Middle Tennessee club hockey (22-6-1) defeated the University of South Florida (20-6-1) by a score of 4-0 to clinch the program’s first-ever College Hockey South championship.  

Opening the College Hockey South tournament quarterfinals, the Blue Raiders took on the Tampa Spartans (13-9-0) in the Florida Panther Ice Den. The Blue Raiders jumped out to an early lead thanks to Winger Zach Giblin, who slotted home a rebound from Tampa goaltender David Palandjian. 

The score remained 1-0 until Tampa forward Brenden Sicles squeezed a quick shot past MTSU goaltender Ayden Kopec off a rebound to tie the game at 1-1.  Two minutes later, MTSU captain Linden Palmer skated past two defenders to give the Blue Raiders another goal. 

Middle Tennessee scored four goals in the third period to Tampa’s lone goal in the final frame. The Blue Raiders moved on to the semifinals after a dominant 6-2 win. 

In the semis, MTSU took on a familiar foe in the University of Mississippi (6-8-0). Ole Miss previously split a series with the Blue Raiders before the beginning of the postseason. Once again, MTSU struck first thanks to a Brendan Ogle power-play goal just three minutes into the contest.  The Rebels quickly responded thanks to a Landon Houck slap shot from just beyond the blue line, tying the contest at 1-1. 

The Rebels initially looked to take the lead in the first period thanks to defenseman Ian Selissen’s slapshot; however, Rebels forward Blane Keller interfered with Kopec, erasing the goal from the scoreboard. 

The overturned goal turned the momentum in favor of the Blue Raiders. From there, MTSU forward Harvey Rench took a cross-crease pass from Matthew Siciliano and sniped it in the top of the net to give MTSU the 2-1 advantage. Ogle slotted home one goal in the second and one in the third to secure the hat trick. 

For the first time in team history, MTSU advanced to the Ameritrans Cup final thanks to the 4-1 win over Ole Miss. 

MTSU then took on the University of South Florida (20-6-1) in the Ameritrans Cup Championship. Palmer broke the ice, pushing a goal past USF goaltender Ryan Koch. Donovan Yesnach added two quick goals to give MTSU a 3-0 advantage by the end of the first period of play. 

A Zamboni malfunction forced a 30-minute delay, but the Blue Raiders maintained momentum as Palmer scored again in the second period, pushing the lead to what became a 4-0 final. 

As the alarm sounded, Kopec recorded his first shutout win of the season, earning him the honor of Ameritrans Cup Most Valuable Player. 

With the championship in hand, MTSU begins preparation for the Division II AAU College Hockey Nationals in Jacksonville, Florida starting on March 18. 

Baseball sweeps Fairleigh Dickinson at home

Middle Tennessee baseball (4-3) swept a struggling Fairleigh Dickinson squad (0-6) over a three-game series this weekend in Murfreesboro.

MTSU bounced back this weekend after dropping three of its first four games, including a mid-week run-rule loss against Alabama.

In game one, the Blue Raiders took control of the series with a 6-4 win over the Knights.

Eston Snider started the weekend with a bang for the Blue Raiders, sending a ball way over the left field wall and into the Floyd Stadium concourse to lead things off in the bottom of the first inning. The leadoff home run marked Snider’s first of the season.

Senior second baseman Clay Badylak was a large part of MTSU’s offense in game one, providing three RBIs along with scoring a run of his own on a steal of second that turned into a two-base error. 

Two-way player Trace Phillips made his second start on the mound Friday night and showed out with six scoreless innings and nine strikeouts, tying a career high. Phillips is up to twelve consecutive innings without allowing a run to open up the 2025 season.

Fairleigh Dickinson made it interesting late, scoring four runs in the final three innings against the Middle Tennessee bullpen. Collin Kerrigan closed things out for MTSU though, giving up two runs in a shaky ninth inning outing that included three hits.

In game two, MTSU blew out FDU in an 11-0 run rule victory that ended in the seventh inning.

Pitcher Chandler Alderman improved to 1-1 on the season after his start on Saturday, while lowering his ERA to 1.15 over six innings during the shutout win. Alderman added six strikeouts while only allowing two hits on Saturday. 

Snider carried the load with his bat on Saturday, hitting his second home run of the year with a grand slam over the left field wall. Snider totaled two hits, and two hits by pitches in the outing.

Brett Vondohlen hit his third home run of the season Saturday, with a solo home run to left field while Brett Rogers picked up his first collegiate hit and RBI on an infield single in the second inning.

FDU’s offense struggled mightily, only amassing two hits all night between Alderman and an inning of relief from Garrett Sims.

The Blue Raiders’ dominance continued in game three of the series, as they finished the sweep with a 7-1 win.

Drew Horn made his second start of the season for MTSU and pitched a gem going five hitless innings, including 11 strikeouts while surrendering five walks. Horn and reliever Ollie Akens carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, where it was broken up by a single from Felix Gonzalez.

Snider shined again on offense, hitting his third home run in as many games to pair with three RBIs. Hayden Miller hit his second home run of the season, and Minnick added two more hits and two RBIs.

Middle Tennessee will host in-state rival Austin Peay on Tuesday, and then three different opponents this weekend. St. Bonaventure, Old Dominion and UT Martin will all make their way to Murfreesboro to face the Blue Raiders.

Men’s basketball survives versus Sam Houston

Men’s tennis wins big at Battle in the ‘Boro

MTSU men’s tennis (9-6) completed a sweep of Utah (7-4), New Mexico (4-5) and South Alabama (3-9) in The Battle in the ‘Boro Tournament over the weekend. 

On Friday, MTSU started off with a win against Utah. The Blue Raiders started the day off slow, as they struggled in doubles play. The undefeated duo of Rotislav Halfinger and Shu Matsuoka improved to 3-0 as a tandem and got a 6-3 dub over Utah’s Nicholas Calixto and Emmett Potter.  

However, losses on courts one and two cost MTSU the doubles point. The team then rallied and swept singles play in dominant fashion, highlighted by statement wins from Kacper Szymkowiak and Halfinger, who beat their Utah opponents 6-2, 6-3 and 6-2, 6-2, respectively.  

After a court two win by Karim Al-Amin,6-4, 6-3, and a win from Matsuoka, 7-5, 6-3, on court five, the Blue Raiders clinched the overall match 4-1.  

Saturday’s match against New Mexico followed the same script, as MTSU conceded the doubles point but then rallied in singles play to get the dub.  

The only win on the doubles courts for the Blue Raiders came from Al-Amin and Ondrej Horak who took down their Lobo foes 6-3. Doubles courts two and three took tough 6-7 losses, including Halfinger and Matsuoka’s first loss as a duo.  

The Blue Raiders’ controlling run of singles matches continued however, as they won four out of five courts against the Lobos. Commanding wins from Horak, 6-1, 6-2, and Jakub Kroslak, 6-3, 6-2 headlined singles play. Three set victories from Al-Amin, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, and Matsuoka, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, gave the Blue Raiders the 4-2 match win.  

Middle Tennessee completed the trifecta on Sunday, blanking South Alabama 4-0.  

In doubles play, Szymkowiak and Kroslak won 6-3. Haflinger and Matsuoka came up big once again with a 6-3 win of their own, claiming the doubles point for MTSU.  

On the singles courts, Horak dominated his opponent 6-1, 6-1, while Igor Mandou Berranger and Halfinger each won 6-2, 6-2.  

Following the big weekend at home, the Blue Raiders hit the road for their next match, taking on Princeton (11-4) on Thursday, Feb. 28.   

Women’s tennis plays light out, literally

No. 71 MTSU women’s tennis (7-4) started its weekend by taking down Austin Peay (2-5), 6-1 on Feb. 20. 

Middle Tennessee started off hot securing the doubles point. Alessia Truden and Rutuja Chaphalkar got the first doubles point by defeating Austin Peay’s No. 50 ranked duo of Luca Bohlen and Pauline Bruns, 6-2. 

MTSU clinched the doubles point on court one with Eloise Swarbrick and Lena Peyer picking up the win through a tiebreak at 7-6. 

The Blue Raiders carried the double’s momentum into the singles portion of the match, winning five out of six singles matches.   

Cassidy Mataia was the first Blue Raider to claim victory in a dominant 6-0, 6-2 win at the No. 5 singles position.  Peyer quickly followed that up with her own singles victory with a score of 6-1, 6-2. 

Conference USA Athlete of the Week Alessia Truden would continue her hot streak and go on to clinch the match with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Sophia Barnova. 

Illaria Sposetti and Zenn Lim picked up a pair of singles victories late in the third set of their singles matches. Sposetti bounced back from dropping the second set, ending her match 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8) along with Lim finishing her hard-fought match 7-5, 3-6, 10-7. 

The Blue Raiders then hit the road facing Alabama A&M (0-4) on Sunday. 

Middle Tennessee dominated throughout the doubles point securing it with Truden and Peyer winning 6-0 and Swarbrick and Lim finishing 6-1. These victories marked the sixth straight match in which MTSU has won the doubles point. 

As the matches transitioned into singles action, Truden set the pace picking up a quick 6-1, 6-0 victory.  Lim would be the next Blue Raider to finish, winning 6-2, 6-3.   

MTSU then dropped three singles matches with Hrudaya Shah losing 5-7, 5-7, Mataia falling 6-2, 4-6, 2-6 and Peyer dropping her match 6-1, 6-1. 

With these three singles victories Alabama A&M evened up the team score to 3-3. 

This seemingly left the match in the hands of Swarbrick, facing off against Sofia Raya Sotelo for the deciding point.  Swarbrick’s match would go to the third set where it would ultimately be unfinished due to darkness with a final score of 6-1, 7-5, 4-4. 

With the final match going unfinished due to darkness, the final team score remained even at 3-3. 

MTSU women’s tennis will be back in action come Monday, Feb. 24, facing off against Missouri State at 2 p.m. at the Adams Tennis Complex. 

Softball slumps in Mercer Tournament

MTSU softball (4-10) spent yet another weekend on the road, going 1-3 in the Mercer Tournament.

The Blue Raiders ended the weekend on a winning note with a walk off 8-7 win over Alabama State University but couldn’t get the ball rolling against their other opponents. 

During the first game of the weekend-long tournament, Mercer showed no mercy to MTSU delivering an 8-1 loss. Avery Wynne was the only Blue Raider to cross the plate with the help from an RBI single by Addy Edgmon. The Blue Raiders and the Bears were tied going into the third inning, before 7 RBIs gave Mercer the lead. 

In the second game of the weekend, MTSU faced off against the University of Connecticut. UConn let up an early lead to the MTSU with an RBI by Macie Harter. However, UConn came back with 11 hits and six runs to cruise to a 6-1 victory.

After a night’s rest, the Blue Raiders hit the dirt again against the Jacksonville Dolphins. Jacksonville had 11 hits as well during its game against the Blue Raiders. MTSU was able to plate two due to a home run by Ava Brooks and an error on defense. Jacksonville topped the Blue Raiders 10-2.

Despite the previous losses, the Blue Raiders finally got their bats moving against the Alabama State Hornets. MTSU had 10 hits that ultimately led to eight runs. MTSU brought home the win after a walk off three-run homerun by Lexi Medlock in the bottom of the seventh. 

MTSU will travel to Austin Peay on Wednesday, Feb. 26 with first pitch set for 3 p.m. Then the Blue Raiders will be home for the first time this season for a weekend-long tournament with Ball State and Illinois State. 

To contact the editor, email [email protected]. 

Follow Sidelines on Facebook at Facebook.com/MTSUSidelines, on X @mtsusidelines and Instagram @mtsusidelines. Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.