The Tigerpen

Tag: jake curtis

  • Early Surge Propels Memphis to Friday Night Victory over New Orleans

    Early Surge Propels Memphis to Friday Night Victory over New Orleans

    Elisha Segars/Tigerpen
    Will Marcy looks to get on base for the Tigers during Friday’s game against UNO.

    The Tigers used a four-run first inning to take a lead that they would never relinquish, winning 5-4 over the New Orleans Privateers.  

    “We needed one like that where we just grinded it out,” said coach Matt Riser. “It was a great team effort.” 

    The first four batters of the game, Jake Curtis, Will Marcy, Austin Baskin and Daunte Stuart all reached base for Memphis before New Orleans could record an out. Stuart drove in Curtis with an RBI single, scoring the first run of the game. 

    Seth Cox delivered the biggest hit of the night, slapping a bases-clearing double down the left-field line to extend the Tigers’ lead to 4-0.  

    Starting pitcher David Warren gave the Tigers a quality outing in his fifth appearance of the season. He exited the contest after allowing two runs on four hits in seven innings. Warren would be tagged for two more runs after New Orleans scored a pair of his inherited baserunners on a double in the eighth inning.  

    After the first inning, Memphis only recorded one more hit the entire game. A sixth-inning single by Daunte Stuart proved to be massive, as he would come around to score on an errant pickoff attempt.  

    Relief pitcher Brayden Sanders closed the game for the Tigers. In his two-inning performance, he did not allow a run and only gave up one hit. Sanders struck out two New Orleans’ batters in the ninth inning and was awarded with his fourth save of the season. 

    The win is the third in a row for Memphis and brings them back to .500 on the season, with a record of 10-10. The Tigers and the Privateers will play a doubleheader on Saturday, starting at 2 p.m. due to the threat of inclement weather on Sunday.  

  • Memphis Falls in Extra Innings to Jackson State

    Memphis Falls in Extra Innings to Jackson State

    The Tigers fell short in a back-and-forth affair against Jackson State, losing 6-4 in 10 innings. Memphis finishes the weekend 0-3 and has dropped five consecutive contests.  

    “At some point we have to pick ourselves up,” said head coach Matt Riser. “The good news is we have games coming up to prove ourselves different, but we have to get collectively back together as a team.” 

    The Tigers continued their offensive struggles, tallying just four hits in the game. The lone highlight came when Jacob Compton launched a two-run shot over the right field fence. The home run was Compton’s third of the weekend and eighth of the season, leading all hitters in the AAC. 

    Starting pitcher Caden Robinson put together a solid outing, allowing one earned run on four hits in five innings. Two unearned runs scored in his tenure, both coming from errors by shortstop Jake Curtis.  

    “I thought Caden pitched his way through some tough situations,” added Riser. “We did not make a lot of plays behind him, but he handled it well and kept us in the game.” 

    The Memphis bullpen had another strong showing, holding Jackson State to one run in six innings of regulation. Logan Rushing, Kylan Stepter and Brayden Sanders each contributed and kept the game alive for the Tigers. 

    After Memphis failed to score in the bottom of the ninth inning, Jackson State took the lead on an RBI double by second baseman Myles White and extended it with an RBI single from Robert Tate II.  

    The Tigers were unable to match Jackson State in the bottom half of the inning, going down in order.  

    After the defeat, Memphis holds a record of 7-10 on the season. The Tigers return to action on Tuesday, when they face the University of North Alabama Lions at FedEx Park at 6 p.m. 

  • Memphis Drops Opening Game of the Grind City Classic to Butler

    Memphis Drops Opening Game of the Grind City Classic to Butler

    Friday’s matchup between the Memphis Tigers and the Butler Bulldogs was a back-and-forth affair that resulted in Butler prevailing 7-6.  

    “We have to quit being redundant in what we are doing,” said Memphis head coach Matt Riser. “It’s not about the opponent, it’s about us and fixing us.” 

    The battle was the first of three for both teams in the inaugural Grind City Classic. The Tigers were coming off a close 5-3 loss in the midweek to the Ole Miss Rebels, a game where they hung tight with one of the premier programs in the nation. 

    Each team totaled 10 hits, but the Bulldogs’ proved to be timelier. Both of their home runs, hit by Ian Choi and Ryan Drumm, drove in multiple runs and helped establish Butler’s biggest lead of the game.  

    Memphis first baseman Jacob Compton got the scoring going for the Tigers. He hit home runs in each of his first two at-bats, tallying three RBIs to give Memphis an early lead. His seven home runs this season are the most by any player in the AAC. 

    Starting pitcher David Warren put together a solid outing. In five innings of work, he gave up three runs on six hits while striking out five Butler batters.  

    Most of the offensive production for the Bulldogs came off JT Durham. Durham took the mound after Warren exited, and he allowed four runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings. 

    Memphis entered the bottom of the eighth inning trailing 7-4 and had failed to score since the third inning. However, a solo home run from Aaron Smigelski gave the Tigers momentum in the waning moments of the game.  

    After Brandon Chorzelewski pitched a scoreless top of the ninth inning, Jake Curtis led off the bottom of inning with a double. Two batters later, Austin Baskin hit a double of his own, scoring Curtis and making it a one-run game, at 7-6. 

    Duante Stuart and Jacob Compton each had a chance to tie or win the game but were unable to do so. 

    The loss knocks Memphis under .500, at a record of 7-8. The Tigers will play their second game of the Grind City Classic on Saturday at 5 p.m. against the Presbyterian Blue Hose. 

  • Jake Curtis Shines Light on the Leadership in Memphis Tigers Baseball Locker Room

    Jake Curtis Shines Light on the Leadership in Memphis Tigers Baseball Locker Room

    Memphis Tigers RHP/INF Jake Curtis spoke about the leaders in the Tigers locker room. Curtis is a Memphis legacy, as his father and uncle suited up for the Tigers back in their colligate days.

    Curtis started his college career at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois. While in Springfield, he boasted a .184 batting average alongside a 2.86 ERA. Since coming to Memphis, he is now coming off a season where he had a .266 average at the plate and a 2.60 ERA on the mound.

    He has already had a few accolades under his belt throughout his college career including: Rawlings Juco All-American 2B, MWAC Player of the year, and Region 24 player of the year.

    This is Cutris’ second season with the Tigers. His younger brother is expected to join the team next season. He has had a short stint with Memphis so far, but he already been very vocal on his leadership roles within the program.

    During his tenure, Curtis has already had multiple head coaches and seen some roster shakeups. He is very optimistic about this season’s culture behind the scenes.

    “It means a lot to have a coach that always has our back and we have felt that since day one,” Curtis said. “It’s good to see that we are headed in the right direction.”

    Baseball can be a very individualist sport, but a team must have a strong sense of leadership behind the scenes. 

    Curtis has been a leader during his time with the Tigers. He said that the entire senior class has adopted a leadership role on the team and is trying to teach the younger guys.

    “It is big to have a leader,” Curtis said. “As for this team, we don’t have an individual leader, we have multiple. Really it is the senior class that has been here, people that have been here even longer than me. They’ve been around it and we understand what skip wants from us, and that makes it a lot easier.”

    He added that accountability is key to his role as a leader on the team because everyone has to feel responsible for their actions.

    “Obviously, seniors are going to make mistakes too, so that’s why we got a lot of leaders,” Curtis said. “The good thing about this team is that we’ll hold each other accountable.”

    This is also Coach Matt Riser’s first season with the Tigers and his seniors have had as many as three head coaches during their time at Memphis.

    “They have shown that even if with their third head coach and the third system, they have been very selfless,” Riser said. “Tell me what to do and tell me where to go and I will do that to the best of my abilities.”

    Even though it is only the beginning of his second season with the university, Curtis has adapted to his leadership well and takes pride in it. He and the rest of the senior class have gained these roles and are embracing them.

    “I just want to make a difference and put this program in the direction that we want and get us back on the winning page,” Curtis said.