Baseball Returns to Nashville For Midweek Clash Against Tennessee Tech

Belmont (17-12, 5-1 MVC) vs. Tennessee Tech (9-17, 1-2 OVC) 

Tuesday, April 4 | 4 p.m. 

ESPN+ | iHeartRadio | Live Stats 

E.S. Rose Park | Nashville, Tennessee 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Winners of ten of their last 11 games, the Belmont University baseball team will look to continue their strong form with a Tuesday evening game against former OVC rival Tennessee Tech at E.S. Rose Park. 

First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. 

The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with live audio play-by-play simulcast on Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeartRadio and live stats available on BelmontBruins.com. 

Admission to all games at E.S. Rose Park is free. 

Belmont will wear red uniforms , and fans are encouraged to wear red and white, the colors of the Covenant School, to stand in solidarity with those effected by the tragedy.  

What's Bruin 

• Belmont is coming off a three-game sweep on the road of Evansville this past weekend 

• Evansville entered the series ranked No. 37 in RPI, swept Missouri State to open MVC action, and was 8-2 at home prior to Saturday's series opener 

• The Bruins took down the Purple Aces, 8-1, on Saturday before taking both games of Sunday's doubleheader, 9-2 in the first game and 7-5 in thirteen innings in the second game. 

• At 5-1 in conference play, Belmont is tied with Southern Illinois and Indiana State atop the MVC standings 

• Belmont enters Tuesday having won ten of their last 11 games 

• Three different Bruins finished with multiple home runs in the three-game series at Evansville: Jeff Clarke, Blake Barton, and Brodey Heaton 

• Junior center fielder Jeff Clarke hit a grand slam in Saturday's win and provided a go-ahead two-run homer in the 13th inning of the sweep-clinching victory on Sunday 

• Clarke leads the MVC in slugging percentage (.695), is sixth in on-base percentage (.458), and is ninth in batting average (.339) 

• Sophomore catcher Blake Barton hit a solo homer on Saturday and a grand slam in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader 

• Barton ranks second in the MVC in doubles (11) and seventh in total bases (60) 

• Junior first baseman Brodey Heaton homered on Saturday and Sunday, providing two of Belmont's seven home runs on the weekend 

• Redshirt freshman Ethan Harden accomplished the rare feat of homering and picking up a save in the same game on Sunday, as he hit a ball off the scoreboard in the fourth inning as Belmont's right fielder before recording the final four outs of the game on the mound for his fifth save of the season 

• Belmont stole 13 bases on 13 attempts in the series, with Drew Lowry stealing five bags and Sam Kirkpatrick stealing four alone in the final game of the series 

• Kirkpatrick's four stolen bases are tied for the second-most in a game this season in all of NCAA Division I, and his five hits are tied for the fourth-most in a game this season 

• Kirkpatrick, a junior shortstop, went 5-for-7 in the final game of the series, recording Belmont's first five-hit game since Ben Kocher tallied five knocks against SIUE in 2018 

• Belmont leads the MVC in ERA (4.37), ranks second in opponent batting average (.253), and ranks third in strikeouts (242) 

• Freshman right-handed pitcher Will Pryor has not allowed a run since March 10, tossing 13 1/3 straight scoreless innings over three outings with 15 strikeouts and one walk 

• Pryor ranks third in the MVC in ERA (2.43) 

• Belmont is 3-3 in midweek games this season 

About the Golden Eagles 

• Tennessee Tech enters Tuesday having lost eight of their last nine games 

• The Golden Eagles are coming off a road series at Morehead State to open OVC play, falling in two of three games in Morehead, Kentucky 

• Tennessee Tech was picked fifth in the OVC Preseason Coaches' Poll 

• Tennessee Tech is 3-12 on the road this season, and is 1-4 in midweek games 

• Tennessee Tech has had a slugging reputation under head coach Matt Bragga, and that has continued in 2023, with 36 home runs through 26 games, ranking 58th in the country in home runs per game (1.38) 

Series History 

• Tuesday marks the 89th meeting all-time between Belmont and Tennessee Tech 

• In Belmont's NCAA-era, the Bruins trail the Golden Eagles, 30-34 

• Belmont won three of four meetings with Tennessee Tech last season, taking two out of three games in an OVC series at E.S. Rose Park from April 8-10, before defeating the Golden Eagles at the OVC Tournament, 8-3, on May 27 on the way to the OVC Championship Game 

• Memorably, Belmont's series opener against Tennessee Tech last season on April 8 ended on a walk-off, as Belmont trailed 7-5 going into the ninth inning before scoring three runs for the win, the last which came on a Tommy Crider pinch-hit walk-off single 

• From 2013 to 2022, Belmont and Tennessee Tech competed as Ohio Valley Conference rivals 

Follow Belmont baseball on social media - @BelmontBaseball on Twitter and @belmontbaseball on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.                   

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