#6 Louisiana Tech will face #7 Middle Tennessee in the second round of the C-USA Tournament on the winner’s bracket side on Thursday afternoon. The Bulldogs and Blue Raiders played in a three-game series at MTSU earlier this year with the Bulldogs winning the opener 18-8, the Blue Raiders winning the next game 12-8, and the Bulldogs winning the finale 3-1.
Game Time | Thursday @12:30pm
TV/Radio | ESPN+/Sportstalk 97.7 FM
Louisiana Tech HC | Lane Burroughs (233-140 in 7th season at LA Tech)
Middle Tennessee HC | Jerry Meyers (26-27 in 1st season at MTSU)
Projected Pitching Matchup
Thursday | TBA vs TBA
Bulldogs Scouting Report
Key Players | 3B Logan McLeod (.304, 30 RBI, 1 HR), 1B Dalton Davis (.289, 56 RBI, 15 HR), 2B/RHP Ethan Bates (.267, 35 RBI, 15 HR/4-3, 3.02 ERA, 52 K), LF Adarius Myers (.255, 25 RBI, 4 HR), RF Philip Matulia (.238, 48 RBI, 19 HR, CF Brody Drost (.214, 31 RBI, 10 HR), SS Will Safford (.209, 17 RBI, 3 HR), DH Walker Burchfield (.248, 26 RBI, 6 HR), C Kyle Hasler (.240, 5 RBI, 0 HR), RHP Landon Tomkins (6-1, 3.39 ERA, 71 K), LHP Ryan Harland (0-4, 5.80 ERA, 27 K), LHP Caden Copeland (1-0, 5.75 ERA, 18 K)
Team Rundown
#6 Louisiana Tech enters this game coming off a 13-8 shoutout victory over #3 Charlotte in the 1st round of the C-USA tournament.
The Diamond Dogs blasted 5 home runs in the contest, including 2 that came from the red-hot Dalton Davis. On the season, Louisiana Tech ranks 2nd in C-USA in home runs with 91, only trailing #1 DBU.
Turning the attention to Middle Tennessee, the Bulldogs enjoyed one of their most successful offensive performances of their season versus the Blue Raiders in the series opener between the two teams earlier this season.
In that game, the Diamond Dogs finished with 5 home runs, 21 total hits, and 18 runs to defeat Middle Tennessee 18-8 on the road. The Bulldogs chased down MTSU starting pitcher Patrick Johnson early in the matchup.
Johnson only lasted 1.2 innings, allowed 5 hits, walked 2 batters, threw zero strikeouts, and allowed 2 earned runs before being relieved.
Brody Drost bombed a grand slam, Will Safford hit his first home run of the season, Ethan Bates blasted his 9th home run of the season, and Davis added 2 hits and an RBI in the contest.
A favorable aspect for Louisiana Tech, the Blue Raiders rank last in C-USA in home runs allowed while the Bulldogs rank 2nd in the conference in home runs.
In the series finale, Landon Tomkins had an excellent starting performance. Tomkins lasted 6.0 innings, only walked one batter, threw 4 strikeouts, and allowed just one earned run and the win.
In the 2022 C-USA Tournament, the #2 Bulldogs defeated #3 Old Dominion in the 2nd round 7-2.
The Bulldogs’ game will be the second C-USA game of the day, following an elimination game between #3 Charlotte and #2 UTSA at 9 am.
Blue Raiders Scouting Report
Key Players | SS Brett Coker (.351, 31 RBI, 4 HR), 2B JT Mabry (.333, 39 RBI, 6 HR), CF Luke Vinson (.308, 22 RBI, 1 HR), C Briggs Rutter (.306, 24 RBI, 2 HR), DH Jeremiah Boyd (.303, 45 RBI, 12 HR), 1B DJ Wright (.278, 39 RBI, 7 HR), RF Eston Snider (.227, 27 RBI, 3 HR), LF Jackson Galloway (.255, 18 RBI, 2 HR), 3B Gabe Jennings (.218, 29 RBI, 6 HR), RHP Patrick Johnson (3-5, 4.85 ERA, 15 K), RHP Jaden Hamm (5-4, 5.00 ERA, 90 K), RHP James Sells (5-4, 4.70 ERA, 51 K)
Team Rundown
#7 Middle Tennessee enters this game coming off a huge upset with over #2 UTSA, a team they were handily swept by earlier this season.
The biggest component that led to the victory was pitcher Eriq Swann who lasted 6.0 innings, walked 2 batters, threw 9 strikeouts, and limited the potent offense of the Roadrunners to only one earned run.
Despite ranking 8th in C-USA in home runs with only 43 on the season, the Blue Raiders opened their 2023 C-USA Tournament run with a leadoff solo home run from JT Mabry.
On offense, MTSU ranks 4th in C-USA in batting average at .291, 8th in runs scored with 336, 6th in hits with 532, 10th in walks with only 162, and 1st in times struck out with 375.
In the Blue Raiders’ 12-8 win over the Bulldogs earlier this season, MTSU tied a season-high with 18 hits, threw a season-high 15 strikeouts, hit a season-high 6 doubles, and took an 11-0 lead in the game without hitting a single home run.
JT Mabry finished with 4 hits and an RBI, Brett Coker added 3 hits and an RBI, Briggs Rutter also had 3 hits as well as 2 RBIs, and Jeremiah Boyd had 2 hits to go with 2 RBIs.
Jaden Hamm saw the most action on the mound in the contest, lasting 5.0 innings, walking 3 batters, throwing 9 strikeouts, and allowing 4 earned runs in the win.
On the mound, MTSU ranks 9th in team ERA at 6.17, 5th in hits allowed with 529, 8th in runs allowed with 368, 7th in walks given up with 229, 9th in strikeouts with 400, and 10th in home runs allowed with 76.
In the 2022 C-USA Tournament, #6 Middle Tennessee was crushed by #3 Old Dominion 18-7 in 7 innings and was promptly eliminated after being shutout 22-0 by #7 Charlotte in 7 innings.
RPI
Louisiana Tech #114
Middle Tennessee #161
University Comparison
Louisiana Tech | Location: Ruston, Louisiana | Conference: C-USA | Enrollment:11,037
Middle Tennessee | Location: Murfreesboro, Tennessee | Conference: C-USA | Enrollment:17,892
Stadium Information
Reckling Park
Opened: 2000
Capacity: 6,193
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