Golden Eagles return home for in-state battle with former OVC rival Austin Peay
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team makes a quick pit stop in Cookeville between road weekends, playing host to in-state rival Austin Peay in a midweek battle at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex on Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. CT.
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By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team makes a quick pit stop in Cookeville between road weekends, playing host to in-state rival Austin Peay in a midweek battle at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex on Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. CT.
The contest is slated to be streamed live on ESPN+ with Dylan Vazzano on the call. Admission to all Tech baseball games is free of charge. Fans are encouraged to check TTUSports.com and Tennessee Tech social media for any potential updates to this week's schedule.
THE SERIES
Tuesday's match-up represents the 186th meeting between the two ball clubs in the all-time series, with the Governors holding a 97-87-1 lead. The Golden Eagles hold the advantage when playing Cookeville, leading 42-36-1.
This will mark the first tilt between the two in-state rivals since Austin Peay's departure from the Ohio Valley Conference following the 2022 campaign. The Govs earned an 11-4 win in the series opener, a contest that featured a rain delay of more than two hours.
Tech rebounded in a rollercoaster of a game two, taking a 4-0 lead before Austin Peay jumped on top in the sixth, 6-5. The purple and gold rallied to plate three in the seventh and two more in the eighth to earn a 10-7 win.
In the series finale, Tech spoiled a great start to the Govs' day, turning a 5-0 deficit after the second winning into a monster win by scoring 14 unanswered runs for a 14-5 victory on Senior Day.
CLIMBING THE LEADERBOARD
Four-time Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year Matt Bragga is back for his 19th overall season at the helm of the Golden Eagle program and fourth after making his return to Cookeville in 2022. The Tech legend is starting to climb the OVC's all-time coaching wins list, currently ranked sixth overall. Bragga and TTU Sports Hall of Famer David Mays represent the only pair of coaches from the same school to rank in the league's top eight of OVC wins.
| 1. | Gary McClure, Austin Peay (1988-15) | 847 | ||
| 2. | Johnny Reagan, Murray State (1958-93) | 776 | ||
| 3. | Jim Ward, Eastern Kentucky (1980-01) | 628 | ||
| 4. | Jim Case, Jacksonville State (2004-21) | 564 | ||
| 5. | David Mays, Tennessee Tech (1974-98) | 554 | ||
| 6. | Matt Bragga, Tennessee Tech (2004-18, 22-present) | 541 | ||
| 7. | Mark Hogan, Southeast Missouri (1995-12) | 526 | ||
| 8. | Jim Schmitz, Eastern Illinois (1997-15) | 480 | ||
| 9. | John Stanford, Middle Tennessee (1974-87) | 402 | ||
| 10. | Steve Peterson, Middle Tennessee (1988-00) | 401 |
PRESEASON OUTLOOK
The purple and gold were selected to finish third in the OVC in a preseason vote of league head baseball coaches and communications directors, falling behind only defending tournament champion Southeast Missouri and defending regular-season champ Little Rock.
During its 2025 OVC Season Preview, D1baseball.com selected southpaw Jared Herzog as the No. 1 prospect in the league for the 2025 MLB Draft while outfielder Jorsixt Jimenez was ranked 11th. The D1baseball crew listed catcher Mack Whitcomb as the No. 2 prospect from the OVC for the 2026 MLB Draft, right-handed pitcher Jack Brafa No. 7 and right-handed hurler Juan Vargas No. 9. Rookie righty Carter Casabella was selected as an Impact Freshman, sitting at No. 10.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Eagles enter the midweek match-up with their former OVC rivals after a 1-2 showing at Mercer over the weekend. The Bears controlled the series opener in Macon, Ga., earning a 9-1 win while scoring all nine runs in the game's opening three innings.
Tech rebounded to square the series on Saturday, overcoming a 5-0 deficit after the third to claim a 9-7 victory. The purple and gold plated one in the fourth and two in the fifth to get back into the contest before exploding for five more runs in the seventh to jump on top. Mercer claimed the series finale on Sunday with a 6-3 win, limiting the Tech bats to just three hits.
THE OPPONENT
Austin Peay comes to Cookeville at 13-7 overall after opening Atlantic Sun Conference action with a 2-1 showing against Lipscomb up in Clarksville over the weekend. The Governors won a decisive, 7-1 contest in Friday's opener before dominating the second game of the doubleheader with a 17-7 victory in seven innings.
With inclement weather knocking out Saturday action, the two sides squared off in the finale on Sunday, with the Bisons shocking the Govs with an 8-6, comeback win to avoid the sweep. Austin Peay built a 5-0 lead after three innings and still maintained a 5-2 advantage heading into the eighth before Lipscomb rallied for six runs to take the lead for good.
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Current Midweek Schedule
Tuesday, Mar. 18 | 6:00 p.m. CT | vs. Austin Peay
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2025 Record: 15-6
2025 OVC Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 541-485-2 (19th Season)
Career: 592-561-3 (22nd Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Mack Whitcomb (.342)
2B: Whitcomb (6)
3B: Jackson Green / Whitcomb (1)
HR: Owen Lee (5)
RBI: Whitcomb (21)
R: O. Lee (21)
BB: Whitcomb (14)
SLG%: Whitcomb (.616)
OB%: Whitcomb (.473)
SB: Green / Nicho Jordan (4)
ERA: Reece McDuffie (1.62)
W: Jack Brafa (4)
APP: Drew Mattox (8)
IP: Jaxson Pease (25.2)
K: Pease (24)
BAA: McDuffie (.190)
SV: McDuffie / Juan Vargas (3)
AUSTIN PEAY GOVERNORS
2025 Record: 13-7
2025 ASUN Record: 2-1
Head Coach: Roland Fanning
APSU: 74-58 (3rd Season)
Career: Same
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Cameron Nickens (.354)
2B: Nickens (8)
3B: John Bay (3)
HR: Nickens (6)
RBI: Nickens (21)
R: Bay (27)
BB: Bay (18)
SLG%: Nickens (.709)
OB%: Gus Freeman (.543)
SB: Freeman / Kyler Proctor (5)
ERA: Kaleb Applebey (1.54)
W: Gavin Braunecker (3)
APP: Landon Slemp (7)
IP: Cody Airington (26.2)
K: Airington (23)
BAA: Applebey (.186)
SV: 3 players tied (1)
Photo by Betty Myers
