two players (DJ Wright) two have two home runs in a game, having done so in Sunday's rubber.
In MTSU's 8-4 Tuesday night win at Belmont, DJ Wright was 2-3 with two doubles, two runs and two RBI. One of Wright's doubles came in a five-run sixth inning in Nashville. The Raiders are 7-0 when the graduate student has multiple RBI.
Across conference games, SS Brett Coker leads the league in hits (30) and is fourth in AVG (.395), while RHP James Sells is second in saves (6).
The Blue Raiders have won 14 of their past 17 when playing either in the States of Tennessee or nearby Kentucky.
Scouting the Bulldogs
LA Tech has dropped four in a row, suffering a sweep at league leading Dallas Baptist last weekend before dropping a midweek decision at Southern Miss on Wednesday.
At .235, the Bulldogs have the league's second-lowest team batting average. However, they make up for that with their power, boasting 53 home runs on the year coming into the weekend. That figure is third-best in C-USA.
Junior infielder Logan McLeod leads the squad with a .289 AVG. Junior C/OF Jorge Corona carries a team-best .914 OPS and OF/1B Philip Matulia has a team-high13 home runs.
LHP Jonathan Fincher leads the team and is second in C-USA with 62.1 innings pitched. He carries a 4.48 ERA and is slated to start Friday's series opener. The Shreveport, La. native has gone longer than six innings in five consecutive games.
RHP Greg Martinez is the Bulldogs' scheduled Saturday starter. The native of the Miami area has struck out 33 batters across 35.0 innings. His ERA stands at 7.46. Sunday's starting pitcher for LA Tech remains TBD.
Next Up
Middle Tennessee will not play a midweek contest this upcoming week. After the LA Tech series, the squad is back in action at Dallas Baptist May 5-7.
The final home weekend series is in two weeks, against UAB May 12-14.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball) and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
Players Mentioned
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