The Tigerpen

Tag: detroit-tigers

  • ‘I Live Off Adrenaline’: Brayden Sanders is Memphis’ Guy for the Big Moments

    ‘I Live Off Adrenaline’: Brayden Sanders is Memphis’ Guy for the Big Moments

    With more than half of the season played, the Tigers are still not sure where the team is standing. Bright flashes with big wins are promptly followed by devastating losses only a few days later. So far the Bullpen especially lacks any form of consistency. To one guy this does not apply – Brayden Sanders. He is coach Riser’s man when things get tight.

    It is the seventh inning of game one against Florida Atlantic. David Warren has just delivered the best outing of his career as starting pitcher. He tallied seven innings, over a hundred pitches thrown and only one run allowed. But now, his arm gets tired. The score is 2 – 1 for Memphis and the bases are loaded for FAU. What now? For head coach Matt Riser, it is clear what to do. It is time for Brayden Sanders: “When Brayden is in the game, you know it is over.”

    And so, it comes: Although FAU loads the bases twice in the last two innings, they are not able to score another run. After the final pitch the Tigers’ dugout erupts – a 2 – 1 victory for Memphis. After the game, Sanders talked about his performance: “As a closer, it is the best feeling ever. It is everybody’s dream. It is the best feeling in baseball.”

    Brayden Sanders after his game-winning pitch against FAU. Jacob Morgan/Tigerpen

    While Memphis’ season continues to be up-and-down, Brayden Sanders is one bright spot for the Tigers. So far, he has appeared in eleven games and has pitched for 16.1 innings. During these appearances, he only allowed three runs for the opponent. His ERA right now is at 1.65 and he has recorded a whopping 26 strikeouts.

    His personal success also translates onto the whole team: From the eleven games he has played in, the Tigers won eight. In six of the matches, he was credited with a save, supporting the argument of coach Riser: When Brayden Sanders is in the game, the game is over most of the time.

    Sanders was born in Olive Branch in Mississippi. He started his college career in Ole Miss in 2021. Before that, he attended Lewisburg High School, where he played baseball for the Patriots. During his time there, he started to show his potential: In March 2020, he pitched a complete game no-hitter, striking out 13 and driving in two runs himself. In his junior season, which was cut short due to the COVID-pandemic, he recorded a 1.71 ERA while striking out 27 hitters in only 16 innings. He improved these numbers even more in his senior campaign to a 1.50 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 37 innings.

    With those stats he was ranked as the number four RHP and the number 10 overall player in Mississippi coming out of high school. After he spent his first semester at Ole Miss, he transferred to Northwest Mississippi Community College. For the Rangers, he appeared 13 times on the mound. During that, he struck out 53 batters across 36.1 innings. His season high came against Wallace State, when he recorded eight strikeouts in the game. Prior to the 2023 season, he signed with the Memphis Tigers.

    Now, one season later, head coach Matt Riser values his skills as the closer highly. After the win against FAU, he had nothing but praise for Brayden Sanders: “If you want to win a championship or have an opportunity to win championships, you got to have a guy that can finish games. Brayden has proven that time and time again.”

    What Sanders also has shown time and time again this season, is that he can stay focused on the bench during long games and take over when he is needed. “I have a routine that I do every single game, whether I come in or not. This keeps me in the game and lose, in case they need me in the eighth or the ninth inning”, he said after the FAU game.

    Brayden Sanders right before a pitch. Jacob Morgan/Tigerpen

    When his name gets called, Sanders has to deliver. For that, he often tries to remind himself that he is good enough and feed off the trust that his coach and his team have in him. Shortly before the pitch, he then shuts his head off: “I really don’t try to think too much, when I am out there. I don’t want a lot going through my mind out there,” said Sanders.

    Then, he approaches each pitch individually. “I hit them with my best stuff. When they hit it, I trust my defense. When they swing and miss or I walk them, then I get the next batter,” said Sanders. A strategy that seems to be working.

    Brayden Sanders loves team sports. He needs to feel the trust by his team to deliver consistently. Likewise, he also tries to pick up his teammates. Like in the game against Florida Atlantic: In the ninth inning, Jake Curtis missed a critical catch to load the bases for FAU once more. But Sanders stayed calm: “I told him: “Don’t worry, I got you”. And then I got out there and had his back.”

    As the season progresses, the Tigers will definitely continue to turn to Brayden Sanders, when things get close. His ability to finish games might prove to be essential, if the team can become more consistent and stay in the game till the end. His team and most of all coach Riser rely on their best closer: “What he has overcome all year long and he continues to perform: I am just really proud of that young man.”

  • Tigers Win Series Opener in 15

    Tigers Win Series Opener in 15

    Photo Credit: Brock Busick/Memphis Athletics

    The Memphis Tigers defeat the Rice Owls in Houston in the series opener 4-3 in a 15-inning marathon.

    David Warren took the mound for the Tigers as a starter, and the start looked rather ominous as the right-handed senior let in the first run of the game on a single in the bottom of the first inning.

    Fortunately, the Tigers were able to answer right back in the next half-inning on a double steal play that saw Pierre Seals steal second which allowed Daunte Stuart a free lane to steal home.

    A back and forth affair began when the Owls scored again on an RBI single in the next half-inning to give them a 2-1 lead.

    Then, that was quickly answered back in the top of the third when Will Marcy scored on an RBI groundout by Austin Baskin to tie the game at two.

    After that, Warren seemed to settle in and really dominate the Owls lineup. Through the next five innings, Warren would only allow one hit to give the Tigers’ bats multiple chances at taking the lead.

    Meanwhile, the Tigers were having their struggles against Rice’s starting pitcher Parker Smith who also settled on the mound after a shaky start

    What started out looking like another offensive shootout for the Tigers, turned into a pitcher’s duel and just waiting to see who would break through first.

    That answer would come in the top of the eighth when Austin Baskin came through yet again with a sacrifice fly to score Will Marcy to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead.

    Warren now had a chance to have a complete game shutout. He began the bottom of the ninth on the mound, but after a leadoff double, he was pulled from the game for closer Brayden Sanders.

    The runner would subsequently come across the plate to tie the game, leaving Warren with a stat line of 8+ innings, giving up seven hits, three runs, one walk, and three strikeouts.

    “I was really proud of Dave…to be able to pitch into the ninth was huge,” head coach Matt Riser said.

    Sanders would get out of the ninth with the game still tied, taking the game to extras. He then would get out of a bases loaded jam in the 10th to keep the game alive.

    JT Durham was tabbed as the pitcher for the extra innings, and he would deliver in a big way. Durham shut down the Owls’ offense for the majority of the extra innings to once again give the Tigers a chance.

    That chance would finally come in the 15th when Will Marcy singled home Alex Fernandes to give the Tigers’ a 4-3 lead.

    Durham would get the first out of the bottom of the 15th before being pulled, giving a stat line of 4.1 innings pitched, no runs, three hits, two walks, and three strikeouts.

    “The only way we win that is if JT did what he did, throwing up zeroes.” Riser added.

    Jake Curtis was switched from the infield to pitcher to close out the game. Curtis would get the final two outs to finally close this game out for the Tigers.

    The Tigers now have a chance to clinch the series on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Reckling Park in Houston, Texas on ESPN+

  • Tigers defeat Ole Miss in Mid-South Rematch

    Tigers defeat Ole Miss in Mid-South Rematch

    The University of Memphis defeated mid-south rival Ole Miss in their only midweek game Tuesday. This is the first time the Tigers have beaten Ole Miss since 2017. 

    The game was a back-and-forth early, with each team trading punches through the first four innings. The Tigers seemed to gain the upper hand after Will Marcy hit a SAC bunt to score two runs. Ole Miss wouldn’t respond to the play by Marcy until the seventh inning tying the score. The Tigers fired back with a five run spree in the bottom of the seventh to regain and extend their lead.

    Ole Miss Coach Mike Bianco looks onto the field. Ronald Todd/Tigerpen

    Austin Baskin made the first play by helping Jake Curtis score, making the score 5-4. Then Pierre Seals followed up with a hit and a passed ball to help the Tigers get another score. The major play came in the bottom of the seventh, when Jonah Sutton hit a double to get both Seals and Stuart home. Shane Cox solidified the lead with a single RBI give the Tigers a 9-4 lead. 

    Head Coach Matt Riser speaks to Shane Cox as he is about to be at bat. Ronald Todd/Tigerpen

    From that point on, the Tigers did not allow a single run from Ole Miss. Coach Riser was proud of the team for playing a complete game after losing the weekend series to FAU. He also acknowledged the role the crowd played in the energy of the dugout. 

    “I mean, there was a good atmosphere in the ballpark,” Riser said. “I thought they did a really good job of just not being too high, but using that electricity to make sure that they were in tune with what they were trying to get executed and get done.” 

    The Tigers head to Texas to face conference opponent Rice University in a weekend series. The first game will be on Friday at 6:30 p.m. 

  • Tigers Search for an Identity After the Grind City Slump

    Tigers Search for an Identity After the Grind City Slump

    One thing every good team has, no matter what the sport, is the ability to be consistent. This is currently one of the main things the Memphis Tigers are lacking. 

    The Memphis Tigers once again find themselves at a neutral record after splitting the weekend doubleheader on Saturday against New Orleans. They won that series 2-1, but the last two weeks have been an up and down stretch for the Tigers, where they have only won 4 out of the last ten games.  

    The Grind City Classic was an especially ugly stretch for the Tigers, as they lost all three of those games. This was after dropping the previous two games to Ole Miss and Wright State University. So, before this week began, the Tigers were on a five-game losing streak and taking a large step back. 

    James Bristentine/Tigerpen
    Jake Curtis steps up at bat vs Wright State University during the second game of the series. This was the last game the Tigers won before going on a five game losing streak.

    The following week, the Tigers put an end to the losing streak in the game against North Alabama. This win led to them going on a three-game win streak, which was ultimately stopped by New Orleans on Saturday afternoon in the first game of the doubleheader. Memphis lost that game 1-6, then won the next 12-10. 

    That has been the story for the Tigers. On a good hitting day, they seem like a complete team with few holes. In games they score ten or more points, their record is 7-0. Also, the Tigers average 10.9 runs in their wins. On the other hand, their losses are a completely different story, as so far this season they only average 4.54 runs in their losses. That is a huge drop off, and in three of their 11 losses they have only scored one run. 

    Pitching has also been a wildly inconsistent. In ten games the pitchers have allowed ten or more hits, and in six of those their opponents have scored ten or more runs. In the games they allow 10+ hits, they are 3-7.  

    Coach Matt Riser has said on multiple occasions that this team is a player-led team. However, after the weekend skid during the Grind City Classic, he was very transparent with what he wanted out of the players. 

    “If you’re still in, I expect to see you on Tuesday,” Riser said. “If not no big deal, come see me on Monday and we can set up the transfer portal.” 

    Robby Byrd/Tigerpen
    Matt Riser over looks the field while the Memphis Tigers are at bat.

    Riser said no one showed up on Monday, and he said the seniors played a big role in the shift in play during the midweek series. 

    Another thing that Riser said that could be a key weapon for the Tiger’s is the energy from the dugout. 

    “The human mind is a beautiful thing. It’s probably the most complex machine that there is in the world, no matter what technology we have. And, you know, positive thinking and our positive reinforcement in the dugout with 37 guys in there bonding together. Makes it a huge difference.” 

    The Tigers are looking to build on their positive performance during Saturday’s second game when they face Mississippi State in Starksville. Following that, they have their weekend series at South Florida University. Memphis is just 3-5 on the road, so this may be a difficult stretch for them up ahead.