Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Friday, February 21
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
3 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
2-3
6
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4
FDU
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9
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FDU
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Middle Tennessee
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Photo by: Emily Cole/MT Athletic Communications
Middle Tennessee tops FDU 6-4 behind Phillips' strong start
2/21/2025 7:41:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee grabbed game one against Fairleigh Dickinson, 6-4, thanks to another dominant start on the mound by Trace Phillips.
The Blue Raiders (2-3, 0-0 CUSA) jumped on the Knights (0-4, 0-0 NEC) early, with Phillips fanning two hitters in the opening frame. Eston Snider led off the bottom of the inning with his first home run of the year, making it 1-0 heading to the second.
MTSU added another run in the third inning, with Snider coming around to score on a Tyler Minnick groundout to make the score 2-0.
On the mound, Phillips dominated once again with six innings, tying a career-high with nine strikeouts and allowing only four hits to earn his second win of the season.
The Blue Raiders' offense struck again in the sixth, scoring two runs. Nathan Brewer doubled, and Clay Badylak had an infield single, scoring on a double-error by FDU. The Blue Raiders led 4-0 heading into the seventh.
The Knights scratched across two runs in the following two innings, putting the game within two runs. However, Badylak came up clutch again in the bottom of the eighth with a two-RBI single to give the Blue Raiders a four-run lead heading into the final frame.
MTSU allowed two runs to score, but the damage was limited as the Blue Raiders took game one, 6-4, at Reese Smith Jr. Field on Friday afternoon.
Badylak and Brewer led the Raiders with hits, each going 3-for-4. Snider and Minnick followed with two hits apiece.
By the Numbers
Up Next
The Blue Raiders will host game two against FDU tomorrow, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. at "The Reese."
Follow the Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball), and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
The Blue Raiders (2-3, 0-0 CUSA) jumped on the Knights (0-4, 0-0 NEC) early, with Phillips fanning two hitters in the opening frame. Eston Snider led off the bottom of the inning with his first home run of the year, making it 1-0 heading to the second.
MTSU added another run in the third inning, with Snider coming around to score on a Tyler Minnick groundout to make the score 2-0.
On the mound, Phillips dominated once again with six innings, tying a career-high with nine strikeouts and allowing only four hits to earn his second win of the season.
The Blue Raiders' offense struck again in the sixth, scoring two runs. Nathan Brewer doubled, and Clay Badylak had an infield single, scoring on a double-error by FDU. The Blue Raiders led 4-0 heading into the seventh.
The Knights scratched across two runs in the following two innings, putting the game within two runs. However, Badylak came up clutch again in the bottom of the eighth with a two-RBI single to give the Blue Raiders a four-run lead heading into the final frame.
MTSU allowed two runs to score, but the damage was limited as the Blue Raiders took game one, 6-4, at Reese Smith Jr. Field on Friday afternoon.
Badylak and Brewer led the Raiders with hits, each going 3-for-4. Snider and Minnick followed with two hits apiece.
By the Numbers
- 9: Trace Phillips tied his career-high with nine strikeouts. He has 17 strikeouts on the year, the most in Conference USA by three.
- .481: Batting average for Eston Snider, good enough for the top 10 in the conference.
- 50: Strikeouts by the Blue Raiders so far this season.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders will host game two against FDU tomorrow, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. at "The Reese."
Follow the Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball), and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Phillips, Trace (2-0)
L: MATTIOLI, Chris (0-2)
Batting:
2B: BOUFFARD, Andre 1 ; GOMEZ, Johnathan 1
RBI: URRETA, Diego 1 ; DIMOTTA, Joey 1 ; GOMEZ, Johnathan 1 ; MANTUANO, Jimmy 1
SH: STROH, Travis 1
Base Running:
RUNS: URRETA, Diego 1 ; BOUFFARD, Andre 1 ; DUDECK, Nate 1 ; QUAGLIATO, Nick 1
SB: CHEESEMAN, Jeremy 1
HBP: CHEESEMAN, Jeremy 1 ; RAY, Hunter 1
Batting:
2B: Brewer, Nathan 1
HR: Snider, Eston 1
RBI: Snider, Eston 1 ; Minnick, Tyler 1 ; Badylak, Clay 3
SH: Ray, Keaton 1 ; Miller, Hayden 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Snider, Eston 2 ; Wolfe, Matt 1 ; Brewer, Nathan 2 ; Badylak, Clay 1
SB: Minnick, Tyler 1 ; Badylak, Clay 1
CS: Badylak, Clay 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
3
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF/RHP
/ Baseball
OF
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