Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Thursday, May 25
Houston, TX
12:30 PM CT
Middle Tennessee
27-27
7
vs
6
Louisiana Tech
28-30
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Middle Tennessee
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
3
1
7
8
2
Louisiana Tech
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
5
6
10
2
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sells, James (6-4)
L: HARLAND, Ryan (0-5)
S: Hamm, Jaden (1)
Batting:
2B: Wright, DJ 1
3B: Coker, Brett 1
HR: Rutter, Briggs 1
RBI: Coker, Brett 2 ; Wright, DJ 1 ; Galloway, Jackson 1 ; Rutter, Briggs 1 ; Snider, Eston 1 ; Vinson, Luke 1
SH: Galloway, Jackson 1 ; Jennings, Gabe 1 ; Vinson, Luke 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mabry, JT 2 ; Coker, Brett 1 ; Wright, DJ 1 ; Rutter, Briggs 1 ; Jennings, Gabe 1 ; Snider, Eston 1
SB: Snider, Eston 2 ; Vinson, Luke 1
HBP: Wright, DJ 1 ; Vinson, Luke 1
Batting:
2B: DAVIS, Dalton 1
HR: BATES, Ethan 1 ; BURCHFIELD, Walker 1
RBI: DAVIS, Dalton 2 ; BATES, Ethan 3 ; BURCHFIELD, Walker 1
SH: MCLEOD, Logan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DAVIS, Dalton 1 ; BATES, Ethan 1 ; BURCHFIELD, Walker 1 ; MCLEOD, Logan 1 ; COBB, Baylor 1 ; EASTERLING, Riggs 1
SB: SAFFORD, Will 1
HBP: MCLEOD, Logan 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballSS
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballOF/INF
/ Baseball
Blue Raiders Move to 2-0 in C-USA Championships
5/25/2023 4:04:00 PM | Baseball
HOUSTON – Middle Tennessee Baseball positioned itself in the drivers seat.
Less than 24 hours after winning its Conference USA Championships opener, the Blue Raiders once again rode an early lead to defeat the LA Tech Bulldogs 7-6 Thursday afternoon at Reckling Park.
The win, combined with Wednesday's victory over UTSA on the campus of Rice University, sets MTSU in the C-USA semifinals. It will now have two chances to win Saturday and advance to the tournament championship matchup.
Jaden Hamm once again came out of the bullpen to deliver 3.1 innings, earning his first save of 2023.
The offense scored four unanswered runs late to create separation Thursday. After Briggs Rutter led off the eighth with a home run, Brett Coker tripled in two runs and Eston Snider drove in another on a fielder's choice.
The late offensive flurry helped the Blue Raiders survive a Bulldog push in the ninth, capped by a three-run home run in the bottom half of the inning.
The Blue Raiders added runs in the top of the first, off a DJ Wright RBI double and a one-run fielder's choice off the bat of Jackson Galloway.
MTSU padded its lead on a two-out single in the fourth to score Snider from second base.
The Bulldogs would answer with a solo home run in the fourth inning to make it 3-1. Both teams were scoreless for an ensuing three innings before the Raiders scored their four unanswered late.
The Skipper Speaks
"There was some toughness involved there. LA Tech is a good club. They've had some ups and downs, but they've had pitching depth, with a couple of horses down in the bullpen they would have went to if they had the lead," said head coach Jerry Meyers.
"We wanted to see if we could get the ball into Hamm's hand at the end. He did exactly what we needed him to at the point in time he went in. Those last three outs are hard to get. There wasn't anyone else in this league I would have wanted out there to get those last three, and he got them."
By the Numbers
2-4: Rutter was 2-4 with a walk to go with his home run. Snider was also 2-4 with a free pass drawn in the game.
1.2: RHP Kota Sato was the first reliever out of the bullpen for the second day in a row, tossing 1.2 innings.
6: James Sells had his sixth win of the year out of the bullpen and now leads the squad in wins.
2.0: RHP Ollie Akens had a two-inning, scoreless start and struck out one.
Blue Raider Notes
The Blue Raiders won its first two games in a conference tournament for the first time as a member of C-USA. The team most recently started a league tournament 2-0 in the 2006 Sun Belt Tournament in Bowling Green, Ky.
Hamm made an appearance out of the bullpen for the second game in a row, after having no relief appearances in the regular season.
Mabry extended his current hitting streak to 12 games and his on-base streak to 12.
Next Up
With the win, Middle Tennessee will get Friday off, before playing at least once Saturday in the tournament semifinals.
The Blue Raiders will face the winner of Friday's LA Tech vs. Charlotte loser's bracket game, with first pitch scheduled for 9:00 a.m. Saturday. MTSU clinches a spot in the tournament championship with a win in that game. Should the Blue Raiders fall Saturday morning, a winner-take-all contest would be forced for 4:00 p.m. Saturday for a championship game berth.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball) and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
Less than 24 hours after winning its Conference USA Championships opener, the Blue Raiders once again rode an early lead to defeat the LA Tech Bulldogs 7-6 Thursday afternoon at Reckling Park.
The win, combined with Wednesday's victory over UTSA on the campus of Rice University, sets MTSU in the C-USA semifinals. It will now have two chances to win Saturday and advance to the tournament championship matchup.
Jaden Hamm once again came out of the bullpen to deliver 3.1 innings, earning his first save of 2023.
The offense scored four unanswered runs late to create separation Thursday. After Briggs Rutter led off the eighth with a home run, Brett Coker tripled in two runs and Eston Snider drove in another on a fielder's choice.
The late offensive flurry helped the Blue Raiders survive a Bulldog push in the ninth, capped by a three-run home run in the bottom half of the inning.
The Blue Raiders added runs in the top of the first, off a DJ Wright RBI double and a one-run fielder's choice off the bat of Jackson Galloway.
MTSU padded its lead on a two-out single in the fourth to score Snider from second base.
The Bulldogs would answer with a solo home run in the fourth inning to make it 3-1. Both teams were scoreless for an ensuing three innings before the Raiders scored their four unanswered late.
The Skipper Speaks
"There was some toughness involved there. LA Tech is a good club. They've had some ups and downs, but they've had pitching depth, with a couple of horses down in the bullpen they would have went to if they had the lead," said head coach Jerry Meyers.
"We wanted to see if we could get the ball into Hamm's hand at the end. He did exactly what we needed him to at the point in time he went in. Those last three outs are hard to get. There wasn't anyone else in this league I would have wanted out there to get those last three, and he got them."
By the Numbers
2-4: Rutter was 2-4 with a walk to go with his home run. Snider was also 2-4 with a free pass drawn in the game.
1.2: RHP Kota Sato was the first reliever out of the bullpen for the second day in a row, tossing 1.2 innings.
6: James Sells had his sixth win of the year out of the bullpen and now leads the squad in wins.
2.0: RHP Ollie Akens had a two-inning, scoreless start and struck out one.
Blue Raider Notes
The Blue Raiders won its first two games in a conference tournament for the first time as a member of C-USA. The team most recently started a league tournament 2-0 in the 2006 Sun Belt Tournament in Bowling Green, Ky.
Hamm made an appearance out of the bullpen for the second game in a row, after having no relief appearances in the regular season.
Mabry extended his current hitting streak to 12 games and his on-base streak to 12.
Next Up
With the win, Middle Tennessee will get Friday off, before playing at least once Saturday in the tournament semifinals.
The Blue Raiders will face the winner of Friday's LA Tech vs. Charlotte loser's bracket game, with first pitch scheduled for 9:00 a.m. Saturday. MTSU clinches a spot in the tournament championship with a win in that game. Should the Blue Raiders fall Saturday morning, a winner-take-all contest would be forced for 4:00 p.m. Saturday for a championship game berth.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball) and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
Facility tour – Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center
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Spring Sports Show hosted by The Boulevard – April 21, 2025: Softball and Baseball
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MTSU Baseball 2025 52nd Annual Groundhog Day Luncheon
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