With the Conference USA baseball tournament in Kennesaw, Georgia, a month away, Middle Tennessee baseball has seen its share of peaks and valleys.
For stretches, the Blue Raiders have passed the eye test, producing one of the more dangerous batting lineups and a pitching staff capable of competing with the top teams in CUSA.
A weekend sweep over the University of Delaware showcased the Blue Raiders’ pitching strengths even without the arm of Drew Horn. However, a 12-6 loss to the Tennessee Tech University Golden Eagles halted MTSU’s momentum.
“We couldn’t close out the opportunities we had,” MTSU head coach Jerry Meyers said, after a 12-6 loss to Tennessee Tech on Tuesday. “We needed to take command on the mound and put up zeros in those spots.”
The biggest question facing the Blue Raiders is simple: Can Middle Tennessee consistently put together nine innings of complete baseball? So far this season, the results are mixed — flashes of efficient play have been interrupted by innings that have undone entire games.
On Friday’s series opener against Delaware, the Blue Raiders jumped out to an 8-1 lead over UD heading into the top of the eighth inning. The Blue Hens rattled off six consecutive runs with two outs in the inning, before a groundout allowed Middle Tennessee to escape the comeback, 8-7.
A similar script occurred in the contest against the Golden Eagles. Dean O’Neill’s RBI single gave MTSU a 6-5 lead in the top of the seventh inning. Tennessee Tech strung together seven runs in the seventh inning, putting the game out of the reach of the Blue Raider bats.
“We needed to have a big inning and weren’t able to do that,” Meyers said.
With the final month of the regular season on the horizon, late-game pitching out of the bullpen becomes even more crucial. That issue has been magnified on the road, where Middle Tennessee is 2–13.
The Blue Raiders have not won a road series since May 12, 2024, when MTSU defeated Jacksonville State University 3-2, a drought now spanning 712 days.
As the regular season winds down, not every game can be played at Reese Smith Jr. Field. The next test for Middle Tennessee is approaching, with a matchup with Sam Houston State University (18-23, 7-11 CUSA) on April 24-26 in the Lone Star State.
The Bearkats enter the matchup on a four-game winning streak, following a sweep of the New Mexico State Aggies and a midweek win over Baylor University. Sam Houston enters the matchup tied with four other CUSA teams at 7-11, sitting below MTSU in the conference standings.
“So, you look at the teams that are below us in the conference,” MTSU third baseman Brett Vondohlen said. “They all four have the same record, so I think we can just use that as our motivation. It’ll do a lot for us to come out with two or three wins this weekend.”
The biggest weapon for SHSU is right-handed pitcher Ryan Peterson, who was recently named a National Pitcher of the Year Award semifinalist by the College Baseball Foundation. The junior arm has a 2.77 ERA, which ranks fourth in CUSA through 61 ⅔ innings.
However, outside of the production on the mound, the biggest struggle for the Bearkats comes in the batter’s box. Sam Houston posts a .248 batting average, the second-worst mark in the conference. As a result, SHSU has the fewest home runs with 28 and the lowest on-base percentage (.358) among the 12 CUSA schools.
The matchup with the Bearkats offers Middle Tennessee a chance to build momentum — but only if the Blue Raiders can avoid the late-inning breakdowns that have plagued them on the road. MTSU opens the series at Don Sanders Stadium on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CDT.
To contact the Sports 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.
