Tech opens five-game home stand with pair of midweek tilts against USC Upstate
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team opens a five-game home stand over the next six days on Tuesday, kicking off a two-game, midweek series against USC Upstate at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
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By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team opens a five-game home stand over the next six days on Tuesday, kicking off a two-game, midweek series against USC Upstate at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
Tuesday's tilt is slated for a 6:00 p.m. CT first pitch while Wednesday's finale with the Spartans will feature a 3:00 p.m. start. The Golden Eagles will then play host to in-state rival UT Martin in Ohio Valley Conference action this weekend, opening a three-game series with the Skyhawks on Friday evening.
Both contests are slated to be streamed on ESPN+ with Dylan Vazzano on the call. Admission to all Tech home baseball games is free of charge.
With inclement weather, including rain, expected in the Cookeville area throughout the week, fans are encouraged to check TTUSports.com and Tennessee Tech social media for any potential updates to this weekend's schedule.
THE SERIES
Wednesday's series opener marks just the third match-up between the two programs all time, with the Spartans holding a slight 2-0 edge in the series. The two squads met for the first time last season in Spartanburg, S.C., with USC Upstate literally walking off with a pair of victories.
The Spartans won a back-and-forth affair in the opener, taking a 2-0 lead before Tech responded with four unanswered runs to flip the script. Upstate bounced back with a single run in the fifth and two in the sixth to take a 5-4 advantage, before the Golden Eagles squared things back up in the eighth.
The game seemed destined for extras after the purple and gold picked up a pair of quick outs to open the bottom of the ninth, but the Spartans kept things alive with a walk. Taking advantage of new life, Upstate's Grant Sherrod ended the ball game with a two-run, walk-off home run to left field.
Another roller coaster contest awaited the two sides in game two, with the Golden Eagles bursting out to a 3-1 lead after the first. The Spartans fought back from a 4-2 deficit with four runs in the sixth, moved out front 6-4.
Tech switched the lead again behind a three-run jack off the bat of Hayden Gilliland in the seventh, but Upstate knotted things once more in the eighth with a sacrifice fly. Troy Hamilton then played hero for the Spartans in the ninth, smashing a walk-off bomb to center field on the first pitch of the inning.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Eagles enter Tuesday's midweek series opener after falling in all three contests of an Ohio Valley Conference series at Eastern Illinois last weekend in Charleston, Ill. The Panthers opened the series with an 8-6 win, holding off a late Tech push to take the first end of a doubleheader.
In the second game of the day, the Golden Eagles rallied from a 6-2 deficit in the eighth, plating four runs to tie the contest at 6-6. Eastern Illinois responded by walking off the contest in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, gathering an RBI single.
EIU controlled the series finale from start to finish, scoring six runs over the third, fourth, and fifth frames for a 6-0 lead. The purple and gold scored once in the sixth, but were stymied most of the day in a 6-1 loss.
THE OPPONENT
The Spartans head into the midweek series after two of three tilts against UNCG last weekend in Spartanburg. Squaring off in a non-conference series, USC Upstate downed the Trojans in the bookend tilts.
In the opener, Upstate rolled out to a 5-0 lead after the first, controlling things the rest of the way for a 10-5 victory. Game two was a four-hour marathon that went in favor of the visitors from Greensboro, as UNCG outlasted the home squad 4-3 in 15 innings.
After the Spartans took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth, the Trojans responded with a game-tying, RBI triple down the right-field line with two outs. With new life, UNCG kept the strong Upstate offense at bay until the Trojan bats came through in the 15th with an RBI double down the left-field line.
USC Upstate earned the win in a slobber knocker of a finale, outpacing the Trojans 18-13. Down 11-5 after three innings, the Spartans delivered their comeback salvo with four runs in the sixth, one marker in the seventh, and a game-changing outburst of eight runs in the eighth.
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) | 550 | ||
| 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.
OVC HONORS
Last Monday, junior infielder Eddie Garza picked up the first OVC Player of the Week honor of his career after helping lead the Golden Eagles to a three-game sweep of Southern Indiana. The second baseman hit .667 with three home runs, four runs scored, and nine RBI during the week, slugging a ridiculous 1.417.
Back on Mar. 24, senior outfielder Nicho Jordan was recognized as the OVC Player of the Week for the first time in his career, slashing .583/.688/.1.417 over four games with three home runs, six RBI, and eight runs scored. After opening Tech's first OVC series at Little Rock 1-for-4, Jordan exploded in the second contest, tallying two home runs (including one of the inside-the-park variety) on a 4-for-4 day with five RBI, five runs, a walk, and a stolen base.
On Feb. 17, sophomore catcher Mack Whitcomb earned his first career OVC Player of the Week nod, batting .385 with five extra-base hits, six RBI, and five runs in a four-game sweep over Le Moyne on opening weekend. He slugged 1.154 while turning in an OPS of 1.625, smashing two long balls along the way.
Twitter: @TNTech_Baseball
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Current Week Schedule
Tuesday, Apr. 22 | vs. USC Upstate | 6:00 p.m. CT
Wednesday, Apr. 23 | vs. USC Upstate | 3:00 p.m. CT
Friday, Apr. 25 | vs. UT Martin | 6:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, Apr. 26 | vs. UT Martin | 2:00 p.m. CT
Sunday, Apr. 27 | vs. UT Martin | 1:00 p.m. CT
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2025 Record: 24-16
2025 OVC Record: 9-6
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 550-495-2 (19th Season)
Career: 601-571-3 (22nd Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Mack Whitcomb (.364)
2B: Whitcomb (12)
3B: Jackson Green (2)
HR: Whitcomb (9)
RBI: Whitcomb (36)
R: Whitcomb (36)
BB: Jorsixth Jimenez / Owen Lee (26)
SLG%: Whitcomb (.650)
OB%: Whitcomb (.486)
SB: Nicho Jordan (11)
ERA: Juan Vargas (2.17)
W: Jack Brafa (6)
APP: Drew Mattox (15)
IP: Jaxson Pease (49.1)
K: Pease (40)
BAA: Vargas (.200)
SV: Vargas (6)
USC UPSTATE SPARTANS
2025 Record: 21-19
2025 Big South Record: 8-4
Head Coach: Kane Sweeney
USCU: 21-19 (1st Season)
Career: Same
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Scott Campbell (.404)
2B: Vance Sheahan / Henry Zenor (12)
3B: Jake Armsey (2)
HR: Scott Newman (13)
RBI: Johnny Sweeney (49)
R: Newman (50)
BB: Newman (27)
SLG%: Sweeney (.677)
OB%: Campbell (.518)
SB: Sheahan (20)
ERA: Darin Kuskie (4.24)
W: Chris Torres (4)
APP: Max Bianchini (16)
IP: Torres (46.2)
K: Torres (5)
BAA: Kuskie (.216)
SV: Cooper Ellingworth / Amp Phillips (2)
Photo by Jim Dillon
