Ebony Rowe
In early March, with only one game left to go in the regular season, the MTSU men’s basketball team sits at 22-8 (and an impressive 12-3 in Conference USA play) for the season.
The regular season closes with a March 6 trip to Alabama to face UAB.
El Paso, Texas, will then host the C-USA Championship tourney, beginning March 11. And then, of course, onto the big dance. NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday is March 16, with the first tournament game set to tip off on Tuesday, March 18.
MTSU recently honored its outgoing seniors on the team prior to a Saturday game against Rice in the Murphy Center.
Seniors Kerry Hammonds II, Tweety Knight, Shawn Jones, Neiko Hunter, Zane Gibson, Torin Walker and Tavarres Jefferson have been part of a special era of MTSU basketball; the Blue Raiders have been particularly dominant at home over the past few seasons. After wrapping up a victory against Rice and the home slate of games for the season, the Raiders improved their stats to a 45-4 record inside the Murphy Center over the last three seasons, with 25-1 in home conference games during that span.
The women, also on the national radar, have one out of town contest remaining as well, at Tulane. They begin the month of March with a 25-4 record for the season, and they will also appear in action in the Conference USA Championships in El Paso.
The women’s big dance will commence on March 22, and this year’s Women’s Final Four will be held in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
Jared Allen
Baseball and softball action is cranking up this spring as well.
The baseball team begins the month at 4-6. After its own trip to UAB, the MTSU baseball team will return to Murfreesboro to take on UT on March 11. They will go on to host a packed slate of baseball action in Murfreesboro over the coming weeks, facing Charlotte, Lipscomb, Rice and Memphis at Reese Smith Jr. Field on the MTSU campus.
The first 100 fans at the Conference USA home opener against Charlotte will receive a special commemorative coin. That game is slated for a 6 p.m. start on Friday, March 14.
The athletics department is otherwise rolling out a variety of season promotions to keep things fun for the whole family, including free admission for kids wearing little league jerseys at Sunday games, and offering $2 tickets, $2 hot dogs and $2 drinks for games held on Tuesdays.
The softball team is even further into its season schedule. Despite a rough 5-17 start, there is plenty of ball remaining to be played this spring, including a couple of in-conference home doubleheaders later in March.
At the recent Conference USA Indoor Track & Field Championships held in Birmingham, a couple of Blue Raiders posted individual first-place performances.
Eliud Rutto won the 800-meter race with a time of 1:51.00, and Emmanuel Tugumisirize placed first in the 400-meter, running the race in 46.80.
Go Blue Raiders!
For more on MTSU athletics, visit goblueraiders.com.
MTSU Baseball – upcoming home games
Mar. 11 – Tennessee, 6 p.m.
Mar. 14 – Charlotte, 6 p.m.
Mar. 15 – Charlotte, 4 p.m.
Mar. 16 – Charlotte, 1 p.m.
Mar. 25 – Lipscomb, 6 p.m.
Mar. 28 – Rice, 6 p.m.
Mar. 29 – Rice, 4 p.m.
Mar. 30 – Rice, 12 p.m.
Apr. 1 – Memphis, 6 p.m.
Apr. 2 – Memphis, 6 p.m.
MTSU Softball – upcoming home games
Mar. 8 – (DH) North Texas, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Mar. 9 – North Texas, 12 p.m.
Mar. 22 – (DH) LA Tech, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Mar. 23 – LA Tech, 12 p.m.
