Golden Eagle baseball team faces two in-state foes
After going 4-2 last week to get back to .500 for the season, the Tennessee Tech baseball team will return to action with four games against in-state foes this week. The Golden Eagles will host East Tennessee State on March 17 at 6 p.m. in Bush Stadium before visiting Memphis for a three-game set March 19-21.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. –- After going 4-2 last week to get back
to .500 for the season, the Tennessee Tech baseball team will
return to action with four games against in-state foes this week.
The Golden Eagles will host East Tennessee State on March 17 at 6
p.m. in Bush Stadium before visiting Memphis for a three-game set
March 19-21.
The Golden Eagles are 8-8 on the season, while ETSU, out of the
Atlantic Sun Conference, comes in with a 10-3 record. Tech is 5-5
at home in 2010, and 3-3 on the road.
The Golden Eagles and Bucs will meet for the front end of a
home-and-home series, with Tech returning the favor with a visit to
Johnson City on April 28. The Golden Eagles and Bucs split a
home-and-home series last season, with the home team winning both
games. Tech owns a 46-40 advantage in the all-time series against
ETSU.
In last year’s meeting between the two teams in Cookeville,
Casanova Donaldson went 5-for-5 from the plate, and tied the Tech
school record for hits in a game. Donaldson became the 14th player
in program history to hit safely five times in a game.
Tech’s three-game weekend series at Memphis begins on March
19 with a 6:30 start time. Memphis enters the week at 5-10 overall
in 2010, and has yet to start Conference-USA play. The Tigers hold
a 23-7 lead in the all-time series against Tech.
The Golden Eagles are led by A.J. Kirby-Jones, who has hit eight
home runs this year, becoming Tech’s all-time home runs
leader with 33 in his career. Kirby-Jones leads the OVC with a .980
slugging percentage in 2010 and is hitting .408 at the plate.
Junior Chad Oberacker is tied with Kirby-Jones for the team lead in
RBIs with 21, while freshman Zephan Guyear leads the team with a
.424 batting average.
Tech’s pitching staff is highlighted by starters Lee Henry,
Adam Liberatore and Tristan Archer. Henry is 1-1 on the season and
leads the team with a 1.29 ERA after giving up only two earned runs
in 14.0 innings pitched. Liberatore is 2-1 with a 5.03 ERA and has
fanned 16 batters in 19.2 innings of work on the season. Archer has
a 2-0 record with a 5.00 ERA and has struck out 10 batters in 18.0
innings of work.
Tech’s bullpen is led by Ryan Hopkins, who leads the team
with two saves on the season. Hopkins’ 2.38 ERA is second
best on the team, and his opponents have hit just .088 against him.
Hopkins has allowed only three hits in 11.1 innings pitched, while
striking out nine batters.
The Golden Eagles will face their four consecutive in-state
opponent next week with a visit to Belmont on March 23. Tech went
2-0 against the Bruins last season. Tech will then return home to
host Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in a three-game series March
26-28.
Admission to all Tech home baseball games is free.
