Golden Eagles close regular season with pivotal OVC series at Morehead State
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team heads to Morehead, Ky., for its final series of the 2025 regular season, opening a three-game Ohio Valley Conference stretch at Morehead State Thursday evening at 5:00 p.m. CT.
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By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team heads to Morehead, Ky., for its final series of the 2025 regular season, opening a three-game Ohio Valley Conference stretch at Morehead State Thursday evening at 5:00 p.m. CT.
Game two of the series has been pushed back to a 5:00 p.m. start on Friday due to expected inclement weather in the Morehead area. The series finale is slated for a 12:00 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.
All three contests are slated to be streamed on ESPN+. With inclement weather expected in the Morehead area throughout the weekend, fans are encouraged to check TTUSports.com and Tennessee Tech social media for any more potential updates to this season's schedule.
THE SERIES
Friday's series opener marks the 188th match-up since 1949 between the two programs, with Morehead State owning a 98-88-1 lead in the series. Since Tech head Matt Bragga arrived in Cookeville in 2004, the Golden Eagles and Morehead have turned in spectacular theatre, with the purple and gold boasting the slight edge of 34-32 from that 2004 campaign through last year.
The Eagles took the first contest between the two sides in Cookeville last season, dropping a five-spot in the fifth inning of a 9-2 victory. The purple and gold bounced back in a big way in game two, dropping 11 runs over the first three innings of a 15-0 blowout.
Tech piled up 20 hits in the triumph, with eight different Golden Eagles tallying multiple knocks. Preston Ford, Tanner Shiver, Theo Bryant IV, and Eddie Garza each drove in three runs in the affair, while the team combined for eight extra-base hits.
The Golden Eagles held off a late surge by Morehead in the finale, earning the series victory with a 4-3 win. The Eagles cut a 3-1 lead to 3-2 in the eighth, but Tech responded with a massive insurance marker in the bottom half. The Cookeville crew then limited Morehead to a lead-off home run in the top of the ninth, with Jack Brafa entering the tilt after the long ball and recording three straight outs.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Eagles enter Friday's contest after outlasting in-state rival Middle Tennessee in a marathon, 5-2 victory that spanned nearly five hours. After a nearly two-hour weather delay following the fourth inning, Tech backed up its 3-2 lead with a couple of big insurance runs in the sixth and seventh on the way to a 5-2 victory.
In its final home tilt of the 2025 season, the Cookeville Crew completed the season series sweep of its long-time foe, topping the Blue Raiders for its 35th victory of the season. It marks the sixth time the purple and gold have won at least 35 games in a season under the direction of head coach Matt Bragga.
Freshman left fielder Landon Smelser led the way offensively with a career-high four hits, including his first collegiate home run. Senior third baseman Preston Steele also went bridge in his final contest at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex, driving in a team-high two runs.
Five Tech hurlers combined to hold Middle Tennessee without an extra-base hit, limiting the visitors to just five singles all night.
THE OPPONENT
Morehead State has been mathematically eliminated from the OVC tournament, the first season they have missed since the 2013 campaign, when the Eagles went 16-40 and 10-20 in the OVC.
On Sunday, the Eagles snapped a 13-game losing streak, salvaging a win in a tight series at Western Illinois. The Leathernecks took the opener by a tight, 7-6 final score.
Western doubled down with another one-run victory on Saturday, besting Morehead 3-2 to take the series. MSU earned its third OVC win of the season in the finale, besting the Leathernecks 3-1.
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 continues to climb the OVC's all-time coaching wins list, currently ranked fifth overall in league history with a Golden Eagle program-record 555 victories. This season, Bragga passed TTU Sports Hall of Famer David Mays on the all-time list, and the Tech duo represents 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. | Matt Bragga, Tennessee Tech (2004-18, 22-present) | 561 | ||
| 6. | David Mays, Tennessee Tech (1974-98) | 554 | ||
| 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 |
HISTORY BOOKS
A number of Golden Eagles have been making their mark on history during the season.
Sophomore catcher Mack Whitcomb is currently tied for the program's single-season home run mark by a backstop, matching Hayden Gilliland's 13 long balls from last season. He became the 14th different Golden Eagle to crush three round-trippers in a single game against Lindenwood on Sunday, joining redshirt freshman Owen Lee (crushed three at Middle Tennessee in early March) as new members to the list this season. Whitcomb also ranks tied for the fourth-most hit-by-pitches in a single season with 17 on the year.
Senior outfielder Nicho Jordan currently ranks tied for 20th with 23 career home runs, matching the effort of recent TTU Sports Hall of Fame inductee Daniel Miles from the 2013-14 campaigns. His 82 career walks are tied for 25th in school history, while his 28 stolen bases are tied for 23rd. With 18 swipes on the year, Jordan is currently tied for 17th on Tech's single-season list.
Fellow senior outfielder Jackson Green currently ranks tied for 12th in program history with 36 career stolen bases and tied for 23rd on the single-season charts with 16 thefts on the year.
Sophomore closer Juan Vargas moved to fifth on Tech's single-season saves list with eight on the year, also ranking sixth in program history with eight for his career. Junior reliever Reece McDuffie's five saves are tied for eighth in a single season, while his six career saves rank tied for eighth.
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
On Monday, sophomore catcher Mack Whitcomb earned his second OVC Player of the Week honor of the season and his career following a career showing against Lindenwood. In the finale, the backstop tied a program record with three home runs and finished the weekend with five RBI, six runs, a .500 batting average, and a 1.400 slugging percentage.
Last week, senior southpaw Jared Herzog claimed the first OVC Pitcher of the Week nod of his lone season in the purple and gold after a sensational showing at Southeast Missouri on Saturday. The Ottawa, Ill. native tossed the team's first complete game of the year, completing 9.0 innings while holding the Redhawks to just one run on seven hits while striking out four.
On Apr. 28, junior hurler Reece McDuffie was honored with his first career OVC Pitcher of the Week accolade, sharing the honor with Lindenwood's Josh Newell. The right-hander completed 6.1 innings out of the pen, allowing just three base runners while striking out four and picking up a pair of wins in three appearances.
Earlier this month, on Apr. 14, 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, 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, May 13 | vs. Middle Tennessee | W, 5-2
Thursday, May 15 | at Morehead State | 5:00 p.m. CT
Friday, May 16 | at Morehead State | 5:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, May 17 | at Morehead State | 12:00 p.m. CT
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2025 Record: 35-18
2025 OVC Record: 16-8
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 561-497-2 (19th Season)
Career: 612-573-3 (22nd Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Mack Whitcomb (.344)
2B: Whitcomb (12)
3B: Jackson Green (2)
HR: Whitcomb (13)
RBI: Whitcomb (46)
R: Whitcomb (48)
BB: Nicho Jordan (36)
SLG%: Whitcomb (.620)
OB%: Whitcomb (.473)
SB: Jordan (18)
ERA: Jared Herzog (2.45)
W: Jack Brafa / Lucas Vega (6)
APP: 3 players tied (19)
IP: Jaxson Pease (63.1)
K: Vargas (51)
BAA: Herzog (.184)
SV: Vargas (8)
MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES
2025 Record: 13-37
2025 OVC Record: 3-21
Head Coach: Chris Rose
MSU: 13-37 (1st Season)
Career: Same
STATS LEADERS
AVG: JJ Dutton (.337)
2B: Caden Sheridan (14)
3B: Dutton (4)
HR: Hunter Thomas (18)
RBI: Thomas (54)
R: Dutton / Thomas (43)
BB: Griffin Olson (34)
SLG%: Thomas (.629)
OB%: Dutton (.416)
SB: Olson (17)
ERA: Landon Waugh (5.15)
W: Will Grimmett (3)
APP: Grimmett (23)
IP: Bradley Poynter (56.1)
K: Kamden Hawks (51)
BAA: Grant Herron (.210)
SV: Grimmett (4)
Photo by Jim Dillon
