MTSU’s 2009 season began with a new start for the Middle Tennessee State University baseball team. The Blue Raiders opened play inside a pristine Reese Smith Field that included an expanded grandstand, which seats 2,600, press box, concession stand and restrooms.
Most of the funding for the $5 million upgrade came from various private donations and fundraisers put on by the squad that included Groundhog Day luncheons, fish fries and Chuck Taylor golf tournaments.
“It’s the greatest thing to happen to the baseball program, because it solidifies the future,” MTSU head coach Steve Peterson said.
Senior third baseball Rawley Bishop added it was “a dream come true.”
The Raiders have more going for them than just a new facility, though. The baseball team started the 2009 campaign 5-0, including four of those wins at home.
Last weekend, the Blue Raiders swept three games from a Missouri State squad that was the preseason pick to win the Missouri Valley Conference.
The MTSU offensive nailed the Bears pitching staff for a combined 38 runs during the three-game series; half of those runs came in the season opener, a 19-4 victory on Feb. 20. The Blue Raider bats rocked Preseason All-American pitcher Tim Clubb for eight of them.
The following day, MTSU kept up their firepower with 12 more runs in a 12-6 victory.
Junior catcher Drew Robertson, who leads the team with a .625 batting average after five games, said after Saturday’s contest that the team has been taking good approaches during their at bats and the offensive production was hot.
The Blue Raiders finished the series on Feb. 22 with a hard fought 7-6 win.
MTSU added two more close wins Tuesday, Feb. 24, a 12-10 in 10 innings at Belmont, and Feb. 25, winning 9-8 at home against Tennessee Tech.
The Blue Raiders open Sun Belt play at New Orleans on March 6.
MTSU Softball Wins Three in a Row
The MTSU softball team started the 2009 campaign slowly with seven losses in a row.
Last weekend, during the War Eagle Invitational in Auburn, Ala, the Blue Raiders lost to host Auburn in the first game. The loss dropped their record to 0-7. The good news was that MT still had three games to play before the end of the weekend.
Guess what? The Blue Raiders picked up all three wins over Purdue (11-4), Winthrop (2-1) and Austin Peay (11-3) and improved their record to 3-7 heading into a week off.
“These three wins this weekend were very crucial to our team,” senior third baseman Martha Davis said. “We were down going into the tournament, and we just needed something to boost our morale.”
Davis’ performance during the four games helped in the cause. She finished the weekend with a .429 batting average with three RBIs and a double and earned a spot on the All Tournament Team. She leads the Blue Raiders in several statistic categories including hits (13), homeruns (3) and RBIs (10).
In Saturday’s first game, MTSU used an impressive nine-strikeout performance by junior Lindsey Vander Lugt to win a 2-1 pitcher’s duel against Winthrop.
In the 11-4 win against Purdue, freshman Caty Jutson picked up the victory with Vander Lugt putting the finishing touches on the Boilermakers in the later innings. The offense also came to life as the Blue Raiders had a season-best 17 hits in the win.
“I think we both stepped up and did our jobs,” Vander Lugt said. “One of our main goals was definitely keeping the runs lower than it had been previously.”
In their home opener, MTSU had given up 22 runs in two losses against Memphis on Feb. 17.
On Sunday, MTSU had 14 hits in the 11-3 win over Austin Peay.
MTSU head coach Sue Nevar said she saw a difference in the team’s play during the weekend.
“We saw a huge improvement from Friday to Sunday, and that was the whole key for this tournament,” Nevar said.
The Blue Raiders head to the Florida State Invitational for four contests on March 6-7.
