Classes are back in session at Middle Tennessee State University, and with that brings additional attention to Blue Raider athletics. After a long winter break, here are a few sports storylines to get caught up on.
Achievements unobtained
Winners of five-straight Conference USA championships, it’s hard to imagine that MTSU men’s tennis (0-1) has anything left to prove.
On top of a half-decade of conference dominance, the Blue Raiders consistently reside within the Top 50 of the International Tennis Association rankings and hold numerous wins over Power-4 opponents with eight in the 23’-24’ season alone.
But when looking at the end result of seasons gone by, the goal becomes clear.
Last spring, Middle Tennessee advanced to the second round of the NCAA regionals for the third straight year and fifth time in program history. All five trips however, yielded the same result; the end of MTSU’s season.
After falling to Mississippi State in the round of 32 in back-to-back seasons, the Blue Raiders look to get over the hump by playing a rigorous spring schedule. MTSU’s 2025 slate includes six opponents inside the ITA Top 25 and 13 teams that took part in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
To be the best you have to beat the best, and MTSU men’s tennis certainly isn’t afraid to try.
Unfamiliar territory
On Saturday, Jan. 18, Western Kentucky defeated Middle Tennessee women’s basketball (12-6, 4-1 CUSA) 63-58 to snap MTSU’s historic 33-game conference winning streak.
Going into the game against the Hilltoppers, MTSU appeared to retighten its stranglehold on the conference with an average margin of victory of 26 points in four wins against CUSA opponents. That changed on Saturday as Middle Tennessee soiled a nine-point halftime lead and trailed by 11 at the end of the third quarter.
Suffering a conference defeat for the first time in two years, the Lady Raiders fell in the CUSA standings and now sit in second place behind Liberty. While the defeat is certainly a reality check, 13 regular season games remain for MTSU to get back in sync before the conference tournament.
On the other side of the court, Middle Tennessee men’s basketball (13-5, 4-1 CUSA) is in the midst of an impressive season thus far.
A 71-57 victory over Western Kentucky on Jan. 18 thrusted the Blue Raiders into a three-way tie with UTEP and New Mexico State for first in CUSA. While there are still 13 regular season games to go, Middle Tennessee’s conference positioning is a far cry from last season’s campaign where MTSU finished sixth with a 7-9 CUSA record.
Regardless of current seeding, both the Lady Raiders and Blue Raiders look primed to make deep runs in the conference tournament. The CUSA Championships are set to take place in Huntsville, Alabama on March 11-15, 2025.
Pitch, please
The first pitch for Middle Tennessee baseball is just under a month away, and the Blue Raiders hope to find success in head coach Jerry Meyers’ third season.
Last year the Blue Raiders finished (20-36, 8-16 CUSA), good for eighth in the conference and with a sub .500 record for the second straight season. Among other struggles, pitching depth remained a constant detriment to MTSU in 2024. On average, MTSU allowed 8.5 runs per game and double digit runs in 32% of contests.
Of Middle Tennessee’s returning 2024 pitchers, Chandler Alderman stands out the most. During his freshman season, the left-handed pitcher started a team-high 11 games for the Blue Raiders and posted a 5.06 ERA with 74 strikeouts.
MTSU will need better pitching from its depth as it seeks improvement in 2025.
The Blue Raiders will take the mound against Bowling Green on Feb. 14 in the first of a three-game series.
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