May 4, 2007

Tech at home for most of home stretch

The Tennessee Tech baseball team is coming into the home stretch of the Ohio Valley Conference schedule, with just three weekend OVC series left in 2007, and the Golden Eagles are at home for two of those three series.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Tech baseball team is coming into the home stretch of the Ohio Valley Conference schedule, with just three weekend OVC series left in 2007, and the Golden Eagles are at home for two of those three series.

Tech is bidding not only for an OVC tournament appearance, but coach Matt Bragga's squad could still be in the running for the league title. Tech (22-21, 9-9 OVC) enters the weekend just three games out of first place.

Tech hosts Jacksonville State (24-21), one of three teams tied for the league lead at 12-6 in league action.

Bragga and his squad will welcome back former players and coaches Saturday for Alumni Day, with special recognition to be paid to the 1997 OVC Tournament Champions which advanced to the NCAA Regionals.

Saturday's meeting marks the 22nd between these two teams. Tech trails the Gamecocks 15-6 in the all-time series.

Tech enters the weekend series having won five of its last six OVC contests. The Gamecocks play six of their final nine games of the year on the road.

Jacksonville State dropped a non-conference game at Troy mid-week and then dropped both games of Saturday's home doubleheader to Morehead State.

Entering the contest JSU had been in sole possession of first place in the OVC while Morehead State entered the series in last place. The Gamecocks did rebound to win Sunday's finale 17-11 and now find themselves in a three-way tie (with Southeast Missouri and Austin Peay) for first place.

Senior Nick Cleckler hit .545 (6-for-11) with four runs, five RBI and three stolen bases last week. He was 4-for-4 in Sunday's win over MSU and raised his batting average by 26 points last week.

Junior Clay Whittemore had three multiple-hit games last week, pushing his season total to 24 (tops in the OVC). He has had two or more hits in nine of his last 11 games and is leading the team with a .417 batting average, a mark that is second in the OVC (just .001 behind EIU's Erik Huber). Whittemore leads the OVC in hits (73) and RBI (51). Jake Ball saw his 15-game hitting streak come to an end last week against Troy. He is third in the OVC in multiple-hit games (21) and has 10 multi-RBI contests this year.