Winners of six straight (and 9 of the last 11) games...having now won our last four weekend series (two against Top 25 ranked opponents, ECU and ODU)...sitting atop the CUSA standings (tied with FAU and USM with 5-1 conference records)...and boasting very solid and rising national rankings (#16 RPI, #25 ISR, #8 SoS), the Diamond Owls have reason to be gaining confidence and some well-earned mojo. Yes, we're still largely flying under the radar of the national college baseball pundits-- and are still nowhere to be seen in the various weekly polls, but that will shortly change if we can keep winning our weekends. No question, we are playing better baseball. Most importantly, our defense has not only solidified from the error-fest that was the first two weeks of the season, but is now playing at a high level. Our starting pitching has been consistently strong, and increasingly dominant. And we're finally getting offensive production from a couple of our proven hitters who have been in season-long slumps until the past week. We still need to improve our offensive execution and efficiency, and we desperately need at least another one or two relievers to step up and become consistent, viable options to supplement Glenn Otto and Dane Myers in the back of the bullpen, but as we approach the midway point of the season, the team continues to improve, and there's optimism that Tristan Gray could be returning to action sooner than expected. As great as it would be beat A&M next week, at this point in the season, winning conference weekend series is much more important to the big picture. Let's keep the focus...and the Big Mo going.
Middle Tennessee comes into this series losers of four straight games and 6 of their last 7 contest. However, it was against a very tough stretch of schedule (FAU x 3, Vandy, Tennessee, WKU on the road). It's been an up and won season so far for the Blue Raiders. Overall, they are 12 - 13 (7-6 home, 1-5 CUSA, 3-2 vs. Top 50, #92 RPI, #142 ISR,#89 SoS). They have played quality teams tough-- taking a weekend series from Indiana, beating #11 RPI ranked South Alabama 2 of 3 on the road, and besting Vandy last week...but they have also played 9 games (36% of their schedule) against teams currently ranked below #200 in RPI, including losses to Army, Lipscomb, Kennesaw State and Belmont. Last weekend they lost two heartbreaking pitchers duels to WKU, while getting blown out in the other game. Here's their schedule and results to date...
http://warrennolan.com/baseball/2016/sch...-Tennessee
Quite honestly, MTSU has done well for themselves posting a near .500 record with the quality of opposition they have faced and after perusing their stat sheet (with very little positive standing out). Their team strengths appear to be in order: (1) a deep bullpen with 4 quality relievers-- including the 3 best pitchers stat-wise on the staff, (2) a leadoff hitter and JUCO transfer having an exceptional year at the plate, (3) strong up-the-middle defense and (3) an experienced, upperclass weekend rotation.
Offensively, they're hitting just .238/.316/.323 as a team, with 8 HRs, 39 doubles/triples, 6-12 SBs and averaging just 4.1 runs per game. (Rice is hitting .259/.333/.341, 8 Hrs, 34 doubles/triples, 15-28 SBs and averaging 4.4 runs/game.) And those meager stats are bolstered largely by their lone batter hitting over .275, leadoff hitter and SS Riley Delgado, who is having an exceptional year (.393/.495/.461, 6 doubles, 8 RBI, 15 BBs). Take away his numbers and the MTSU lineup would strike fear in no one. They have little power (though Jarreau and Benefield each have 3 HRs), almost no stolen bases (just 6-12 SBs in 25 games), and have struck out more than twice as often as they've received free passes (almost 8 Ks/game). What's more, their lineup features just two left-handed batters (both hitting under .260), which favors our right-handed laden pitching staff. One thing to be cautious of-- they do appear to crowd the plate as they've already been hit by 21 pitches.
Defensively, the Blue Raiders have posted a respectable .964 fielding percentage, but have allowed a relatively high 24 unearned runs. As I mentioned above, they have a strong middle infield combo with SS Delgado and 2B Sullivan, but their 1B Dupree has committed 7 errors and their outfielders have just 3 total assists on the year. Furthermore, despite two starting left-handed pitchers, we should be able to run on MTSU, as other teams have run aggressively on them (32 - 43 SBs).
On the mound, their staff stats are pretty poor: 4.88 ERA, .275 BAA, 1.6 K:BB ratio, 1.76 WHIP and averaging just over 6 free passes/game. As mentioned above, their 3 best pitchers (and four of their top five) are relievers. The weekend rotation is experienced and features two southpaws, but they have struggled, particularly with their control. The bullpen is anchored by power armed Sr RHP Garrett Ring, a JUCO left-hander and a pair of true Freshmen...
N.Hoffman (Sr, RHP): 6 starts, 0-3, 29.0 IP, 6.21 ERA, .342 BAA, 5 BBs, 7 HBP, 19 Ks
T.Troutt (Sr, LHP): 6 starts, 1-4, 31.2 IP, 4.26 ERA, .274 BAA, 20 BBs, 5 WPs, 20 Ks
J.Wyrick (JUCO, LHP): 5 starts, 7 app, 2-2, 22.0 IP, 3.68 ERA, .241 BAA, 15 BBs, 22 Ks, 1 xtrabase hit
G.Ring (Sr, RHP): 8 app, 1-1, 1 save, 21.0 IP, 0.86 ERA, .200 BAA, 10 BBs, 23 Ks
C.Lester (Fr, RHP): 9 app, 1 save, 15.1 IP, 2.35 ERA, ,286 BAA, 6 BBs, 10 Ks, 8 doubles
C.Puckett (JUCO, LHP): 7 app, 3-0, 3 saves, 14.1 IP, 2.51 ERA, .222 BAA, 6 BBs, 19 Ks
AJ Spencer (Fr, RHP): 10 app, 1-0, 2 saves, 20.1 IP, 3.98 ERA, .260 BAA, 7 BBs, 19 Ks
Amongst the starters, Hoffman has been hit hard all year, though he did have his best game in a 3-1 loss to WKU last Friday. Both lefties have good stuff, but have struggled mightily with their control. Their Sunday starter, Wyrick, has the best stats of the trio, but his high walk frequency and high pitch counts have dramatically limited his innings pitched. Their deep bullpen (7 different relievers have at least 7 appearances) features four quality arms. Of this quartet, all but Lester appear to be power pitchers, and all but Lester are averaging over 2 innings per outing.
Here's the MTSU individual and team stats over their first 25 games...
http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/mt...verall.pdf
...and their roster...
http://www.goblueraiders.com/roster.aspx?path=baseball
Given how tough MTSU have played against quality opposition, we can ill-afford to look beyond them to next Tuesday's meeting against the #1 ranked Aggies; especially since they did take 2 of 3 from us the last time we visited Murfreesboro. We need to stay focused and aggressive, and avoid beating ourselves with poor execution and baserunning on offense, defensive lapses and pitchers issuing frequent free passes. Strong starting pitching, solid defense and timely hitting-- that's been our recipe for success since the Minute Maid debacle. Let's keep our momentum building and our win streak rolling. Let's get it done. Go Owls!
D1Baseball picked MTSU to finish #6 in conference...
http://www.d1baseball.com/analysis/2016-...ews-c-usa/
Quote:• Middle Tennessee State has some real talent in some key areas. On the mound, righthanded ace Nate Hoffmann is a quality arm who’s coming off a strong campaign and will sit anywhere from 88-90 mph with a hard curveball, while RHP Reid Clements is intriguing with his 88-91 mph FB and hard slurve secondary offering. RHP Garrett Ring spearheads the back-end of the pitching staff and has a power arm, sitting 90-93 mph with hard sink on his fastball. In terms of position players, SS Riley Delgado gives the Blue Raiders a steady hand up the middle after a successful JUCO stint, while Kevin Sullivan is a cut of the same mold with some real projection from an offensive standpoint. Brad Jarreau is a consistent hitter for the Blue Raiders, while freshman OF Austin Dennis is a talented slugger to watch. Dennis is a good runner and displayed impressive pop during fall workouts.
Perfect Game picked the Blue Raiders to finish #8 in conference, and selected OFer Brad Jarreau (who hit .338 last year) to their preseason all-conference team...
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View...icle=12040
Quote:Middle Tennessee State: After a 32-win season Head Coach Jim McGuire and his Blue Raiders look to build off that mark in 2016. One thing that Middle Tennessee has working for them is the experience that the weekend rotation welcomes back with senior righthander Nate Hoffman and senior lefthander Tyler Troutt at the forefront. Hoffmann went 4-1 last spring with a team-best 3.61 ERA among the starters and possesses the best breaking ball on the team. To join the 13 games started by Hoffmann last spring, Troutt returns with 11 starts of his own, giving the staff two established and veteran type arms for the first two games of a weekend series. Sophomores Reid Clements and Jake Wynrick, a JUCO transfer from Cleveland State who turned down a draft selection by the New York Mets last June, are two other arms who will vie for the third and fourth starting spots, while hard-throwing senior Garrett Ring and 6-foot-4 righthander Will Jackson will be available at the back end of the bullpen. While the offense won’t return either Ronnie Jebavy or Jared Allen, who together combined for half of the Blue Raiders home runs in 2015, they do return two of their other top offensive performers in junior outfielder Brad Jarreau and lefthanded hitter Kevin Dupree. Both Jarreau and Dupree are the lone returners who bring back a batting average over the .300 mark and will make up the middle of order. Jarreau, who will hit in the three-hole, is a speedy center fielder who excels on the bases and shows the best strike zone discipline. Freshman A.J. Spencer is another name to keep an eye on after an impressive fall where his fastball worked in the 88-90 mph range and showed power in his righthanded stroke.
Baseball America CUSA preview said this about MTSU...
http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/2...AGexYou.97
Quote:Middle Tennessee State has been competitive in its first two seasons since coming over from the Sun Belt, finishing in fourth place in C-USA in both 2014 and 2015. They did it last year despite finishing 12th—dead last—in the conference in ERA (5.12). The Blue Raiders do expect to be better on the mound this year with seniors Nate Hoffmann and Tyler Troutt fronting the rotation, but they can take comfort in the return of standout outfielder Brad Jarreau (.338/.396/.380) and middle-of-the-order presence Kevin Dupree (.301/.426/.377) at first base. The up-the-middle defense should also be solid with Jarreau in center field, junior catcher Will Schnure and junior college transfer Riley Delgado at shortstop.
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MTSU Baseball Preview-- Keeping the Momentum Building
