Tech doubles down for second-straight 25-run game, tops Morehead State 26-15

By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information

MOREHEAD, Ky. – It was another historic day at the plate for the Tennessee Tech baseball team on Saturday, as the Golden Eagles closed out the 2025 regular season with a monster 26-15 victory against Morehead State at Prefontaine Park and Allen Field.

For the first time in program history, the purple and gold (37-19, 18-9) dropped 20 or more runs on the scoreboard in back-to-back games, doubling down on its 27-11 victory on Friday. The Golden Eagles piled up 22 hits and 12 walks on the day, dominating at the dish from start to finish.

The Cookeville crew set the tone early against the Eagles (14-39, 4-23), scoring eight runs on five hits in the opening inning. Loading the bases without recording an out, Tech turned to right fielder Jorsixt Jimenez to get the fireworks started with a two-run double down the left-field line.

Second baseman Eddie Garza kept the inning rolling with an RBI single through the left side, and catcher Ryan Lee followed by drawing a base-loaded free pass for another RBI. Third baseman Jackson Rooker made it a 5-0 lead with a sacrifice fly ball to left field before first baseman Nicho Jordan drew a walk with the bases juiced for another run.

Designated hitter Mack Whitcomb, who walked earlier in the frame, plated two more for the purple and gold with a two-run single off the top of the wall in right-center field. Tech made it a 9-0 contest in the second thanks to a lead-off home run off the bat of center fielder Jackson Green, his third long ball of the weekend and sixth of the year.

Morehead fought back in the second and third frames, reversing course on the Golden Eagles with a single run in the second. The home Eagles then dropped eight runs on eight hits in the third, tying the contest at 9-9.

Tech didn’t even blink, with Whitcomb providing an instant lead for the Cookeville crew in the fourth. The sophomore slugger blasted a lead-off pump to left field, his team-leading 15^th round-tripper of the season.

Green singled to center field, stole second base, and then reached third on a throwing error. He scored later in the at-bat on a wild pitch. Two batters later, backstop Ryan Lee went bridge with a two-run dinger to center field for his sixth trot of the year. In the bottom half, Morehead got one run back on a solo home run, but Tech went back to work in the sixth.

Crafty baserunning provided a spark in the inning, with shortstop Preston Steele scoring on a wild pitch and Rooker creating chaos on the base paths. He rounded third on the wild offering, drawing a throw from the catcher and taking off for the plate, beating the ensuing throw for another run!

In the bottom of the sixth, the Eagles scored three times on a two-run long ball and an RBI single, but the Cookeville crew was far from finished. The Tech squad dropped four more runs on four hits, starting with more thievery on the base paths from Green.

The senior stole both second and third, making him a perfect 19-for-19 on the year to move into a tie for 14^th on the team’s single-season list and into a tie for ninth on Tech’s career stolen bases charts with Chad Malone (1995-98) with 39. Garza drove him in with an RBI base knock to right field.

After taking over at shortstop in the sixth, Owen Lee made his presence felt at the plate by pulverizing the first pitch he saw to right field for a three-run bomb and his ninth tater of the year. Morehead answered with a run in the seventh, but Tech dropped one final salvo in the eighth.

It was a two-out rally for the purple and gold in the frame, with Green belting his second tank of the day to right field for a two-run shot. His seventh four-bagger of the year was also his fourth in the past two games. Tech proceeded to load the bases on three straight walks to keep things rolling.

Owen Lee singled to second base to drive in two more before Smelser peppered a two-run single to shortstop. Whitcomb followed up with an RBI single to center field to round out the scoring at 26 for the day.

Whitcomb and Green each tallied four hits in the ball game, with Whitcomb driving in four runs and scoring twice, and Green plating three with five runs scored and a walk. Owen Lee, Ryan Lee, Garza, and Smelser each produced two hits while Jimenez tacked on three with a couple of RBI. Owen Lee drove in five with two runs scored while Ryan Lee plated three.

All 10 of Tech’s hitters to record an at-bat earned at least one hit while nine drew at least one walk. All 10 scored at least one run while nine drove in at least one run.

The Golden Eagles will represent the No. 3 seed at next week’s OVC Championships presented by SERVPRO at Mtn Dew Park in Marion, Ill. Tech will compete on Wednesday, May 21, with a 7:30 p.m. CT tilt against the winner between No. 6 Lindenwood and No. 7 UT Martin earlier in the day. The contest will be single elimination, with the loser headed home and the winner advancing to the double-elimination portion of the tournament.

Tickets are priced at $30 for All-Session and for a single day they are $10 for adults, $5 for children, and $5 for college students with ID. Tickets can be purchased at OVCSports.com.

File photo by Jim Dillon