Tech faces rematch with Kennesaw State before weekend series versus UT Martin
The Tennessee Tech softball team’s upcoming slate features a game on Wednesday against Kennesaw State before the Golden Eagles play a three-game home series against OVC-leading UT Martin this weekend.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech softball team’s upcoming slate features a game on Wednesday against Kennesaw State before the Golden Eagles play a three-game home series against OVC-leading UT Martin this weekend.
TTU’s game on Wednesday against the Owls will mark the second time the two teams have squared off during the 2010 campaign. The two teams met at KSU’s Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament in February when Tennessee Tech came back from a 1-0 deficit to record a 9-1 victory over the Owls in five innings.
Sweeping the season series will be on the minds of the Golden Eagles on Wednesday when the two teams meet in Chattanooga for the neutral site game.
Tech enters the game with a 14-21 overall record and an 8-10 mark in neutral site contests, while Kennesaw State is 17-15 overall and 6-7 at neutral sites.
Wednesday’s game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. first pitch.
Following the game against the Owls, Tech will prepare for the UT Martin Skyhawks to come to Cookeville for a doubleheader on Saturday followed by a single game on Sunday.
UT Martin is tied for the best record in conference play with Morehead State. The Skyhawks are 8-2 against OVC teams this season, while also owning a league-best 27-6 record overall.
Saturday will mark the first meeting between TTU and UTM since the Skyhawks knocked Tech out of the OVC Tournament last season. The Golden Eagles topped UTM in the first round of the tournament, 1-0, but the Skyhawks defeated Tech in the semifinal round before going on to win the conference tournament title and advance to the NCAA Tournament.
The Skyhawks have been the most decorated team in the OVC this season with six different players earning either OVC Player of the Week or OVC Pitcher of the Week honors through eight weeks of action.
Tech’s Maddie Schmissrauter, who earned OVC Pitcher of the Week honors during the fourth week of the season, has been one of the top pitchers in the conference this season. The junior has a 1.93 earned run average – second best in the OVC – with 77 strikeouts in 76 1/3 innings of work.
Schmissrauter recently recorded her third shutout of the season when she blanked Murray State, 4-0, in TTU’s last game. In the process, Schmissrauter also moved up the Tech career strikeouts charts to fourth place with 318 career punch-outs.
Also excelling of late for the Golden Eagles has been Kaleigh Gates. A junior from Tucson, Ariz., Gates finished third in the OVC Player of the Week voting a week ago after hitting above .500 in the team’s last five games. She led the team to a 4-1 win over Jacksonville State, hitting two home runs while driving in all four RBIs in the second game of the doubleheader.
Gates had at least one hit in each of the team’s five games while also taking a team-high four walks. Tech’s centerfielder, Gates finished the week strong as she went 3-for-5 with two walks in the final two games for Tech’s series against Murray State.
Schmissrauter, Gates and the Golden Eagles will look to take down conference-leading UT Martin beginning on Saturday, April 10 with a 1 p.m. doubleheader. Sunday’s game is also scheduled for a 1 p.m. start at the Tech Softball Field. Admission is free.
For fans unable to attend, all four TTU softball games this week can be followed with live stats through TTUsports.com.
