Meyers picks up win No. 250 as Blue Raiders take down Alabama A&M

Tuesday, March 24

Huntsville, Ala.

1 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

13-12

Alabama A&M

7-20

Middle Tenn.

Alabama A&M

3/24/2026 5:24:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Willie Phaler, MTSU Athletic Communications

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.- Middle Tennessee baseball (13-12, 2-4 CUSA) bounced back in a 10-2 win over Alabama A&M (7-20, 2-5 SWAC) on Tuesday afternoon. The win was the 250th of head coach Jerry Meyers' career.

The Blue Raiders completed the midweek sweep over the Bulldogs behind a strong effort on the mound from a trio of arms paired with the offense producing runs in five different innings. Dean O'Neill led the effort offensively, going 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI.

The offense put a crooked number on the board in the top of the first inning, with O'Neill picking up his first of three RBIs on the day with a single to left field, scoring Owen Nowak.

Tyler Minnick and O'Neill bumped the Middle Tennessee lead up to 3-0 in the third inning. Minnick notched his 10th double of the season, allowing Brett Rogers to score while O'Neill pushed Minnick across the plate on another single to left field.

With a three-run lead, right-hander Bryant Beranek (W, 1-1) settled in on the mound in the Rocket City, tossing 5.0 innings of shutout baseball. The Tennessee native struck out two Bulldogs, while inducing seven fly ball outs.

Middle Tennessee's offense kept chugging along through the middle and late innings to support Beranek's starting effort on the mound. Cooper Clapp scampered home in the fifth inning on a wild pitch.

Three more runs crossed in the seventh inning due to a medley of miscues from the Bulldogs. Layne Akers drew a walk with the bases loaded to score Tyler Minnick. The next at-bat, Nathan Brewer scored on a wild pitch, and Bulldogs' pitcher Edyn Barber missed a throw from the backstop that allowed Brett Vondohlen to score on the play as well.

The Blue Raiders added the cherry on top to Meyers' 250th win with a three-run ninth inning. O'Neill hit his eighth home run of the season to left field, while Akers and Clay Badylak picked up RBIs to extend the lead.

After Beranek's outing was over, left-hander John Michael Pickens provided 3.0 innings of scoreless relief for the Blue Raiders, striking out one while not walking a batter. Right-hander Mason Dobbs took the mound for the ninth, allowing the Bulldogs only two runs on a two-run home run by Keilon Pernell.

By the Numbers:

250: Today's win marked the 250th win of head coach Jerry Meyers' career. It is his 83rd at the helm of the Blue Raiders.

10: John Michael Pickens picked up his 10th strikeout of the season in his outing Tuesday afternoon.

1.96: Bryant Beranek worked his season ERA down to 1.96 with his five scoreless frames in the win.

The Skipper Speaks (Jerry Meyers)

We started slow offensively and got a good enough quality start out of Beranek, Meyers said. The bullpen threw enough strikes for the most part in the back half of the game. We made a couple plays, and they gave us a couple free 90s, then we did barrel up a few balls.

I've spent 0 time thinking about that at all, Meyers said about the career win milestone. Even moving forward, it's the same thing. It's just a number, which is cliche, but I'm fortunate enough to have stayed in college baseball for over 30 years at the places I've been and to be a head coach for a third of those years.

Player Perspective (Dean O'Neill)

The venues I used to play in the conference I used to play in, were quite similar to this so I felt right at home, O'Neill said. Obviously not ideal, but I was able to make an adjustment.

Up next

Middle Tennessee will resume Conference USA play with a home series against New Mexico State (11-12, 3-3 CUSA). First pitch for game one of the series on Friday night is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT.