Middle Tennessee’s 8-7 win on Saturday clinches series against New Mexico State

Saturday, March 28

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

3 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

15-12, 4-4

New Mexico State

11-15, 3-5

New Mexico St.

Middle Tenn.

3/28/2026 7:19:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Anthony Fiorella, MTSU Athletic Communications

MURFREESBORO, Tenn.—Baseball can be as simple or as complicated of a game as one makes it. Today, Middle Tennessee (15-12, 4-4 CUSA) kept it simple on Saturday, not trying to do too much at the plate. With the bases loaded in both the sixth, seventh and eighth innings after trailing New Mexico State (11-15, 3-5 CUSA), Middle Tennessee got a few RBI groundouts and RBI singles to keep the line moving and produce four runs to help win the series with a 8-7 win on Saturday.

Middle Tennessee broke through first with an RBI hit up the middle by designated hitter Layne Akers in the bottom of the second inning to make it a 1-0 game. New Mexico State scored an unearned run in the third and added a pair on a two-run home run in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead.

With two out in the bottom of the fourth, Tyler Minnick collected his 28th RBI of the year to bring the Blue Raiders within one. After allowing four hits in a row, including the home run, Middle Tennessee starter Drew Horn set his last seven batters down in order to complete six innings of work, allowing just two earned runs with six strikeouts prior to Gavin King entering the game.

Middle Tennessee got King the lead back in the sixth on a pair of RBI groundouts from Owen Nowak and Minnick, and then a two-out RBI single from CUSA hit's leader Brett Rogers to make it 5-3 Blue Raiders. With one out and the bases loaded in the seventh, pinch-hitter Cale Vinson got himself his first RBI of the year to get Middle Tennessee an insurance run and make it 6-3. In the eighth, Akers came through with a two-RBI single with the bases loaded and two outs to make it 8-3.

Colin Kerrigan finished it out on the mound for the Blue Raiders. The lefty came into the game with two on and one out in the eighth and struck out a pair to make it five strikeouts in a row going back to yesterday's game. New Mexico State got the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position with a big ninth inning, but the junior got a groundout to end it and get his second save of the season.

At the plate, Layne Akers paced the Blue Raiders by going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored. Nathan Brewer also had a 3-for-4 afternoon with a double and a run. Nowak, Rogers, Vinson and Minnick (two) all had RBI(s) and the Blue Raiders drew 10 walks as a team. Middle Tennessee finished the game 7-for-18 with runners in scoring position and went 5-for-12 with two outs. \

By the Numbers

29: RBIs for Tyler Minnick to tie Dean O'Neill for the team lead.

38: Hits for Brett Rogers leads Conference USA.

6.0: Innings is the longest outing of the year for Drew Horn, who also leads the team with 36 strikeouts after today's game.

11: strikeouts by Blue Raider pitching this afternoon.

The Skipper Speaks (Jerry Meyers)

"Cale Vinson's sac fly ended up being huge when you look at the box score at the end of the day," said Middle Tennessee Head Coach Jerry Meyers. "Layne Akers, same thing. It helped us tack on. A lot of those guys got on-base because of the at-bats those guys put together. We got hit by some pitches, took walks and put some in play, but we didn't leave the zone in terms of plate discipline, and it helped us create some big innings."

Player Perspective (DH Layne Akers)

"We work on approach every day, just trying to stay back up the middle past the pitcher," Akers said. "It worked out twice today going right back up the middle. You just have to trust in your ability. Top to bottom, we have dudes. We trust the bottom of the lineup just as much as the top." Player Perspective (RHP Drew Horn) "When your hitters are giving you run support, it's a lot easier to just go out and pitch," Horn said. "They've been doing that for me all year, but I'm glad I was able to get back to pitching the way I have been. The curveball wasn't landing, but the slider was there for me. The fastball was my go-to. When I was able to go slider out and fastball back in that worked well. A lot of their hitters really like it up or down, they don't like it in or out as much, so that helped me a lot today when I was able to (mix the slider and fastball)."

Up next

The final game of the series is set for an 11:00 a.m. first pitch tomorrow morning. The game can be watched on ESPN+ and heard on the Blue Raider Network.