Thursday, May 16
Martin, Tenn.
6:00 PM
UT Martin
vs
Tennessee Tech
UTM BASEBALL HOSTS TENNESSEE TECH IN PIVOTAL SENIOR-WEEKEND SERIES
5/15/2019 1:11:00 PM | Baseball
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball squad is set for an important series against Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee Tech in the final weekend of the regular season. First pitch of the series is scheduled for Thursday, May 16 at 6 p.m. while Game 2 is set for 4 p.m. on Friday, May 17. Senior Day festivities are set to take place prior to the Saturday, May 18 matchup, as first pitch is set for 1 p.m.
Friday's contest will be streamed live on ESPN+ and can be viewed at the link above.
With a spot in the upcoming OVC Tournament potentially on the line, UT Martin (21-29, 9-18 OVC) will turn to its senior leadership to thrust the Skyhawks to a victorious weekend. UT Martin, Tennessee Tech and SIUE all enter the weekend just one game out of the projected field in the eight-team OVC Tournament, which will be played on May 21-26 at Rent One Park in Marion, Ill.
Skyhawk head coach Ryan Jenkins will honor their seven seniors (Jonah Brody, Austen Bullington, Austin Buzick, Zach Denney, Creighton Eldridge, Jordan Stoner and Blake Williams) before Saturday's regular season finale.
Eldridge enters the weekend tied for second in program history for career triples with nine while ranking tied for eighth in career home runs with 18. His six three-baggers legged out in 2017 rank tied for third most in a single season in school history. For his career, he has tallied 19 doubles, nine triples, 18 home runs and 53 RBIs after suffering a season-ending injury early last year. Stoner has shown a great knack for being a pure hitter as he enters the weekend with a .359 career batting average in two seasons as a Skyhawk. In his career, he has recorded 145 hits, 32 two-baggers and 50 RBIs while garnering a first team All-OVC nod in 2018. Williams has been a part of the Skyhawk baseball program for five seasons. He has shown his leadership in the classroom as he has been named to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll every year he has been eligible. Williams has answered a higher calling – he served as battalion commander of UT Martin's ROTC program and was recently commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army.
Brody has battled injury in his first two seasons but has excelled in the classroom as he earned a spot on the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll and has garnered the OVC Medal of Honor (4.0 GPA). Brody has found a home in the bullpen this season as the righty has adopted a sidearm approach to hold opposing batters to a .237 batting clip (third-best on the squad). Bullington has been solid as of late in the UT Martin rotation as the right-handed starter has made 19 career starts and has appeared in 31 games. He has tossed a pair of complete games this year, which is the first time a Skyhawk pitcher has had multiple complete games in one season since 2009. Buzick has logged 19 career innings as he has also battled injury this season. The right-handed reliever has allowed just three earned runs on the year while striking out nine batters over five innings. Denney has taken on a high-leverage role this year as the primary setup man for UT Martin. In 2019, he sports a squad-best 2.59 ERA and has fanned 30 batters in 24.1 innings pitched. This year, he has allowed just two extra-base hits and has held opposing bats to a paltry .224 average while notching two wins and a pair of saves.
Tennessee Tech (22-29, 9-18 OVC) is led by its own four horsemen of Kevin Stroschein, John Dyer, Jason Hinchman and Anthony Carrera. Stroschein sports a .377/.444/.601 slash line and has belted 20 doubles, two triples and 15 long balls to go along with 46 RBIs. Dyer boasts a .348 batting average, 11 home runs and 53 RBIs on the year. Jason Hinchman is swinging to the tune of a .283 batting clip while having hammered 23 home runs this season (leading the nation in long balls coming into the week) and driven in a team-high 54 runs. Carrera is sporting a .281 batting average and has slammed 15 homers and driven in 40 runs on the season. As a squad, the Golden Eagles' 83 home runs rank third among all Division-I teams.
Southpaw Andrew O'Dwyer (3-1, 3.89 ERA) is slated to toe the rubber in Game 1 of the series. He is the reigning OVC Pitcher of the Week as he fanned 10 batters in five shutout innings against Morehead State. On the year, he has fanned 48 batters across 41.2 innings pitched. Right-hander Mark Leonard (2-3, 6.05 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound in the Friday matchup. He paces all Tennessee Tech arms in innings pitched (58) and strikeouts (57) while his nine starts also lead the club. The starter for the series finale is to be determined but the Golden Eagles have a host of arms to turn to under first-year head coach Justin Holmes.
Friday's contest will be streamed live on ESPN+ and can be viewed at the link above.
With a spot in the upcoming OVC Tournament potentially on the line, UT Martin (21-29, 9-18 OVC) will turn to its senior leadership to thrust the Skyhawks to a victorious weekend. UT Martin, Tennessee Tech and SIUE all enter the weekend just one game out of the projected field in the eight-team OVC Tournament, which will be played on May 21-26 at Rent One Park in Marion, Ill.
Skyhawk head coach Ryan Jenkins will honor their seven seniors (Jonah Brody, Austen Bullington, Austin Buzick, Zach Denney, Creighton Eldridge, Jordan Stoner and Blake Williams) before Saturday's regular season finale.
Eldridge enters the weekend tied for second in program history for career triples with nine while ranking tied for eighth in career home runs with 18. His six three-baggers legged out in 2017 rank tied for third most in a single season in school history. For his career, he has tallied 19 doubles, nine triples, 18 home runs and 53 RBIs after suffering a season-ending injury early last year. Stoner has shown a great knack for being a pure hitter as he enters the weekend with a .359 career batting average in two seasons as a Skyhawk. In his career, he has recorded 145 hits, 32 two-baggers and 50 RBIs while garnering a first team All-OVC nod in 2018. Williams has been a part of the Skyhawk baseball program for five seasons. He has shown his leadership in the classroom as he has been named to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll every year he has been eligible. Williams has answered a higher calling – he served as battalion commander of UT Martin's ROTC program and was recently commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army.
Brody has battled injury in his first two seasons but has excelled in the classroom as he earned a spot on the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll and has garnered the OVC Medal of Honor (4.0 GPA). Brody has found a home in the bullpen this season as the righty has adopted a sidearm approach to hold opposing batters to a .237 batting clip (third-best on the squad). Bullington has been solid as of late in the UT Martin rotation as the right-handed starter has made 19 career starts and has appeared in 31 games. He has tossed a pair of complete games this year, which is the first time a Skyhawk pitcher has had multiple complete games in one season since 2009. Buzick has logged 19 career innings as he has also battled injury this season. The right-handed reliever has allowed just three earned runs on the year while striking out nine batters over five innings. Denney has taken on a high-leverage role this year as the primary setup man for UT Martin. In 2019, he sports a squad-best 2.59 ERA and has fanned 30 batters in 24.1 innings pitched. This year, he has allowed just two extra-base hits and has held opposing bats to a paltry .224 average while notching two wins and a pair of saves.
Tennessee Tech (22-29, 9-18 OVC) is led by its own four horsemen of Kevin Stroschein, John Dyer, Jason Hinchman and Anthony Carrera. Stroschein sports a .377/.444/.601 slash line and has belted 20 doubles, two triples and 15 long balls to go along with 46 RBIs. Dyer boasts a .348 batting average, 11 home runs and 53 RBIs on the year. Jason Hinchman is swinging to the tune of a .283 batting clip while having hammered 23 home runs this season (leading the nation in long balls coming into the week) and driven in a team-high 54 runs. Carrera is sporting a .281 batting average and has slammed 15 homers and driven in 40 runs on the season. As a squad, the Golden Eagles' 83 home runs rank third among all Division-I teams.
Southpaw Andrew O'Dwyer (3-1, 3.89 ERA) is slated to toe the rubber in Game 1 of the series. He is the reigning OVC Pitcher of the Week as he fanned 10 batters in five shutout innings against Morehead State. On the year, he has fanned 48 batters across 41.2 innings pitched. Right-hander Mark Leonard (2-3, 6.05 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound in the Friday matchup. He paces all Tennessee Tech arms in innings pitched (58) and strikeouts (57) while his nine starts also lead the club. The starter for the series finale is to be determined but the Golden Eagles have a host of arms to turn to under first-year head coach Justin Holmes.
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