Blue Raiders split doubleheader, take series with run rule rout

Saturday, February 14

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

12 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

1-1

Bellarmine

1-1

Bellarmine

Middle Tenn.

2/14/2026 8:30:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Willie Phaler, MTSU Athletic Communications

MURFREESBORO, Tenn.- Middle Tennessee baseball (2-1) finished its opening series on a high note Saturday night after taking down Bellarmine (1-2) 15-5, in an eight inning run rule victory.

Brett Rogers led the way in the Blue Raiders hit parade, as the right fielder went 5-for-5 for the second time in his career. The redshirt sophomore knocked in four RBI to go with a triple and four singles.

Rogers' counterpart across the outfield, left fielder Nathan Brewer added five RBI on three hits for Middle Tennessee. Brewer knocked in the final two runs for MTSU, ending the game by run rule as Rogers and Tyler Minnick scored. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native also picked up his first long ball of the year, hitting a ball 421 feet to extend the lead to 12-5.

Minnick added to the offensive palooza and got himself on the home run leaderboard in the second inning with a three-run home run off the Lee Victory Wall in left field. This combined with four first inning runs put the Blue Raiders up 7-0.

Starting pitcher Chandler Alderman (W, 1-0) was strong in his season debut, throwing 4.0 innings while allowing only two earned runs. The 6-foot-5 southpaw gave the Blue Raiders more than enough length with the strong run support, and handed it off to the bullpen which was strong once again.

John Michael Pickens (S, 1), was masterful in his first appearance as a Blue Raider, locking down the save in 3.1 innings of work while allowing only two hits to the Knights. Pickens picked up two strikeouts, including sitting down Bellarmine catcher Mason Acton to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning.

Middle Tennessee fell in game one of the doubleheader 6-3. The Knights jumped on Blue Raider starter David Horn Jr. early, tagging him for two runs in the first inning.

The senior transfer settled in during the second inning, but Bellarmine's bats heated back up in third and fourth pushing across one in each frame. Overall, Horn Jr. allowed four earned across 3.1 innings with five strikeouts.

The Blue Raider bats were kept at bay for the first 6.0 innings by Bellarmine's Chase Carver (W, 1-0), before redshirt junior shortstop Matt Wolfe broke through against the right-handed starter with a solo home run into the bleachers of Floyd Stadium.

Sophomore right-hander Gavin King turned heads in his debut out of the bullpen. At 6-foot-7, King has flashed a fastball into the mid to upper 90s, and it was on display across 4.0 innings of work. The junior college transfer struck out five of the 15 hitters he faced while keeping the walks down to two hitters.

Middle Tennessee made it close in the ninth. After Minnick was struck by a pitch, second baseman Cooper Clapp left 'The Reese' to right field making it 6-3, but it proved to be too little too late.

By the Numbers

9.2: The amount of innings thrown by the Blue Raider pen in the doubleheader, leading to the series win.
4: Middle Tennessee belted four home runs out of Reese Smith Jr. Field on Saturday.
2: The number of times Brett Rogers has clubbed five hits in a game as a Blue Raider.

The Skipper Speaks (Jerry Meyers)

"I think it's an indication of one of the best steps is that he had a poor game in game one of that doubleheader, and then did that in game two," Meyers said of Rogers. "He's matured a lot. For a young guy who only has one year under his belt… He came back in game two and didn't try to do too much and got back to what he's been doing and what his intent his at the plate."

Player Perspective (RS-SO Brett Rogers)

"It's our approach," Rogers said. "Catching the ball out in front, your OPS goes up when you pull the baseball. Hitting doubles and bombs to the pull side. We do that everyday and its just a weekend where there were a few pitchers where we could get into our double-bomb approach."

Up next

The Blue Raiders will stay home for four games next week. MTSU will welcome Alabama A&M (0-1) to Reese Smith Jr. Field on Tuesday, Feb. 17 for both squads' first midweek action of the year. Later in the week, Middle Tennessee will welcome St. Bonaventure (2-2) to the volunteer state for a three-game weekend set.