A week after the Conference USA championships in Huntsville, basketball season came to a close at Middle Tennessee State University with both the men’s and women’s seasons ending in the first round of their respective tournaments.
Additionally, baseball dropped two of three games in Dallas while club hockey’s historic season came to an end.
Without further delay, here’s everything that happened across Blue Raider sports over the weekend. Brett Walker
Basketball season ends in first round of tournaments
Middle Tennessee State University men’s basketball closed its season out in a triple overtime thriller against Chattanooga, losing 109-103 in the NCAA’s National Invitation Tournament.
Seniors Camryn Weston and Essam Mostafa led the Blue Raiders, each with 30-plus points on the night. Weston hit two free throws to send the game to overtime, while Mostafa hit a three-pointer to send the game to triple overtime, only his fifth made three of the year.
Weston and guard Justin Bufford both fouled out in overtime with Weston’s loss being crucial for the Middle Tennessee offense. Chattanooga’s Honor Huff drilled a 30-foot three-pointer as the final nail in the Blue Raiders’ coffin.
Middle Tennessee women’s basketball finished its season losing to a familiar opponent in Belmont, 64-51, in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament.
The Bruins defense shut down the Lady Raiders for the second time this season, keeping senior center Anastasiia Boldyreva from controlling the paint while not allowing perimeter players open shots.
On the offensive end, Belmont shot the ball at a near 40% clip and 34% from beyond the arc, able to hold a multiple possession game for most of the second half. Lady Raider senior, Jalynn Gregory was limited after attempting to take a charge mid-way through the second quarter only playing 26 minutes. Jacob Burgess
Hockey’s historic season ends short of championship game
After a 5-2 victory over Bishop’s University on March 21, MTSU club hockey advanced to the Division II AAU College Hockey Nationals Semifinals for the first time in program history. With a spot in the championship on the line, MTSU fell short to top-seeded Florida Atlantic 8-2, closing out a historic campaign.
Middle Tennessee snapped the deadlock off the stick of MTSU forward Ethan Denumbrum. The puck bounced off the skate in front and trickled into the back of the net. As the horn sounded at the end of the first period, MTSU held a slim 1-0 lead.
Soon after, MTSU winger Matthew Siciliano skated to the edge of the trapezoid and sniped the puck into the top left corner of the net. This move beat Gaiter’s goaltender, Antimmes Leudiere’s blocker. MTSU extended the lead to 2-0.
Leudiere left his net to play the puck behind it, but Brendan Ogle intercepted the pass. Ogle won the race to the post and tucked in the puck, giving MTSU the 3-0 lead. Two minutes later, Siciliano struck again for the Blue Raiders, extending the lead to four.
After Ogle’s second goal of the contest, Bishop’s would pull Leudiere to replace him with BU backup goaltender Jack Macfarland. MTSU entered the second intermission with a dominant 5-0 advantage.
The third period was a slugfest of penalties for both sides. BU would score two straight goals, but the Blue Raiders would hold on for the 5-2 win.
With the win over Bishop’s, MTSU would advance to take on top-seeded Florida Atlantic University in the semifinal round. The teams met two times with FAU winning both matchups. MTSU’s historic season ended in the semifinals, falling 8-2 to top-seeded Florida Atlantic.
FAU scored first on the power play, but Demumbrum’s shorthanded score knotted the game at 1-1. A late goal by FAU gave the Owls a 2-1 at the end of the first period.
The rest of the contest turned the tide in favor of the Owls. Brady Baesher’s early goal in the second, followed by David Israel’s shorty, opened the floodgates for FAU. Linden Palmer would get MTSU on the board in the second, but four FAU goals would seal the deal for the Owls.
The semifinal loss will surely be a tough pill to swallow for players, coaches and fans alike, but MTSU’s season was nothing short of groundbreaking for the program. From a College Hockey South championship to the club’s first national appearance, the 2024-25 Blue Raider hockey club is one for the history books. Ephraim Rodenbach
Baseball drops two of three to Dallas Baptist
Middle Tennessee baseball (13-10, 1-2 CUSA) hit the road for its first Conference USA series of the year, as they dropped two of three to No. 15 Dallas Baptist (16-6, 2-1 CUSA).
Trace Phillips took the mound for the Blue Raiders in game one against the preseason CUSA favorite and lasted only 2.1 innings. Phillips gave up five earned runs along with four walks in the shaky outing while being awarded his first loss of the season.
Micah Bucknam was masterful for DBU in game one as the right-hander struck out every Blue Raider batter at least once, on his way to 14 total strikeouts across seven innings to lead the Patriots to a 10-0 victory in game one on Friday.
Game two was even more of a disaster for the Blue Raiders, as southpaw Chandler Alderman saw 11 runs (six earned) pushed across against him in 1.2 innings. Middle Tennessee’s bullpen didn’t show much improvement either, as Jonny Stevens allowed four runs, Bryant Beranek let up eight runs and Ethan Imbimbo gave up two runs.
Dallas Baptist sported a 23-0 lead into the fifth inning but took their foot off the gas pedal after turning to the bullpen. Starter James Ellwanger went four innings of work while allowing two hits and striking out nine Blue Raiders.
Third baseman Clay Badylak picked up four RBIs while being on the wrong side of the rout, including a bases-loaded double that cleared the bases in the seventh.
The Blue Raiders salvaged game three of the series, picking up a 12-6 win over the Patriots.
Will Jenkins got the ball to start game three, in place of Drew Horn who missed his Sunday start for the first time this year. Jenkins threw six innings of three-run ball, including two walks and two strikeouts.
Eston Snider led the way offensively for Middle Tennessee, going 2-6 with 3 RBIs. Snider extended his on-base streak in each outing this weekend, with it now standing at 19 consecutive games.
Keaton Ray had a successful day at the plate as well, picking up two RBIs as part of a 3-5 day.
The Blue Raider offense strung together 20 hits on Sunday, and 17 of them were singles.
The Sunday victory marked MTSU’s first road win of the season, after starting 0-3 with a midweek loss against Alabama on Feb. 18 along with the first two games of the weekend.
The Blue Raiders will travel to Cape Girardeau, Missouri in a midweek series with SEMO on Tuesday before returning to Murfreesboro to host Florida International for their CUSA home opening series this weekend. Willie Phaler
Softball swept by LA Tech in road CUSA series
Middle Tennessee (13-19) lost all three games in its conference series against Louisiana Tech (19-11) over the weekend.
MTSU began the series on Friday with a 7-2 loss as its offense produced too little, too late.
Jana Want continued to deliver for the Blue Raiders as she went 2/2 with a home run and a double, while La Tech elected to walk her in her third plate appearance.
Leila Ammon set a career-high on the mound for MTSU with 10 strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched while allowing four runs.
On Saturday, the Blue Raiders fought from behind late in the game as La Tech led 3-0. Ava Tepe and freshman Lilly Pendergrast led the Middle Tennessee offense, with each hitting a three-run home run giving MTSU a 7-3 lead. LA Tech quickly responded with five runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a one-point lead to win the game 8-7 after a quick seventh inning from the Blue Raiders.
Middle Tennessee lost its final game of the weekend as LA Tech completed the series sweep with a come-from-behind victory. MTSU took the first lead of the day with a solo home run by right fielder Addy Edgmon in the first inning.
The Bulldogs quickly responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the first. The Blue Raiders then put two more points on the board in the fourth inning after a throwing error which scored Lexi Medlock and Ava Brooks to give Middle Tennessee a 3-1 lead.
Once again, the Blue Raiders took their lead into the bottom of the inning just for it to disappear as LA Tech hit a solo home run and an RBI double to tie it up 3-3. Alexis Gillio came in clutch for the Bulldogs in the bottom of the seventh as she hit a walk-off single to score Elena Heng and win the game 4-3.
The Blue Raiders (13-19) will wrap up their road trip with a matchup against the Memphis Tigers (14-18) on Wednesday at 5 p.m. David Cassman
Women’s tennis splits in road CUSA weekend
Coming off a two-match series sweep down in Orlando last weekend, MTSU women’s tennis (11-6) looked to continue its hot streak against Conference USA foes Liberty and UTEP in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Liberty took control of the doubles courts, beating the Blue Raiders handily. On court one, Lena Peyer and Eloise Swarbrick fell 2-6 to Liberty’s Daniella O’Neill and Maria Turchetto. The duo of Ilaria Sposetti and Cassidy Mataia were bested 3-6, giving the Flames the doubles point.
Things didn’t fare much better for Middle Tennessee on the singles courts. The Blue Raiders’ only win came off the racquet of Mataia, who beat Turchetto 6-1, 6-1. On the other courts, it was all Liberty, as the Flames went on to win the overall match 4-1.
On Saturday, Middle Tennessee looked to bounce back against UTEP and did just that. In doubles play, the Blue Raiders came out hot as the tandem of Sposetti and Mataia picked up a huge 6-1 win over UTEP’s Paloma Hennicaux and Wendy Zhang. MTSU clinched the doubles point after Rutuja Chaphalkar and Alessia Truden defeated Hanna Telzynska and DeCora Antoine, 6-3.
In singles play, Chaphalkar got the ball rolling with a 6-0, 6-1 win over UTEP’s Antoine. Sposetti followed with a 6-3, 6-1 win on court one over Carlotta Mencaglia and Peyer added a 6-2, 6-3 win on court 2 over Telzynska. Mataia made it a 5-0 sweep over the Miners with a 6-2, 7-6 win over V. Carreño Torres.
With the split over the weekend, the Blue Raiders now sit five games above .500 on the season. Middle Tennessee’s next match is in Murfreesboro on Wednesday vs. St. Thomas. Alex Wittke
Men’s tennis sweeps CUSA honors heading into bye week
MTSU men’s tennis (10-9) rested up with a weeklong break as it prepares to close out a six-game road tour, facing off against Memphis on March 30.
Middle Tennessee’s most recent matchup came against Tulane on March 16, resulting in the Blue Raiders getting back in the win column with a 6-1 victory. Another result of this performance was MTSU once again sweeping the Conference USA Weekly Honors, winning both Athlete and Doubles Team of the Week.
Jakub Kroslak was named Athlete of the Week for the first time this season. Kroslak is coming off two straight-set victories with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Pepperdine and a 7-5, 6-2 win over Tulane.
Karim Al-Amin and Ondrej Horak were named Doubles Team of the Week. Despite dropping their first match against Pepperdine, the dynamic duo struck back with a commanding 6-1 victory against Tulane. This marks the third time this season the pairing has received the honor.
The Blue Raiders will take a temporary break from action before finishing off their six-game road stretch back in Tennessee as they take on Memphis on March 30. Will Phillips
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