Tech baseball heads to Southern Indiana looking to kickstart OVC push
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – After a big offensive showing against Lipscomb on Wednesday night, the Tennessee Tech baseball team can use that to build some momentum this weekend as the Golden Eagles head to Evansville to take on Southern Indiana Friday through Sunday. The series is slated to begin at 6 PM on Friday, followed by a 4 PM Saturday start and a 1 PM first pitch for Sunday’s finale. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
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By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – After a big offensive showing against Lipscomb on Wednesday night, the Tennessee Tech baseball team can use that to build some momentum this weekend as the Golden Eagles head to Evansville to take on Southern Indiana Friday through Sunday.
The series is slated to begin at 6 PM on Friday, followed by a 4 PM Saturday start and a 1 PM first pitch for Sunday's finale. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
With three weekends remaining in Ohio Valley Conference play, the Golden Eagles are presently on the outside looking in for the tournament field, but still in position to earn a spot in the postseason event with nine games left to play. Tech is three games back of the seventh-place tie between UT Martin and Western Illinois at 7-11 in the league.
Playing in Tech's favor, the Golden Eagles will be taking on a Screaming Eagles squad who is also trying to work their way into the playoff field as USI (23-22, 6-12 OVC) stands between Tech (16-30, 4-14 OVC) and the top eight spots.
USI has lost its last four games, getting swept 4-3, 6-5 and 17-13 at Morehead State last weekend, then fell 5-1 in a midweek contest at Purdue on Wednesday.
As a team, the Screaming Eagles are hitting .293, posting 105 extra-base hits – including 74 doubles, 11 triples and 20 home runs – as they have scored 329 runs with 282 RBI. It all starts at the top with outfielder Patrick McLellan, who has a .377 batting average with a team-best 54 runs scored and 66 hits – including 14 doubles, a triple and three home runs – with 38 RBI and 91 total bases. He also had 326 putouts and leads the team with a .997 fielding mark. McLellan ranks third in the OVC in average
The only player on the USI roster with more RBI is catcher Micajah Wall (.281), who has 39 and leads the team with five home runs. The Screaming Eagles are fifth in the conference in stolen bases with 59, led by Khi Holiday with 11 and Noah Foster with 10.
USI currently stands fifth in the OVC in batting average, fourth in RBI and fourth in runs scored. The Screaming Eagles have the fewest home runs in the league, but also have the fewest strikeouts at the plate.
On the bump, the Screaming Eagles have a staff ERA of 5.64 – the fourth-best mark in the conference presently – but has the most walks in the league with 221 and is fourth in the OVC in strikeouts with 372. Opponents are hitting .267 against the USI battery.
Ryan Weller (3-3, 4.47 ERA) leads the team with 11 starts, 32 walks and 42 strikeouts with opponents hitting .240 against. Ean DiPasquale (3-1, 3.26 ERA) and Abdriel Figueroa (3-4, 7.87 ERA) both have nine starts on the year with 33 and 29 strikeouts, respectively.
Tech has won two of the last three games and with its last three opponents – USI this weekend, Lindenwood next week, then Morehead State the following week – all trying to climb the ladder in the standings, it presents the Golden Eagles the opportunity to make a late push in the conference race.
As a team, the Golden Eagles are hitting .270 with 295 runs scored and 278 RBI, collecting 140 extra-base hits with 72 doubles, 10 triples and 58 home runs. Tech is fifth in the conference in batting average and third in home runs.
A lot of that is coming off the bat of Jorsixt Jimenez, who is hitting .393 with team-highs in average, runs scored (46), hits (64), doubles (13), triples (4), home runs (17) and RBI (59). Owen Lee (.306) has 35 RBI and 10 home runs, while Landon Smelser (.296) has 30 RBI and nine round-trippers.
On the hill, Jaxson Pease (5-5, 5.86 ERA), Garrett Holpuch (2-3, 7.13 ERA) and Carter Casabella (1-5, 6.19 ERA) have seen the most innings of work thus far with the entire staff recording 220 walks to 290 strikeouts.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations, file
