Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Sunday, March 1
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
1 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
8-3
7
vs
14
Illinois State
7-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Illinois St.
8
0
0
2
0
1
1
1
1
14
14
2
Middle Tenn.
0
1
0
4
0
0
1
0
1
7
9
5
MTSU baseball falls in series finale against Illinois State
3/1/2026 6:32:00 PM | Baseball
Middle Tennessee baseball (8-3) dropped the series finale against the Illinois State Redbirds (7-5), 14-7.
After winning the first two games to secure the series victory against the Redbirds, the Blue Raiders came out of the gates slow. Starter David Horn Jr. (L, 1-2) was pulled after 0.2 of an inning, and was tagged for seven runs by the Illinois State offense.
ISU came out of the first frame with an 8-0 lead, but the Blue Raiders got themselves on the board in the second with an RBI single by Dean O'Neill that scored Brett Rogers.
The MTSU offense continued in the fourth and fifth, with two runs in each frame. O'Neill lined a double down the right field line to score two for the Blue Raiders, while redshirt freshman Layne Akers launched his first career hit with a home run off the Lee Victory Wall. Akers' blast, which was the first of his career as well, brought the game to a 10-5 score.
Illinois State added one insurance run in each of the next four innings, upping its run output to 14 total.
Brett Vondohlen and Kenny McKinley both got in the RBI column in the late stages of the game as well. Vondohlen knocked in Owen Nowak on an RBI single to center field in the seventh, while McKinley pushed Calvin Cook across the plate for his first career run on a ground out to third in the bottom of the ninth.
Middle Tennessee used five relievers in the loss: John Michael Pickens, Jack Fortner, Ethan Robinson, Abel Albarran and Ollie Akens. Fortner led the way, striking out three across 2.2 innings, while Albarran went 3.0 innings to lead the team. Akens struck out two in his season debut in the ninth inning.
By the Numbers:
2x1: Layne Akers and Calvin Cook both picked up their first career hit. Akers hit a home run in the fifth, while Cook singled in the ninth.
9: The Blue Raiders collected nine hits on offense in the loss.
2: Dean O'Neill picked up three RBI for the second time this season.
The Skipper Speaks (Jerry Meyers)
"Both are high character individuals," Meyers said of Akers and Cook after their first career hits. "Its hard for a coach to say, 'Hey be patient, be patient,' but you look around and Vondohlen, Brewer, Rogers, they all had to kind of wait for their time and they had to stay ready… Its rewarding to see them have some success right there.
Player Perspective (Layne Akers)
"You just have to stay ready, that's our big thing," Akers said. "The opportunity's going to come and when it does, you just do all you can to take it in and make the best of it."
Up Next
The Blue Raiders will welcome Murray State (10-2) to Murfreesboro for a midweek match up on Tuesday to kickoff a five-game slate next week.
After winning the first two games to secure the series victory against the Redbirds, the Blue Raiders came out of the gates slow. Starter David Horn Jr. (L, 1-2) was pulled after 0.2 of an inning, and was tagged for seven runs by the Illinois State offense.
ISU came out of the first frame with an 8-0 lead, but the Blue Raiders got themselves on the board in the second with an RBI single by Dean O'Neill that scored Brett Rogers.
The MTSU offense continued in the fourth and fifth, with two runs in each frame. O'Neill lined a double down the right field line to score two for the Blue Raiders, while redshirt freshman Layne Akers launched his first career hit with a home run off the Lee Victory Wall. Akers' blast, which was the first of his career as well, brought the game to a 10-5 score.
Illinois State added one insurance run in each of the next four innings, upping its run output to 14 total.
Brett Vondohlen and Kenny McKinley both got in the RBI column in the late stages of the game as well. Vondohlen knocked in Owen Nowak on an RBI single to center field in the seventh, while McKinley pushed Calvin Cook across the plate for his first career run on a ground out to third in the bottom of the ninth.
Middle Tennessee used five relievers in the loss: John Michael Pickens, Jack Fortner, Ethan Robinson, Abel Albarran and Ollie Akens. Fortner led the way, striking out three across 2.2 innings, while Albarran went 3.0 innings to lead the team. Akens struck out two in his season debut in the ninth inning.
By the Numbers:
2x1: Layne Akers and Calvin Cook both picked up their first career hit. Akers hit a home run in the fifth, while Cook singled in the ninth.
9: The Blue Raiders collected nine hits on offense in the loss.
2: Dean O'Neill picked up three RBI for the second time this season.
The Skipper Speaks (Jerry Meyers)
"Both are high character individuals," Meyers said of Akers and Cook after their first career hits. "Its hard for a coach to say, 'Hey be patient, be patient,' but you look around and Vondohlen, Brewer, Rogers, they all had to kind of wait for their time and they had to stay ready… Its rewarding to see them have some success right there.
Player Perspective (Layne Akers)
"You just have to stay ready, that's our big thing," Akers said. "The opportunity's going to come and when it does, you just do all you can to take it in and make the best of it."
Up Next
The Blue Raiders will welcome Murray State (10-2) to Murfreesboro for a midweek match up on Tuesday to kickoff a five-game slate next week.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: L. Foley (3-0)
L: Horn Jr., David (1-2)
Batting:
2B: L. Stulga 1 ; B. Bakes 1
HR: B. Bakes 1 ; N. Barry 1
RBI: L. Stulga 2 ; J. Outlaw 1 ; B. Bakes 1 ; E. Machej 3 ; C. Karczewsk 2 ; N. Barry 2
SF: L. Stulga 1
Base Running:
RUNS: L. Stulga 1 ; R. Bakes 1 ; B. Bakes 4 ; G. Mastros 2 ; E. Machej 1 ; M. Carrano 1 ; C. Karczewsk 2 ; N. Barry 2
SB: L. Stulga 1 ; R. Bakes 1 ; E. Machej 1 ; N. Barry 1
HBP: C. Karczewsk 1
PO: L. Stulga 1
Batting:
2B: Rogers, Brett 1 ; O'Neill, Dean 1
HR: Akers, Layne 1
RBI: Vondohlen, Brett 1 ; McKinley, Kenny 1 ; O'Neill, Dean 3 ; Akers, Layne 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Minnick, Tyler 1 ; Rogers, Brett 2 ; O'Neill, Dean 1 ; Akers, Layne 1 ; Badylak, Clay 1 ; Cook, Calvin 1
SB: Rogers, Brett 2
HBP: Brewer, Nathan 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
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UTL
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RHP
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INF
/ Baseball
RHP
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RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballC
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LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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OF
/ Baseball
INF
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