The Tigerpen

Tag: Memphis Tigers

  • Transfers Paving the Way for the Tiger Offense

    Transfers Paving the Way for the Tiger Offense

    Daunte Stuart prepares to face the opposing pitcher.
    Photo by Jacob Morgan/Tigerpen

    Throughout the season, the Tigers have received contributions from a myriad of players. Although the offense as a whole has struggled to produce for much of the year, there are a few outliers who have consistently put together good at-bats for Memphis. Daunte Stuart, Pierre Seals and Will Marcy have been the three best hitters for the Tigers on a game-to-game basis. What do these three players have in common; they are all transfers. 

    Daunte Stuart transferred to Memphis from Northwestern State University in Louisiana. In his four previous seasons, Stuart’s batting average ranged between .270 and .285. This season for the Tigers, he is hitting a career-high, .314, in 40 games played. When asked about the difference in his plate approach this season, Stuart said, “My swings have become cleaner, as I have focused on becoming a more consistent hitter.”  

    Daunte Stuart celebrates after coming around the bases to score.
    Photo by Florian Krempel/Tigerpen

    Not only is Daunte Stuart one of the best hitters for the Tigers; he is also one of the premiere offensive players in the American Athletic Conference. Among all qualified batters this season, Stuart ranks first in doubles with 15. He has also possessed great patience at the plate, drawing more walks than strikeouts. “The biggest aspect for me has been mental,” said Stuart. “I’ve been locked in on every pitch, looking for any advantage that I can get.” 

    Pierre Seals, unlike Stuart, transferred to Memphis after completing his freshman season in junior college. At Dyersburg State, Seals hit .294 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs. In just 39 games played, he has already amassed many of the totals from his previous campaign. “Having the guidance of the older guys in the locker room has been big for me and my development,” Seals said. “I’m from the Memphis area, so I have not had to go through an adjustment period with a change of scenery.” 

    Pierre Seals scores a run to extend the Tigers’ lead.
    Photo by Brock Busick/University of Memphis Athletics

    Despite only being a sophomore, Pierre Seals can be seen at the top of several offensive categories for the Tigers. He leads the team in batting average (.324), on-base percentage (.429) and slugging percentage (.581). Along with Daunte Stuart, Seals is tied for the team lead in hits at 48. “I give credit to my coaches, especially our hitting coach, who has prepared me well to lean into my strengths when facing opposing pitchers,” said Seals.  

    Like Stuart, Pierre Seals has been one of the best offensive players in the AAC. He ranks fifth in total bases (86) among all hitters in the league. Seals has also been active on the basepaths this season, tallying 14 stolen bases, which places him fourth in the conference. 

    Will Marcy steps to the plate, awaiting a pitch he can hit.
    Photo by Ronald Todd/Tigerpen

    Despite being named a preseason all-AAC first team selection, Will Marcy had a rough start to the 2024 season. Last season at North Carolina State University, Marcy hit .301 for the Wolfpack, but struggled at the plate late in the season. It took a few weeks for Marcy to become the Tigers’ everyday starter in center field. Once he settled in, Marcy began producing up to the expectations set for him.  

    In 35 games played this season, Will Marcy is hitting .304, which ranks third on the team (behind Daunte Stuart and Pierre Seals). He is also second in doubles (13) and stolen bases (12). Marcy has also been stellar defensively for the Tigers. He has a higher fielding percentage (.989) than every other starter on the diamond.  

  • Memphis Drops series Against Inter Rival Foe Charlotte 49ers 

    Memphis baseball on the road versus the 49ers at Robert & Mariam Hayes Stadium (Image Credit: Brock Busick / Memphis Athletics)

    By: Chandler Black and Aaliyah Brown

    CHARLOTTE, NC – The University of Memphis Tigers baseball team traveled to Charlotte to face a new rival in the 49ers, who are in their first year in the AAC. Memphis aimed to secure some conference wins this weekend to strengthen their resume, but they ultimately fell short on the road, swept in the series and losing four games in a row.

    Game 1

    David Warren started pitching for Memphis, while Cole Reynolds took the mound for Charlotte. Will Marcy began the game with a double down the third base line.

    Memphis took a 2-0 lead in the first inning after a double by Austin Baskin and a sac-fly. Pierre Seals drew a walk to load the bases early on, setting up the scoring opportunity.

    In the second inning, the offense maintained their momentum. Brennan DuBose hit a solo shot to deep center field, extending the lead to three runs. This was DuBose’s seventh home run of the season.

    The 49ers’ bats awakened in the third inning, as Carson Bane hit a sac-fly to score a run. The Tigers turned a double play, but Charlotte added another run. Memphis led 3-2 after three innings.

    Charlotte maintained their momentum in the 4th, tying the game at 3 runs apiece with an RBI double from Kaden Hopsen. With two outs in the fifth and the bases loaded, Charlotte was able to escape the half inning thanks to a strikeout from Jacob Compton.

    The 49ers offense kept rolling after escaping a bases loaded jam. Brandon Stahlman’s RBI single gave his team the lead, and Shane Taylor’s triple brought home Noah Furcht for a 5-3 advantage.

    With the game on the line, Memphis faced their final three outs. In the 9th inning, they had two runners on and one out. Austin Baskin’s walk loaded the bases for Daunte Stuart, creating a dramatic finale.

    Stuart struck out, leaving Memphis with their final out. A wild pitch allowed one more tiger to score, but it was too much to overcome. Charlotte took game one with a final score of 6-4.

    After the game, head coach Matt Riser said, “They grabbed the momentum and just ran with it…that’s how you win ball games. Those middle innings will always beat you.” 

    Doubleheader at Charlotte

    The University of Memphis baseball team dropped its final two games against South Florida on Saturday evening, losing by scores of 12-11 and 5-4 at Robert & Mariam Hayes Stadium.

    With the loss, the Tigers are four games under .500 to a record of 18-22 and 6-9 in AAC play, while the 49ers improve to 19-21 and 8-7 in the conference. 

    “I thought the guys competed well, but the story of the weekend was we lost by a combined four runs and left 30 runners on base, and they left 15 on base,” head coach Matt Riser said. 

    Will Macy led off the top of the first inning with a single in game one of a doubleheader. The Tigers scored a run after Pierre Seals’ sacrifice fly to right field, giving them an early 1-0 advantage.

    The 49ers started strong with Shane Taylor’s lead-off single, followed by Carson Bayne’s two-run homer at the bottom of the first, giving Charlotte a 3-1 lead.

    In the second inning, Memphis responded with a run after Marcy’s double drove in Aaron Smigelski, putting the Tigers on the board for two runs. Jake Curtis’ two-run single gave Memphis the lead 4-3.

    Bayne hit his second home run of the game for Charlotte at the bottom of the third inning to tie it up at 4-4.

    Jonah Sutton’s fourth-inning home run gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead, and the team went on to load the bases following a Jacob Compton walk.

    Seals hit his second double of the game by the top of the sixth, bringing Compton up to bat for the Tigers, who hit a two-run homer to give Memphis a 9-4 lead.

    After a two-hour weather delay for lightning, the 49ers came out swinging in the bottom of the sixth, with Dante DeFranco scoring the first run and Shane Taylor hitting a two-out single to cut the lead to 9-6.

    The 49ers tied the game 9-9 in the seventh inning after two RBI singles and a sacrifice fly. Jacob Compton would come up to bat at the top of the eighth hitting his second home run of the ballgame to give Memphis a 11-9 lead.

    In the bottom of the ninth inning, down by two runs, Juan Correa hit a solo home run and Bayne hit his third homer of the game to tie the score. With no pressure on the 49ers after tying the game, pinch hitter AJ Bianchina went up to bat. A walk-off homer would give the 49ers a 12-11 victory over the Tigers.

    Game 3

    Despite their efforts to avoid a sweep and earn a conference victory, the Tigers were edged out by the 49ers in a one-run game, losing 5-4.

    Charlotte took an early 3-0 lead for the first time this series in the bottom of the first inning after an RBI double from Juan Correa and two RBI singles. The Tigers responded with three runs of their own to tie the game 3-3 in the sixth. 

    Daunte Stuart scored off a double from Pierre Seals, making it a 3-2 ballgame. Brennan DuBose’s RBI single tied the game, but the 49ers regained the lead with a RBI single. Memphis responded with a single from Austin Baskin to tie the game. 

    In the 7th inning, the 49ers scored on a sacrifice fly to take the lead 5-4. Neither team scored in the final two innings, giving Charlotte the series sweep over the Tigers.

    UP NEXT

    Memphis will return to FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field on Tuesday for a one game match against Mississippi State at 6 p.m.  

  • Tigers Offense Shows Off on Saturday – Memphis Evens the Series Against UTSA

    Tigers Offense Shows Off on Saturday – Memphis Evens the Series Against UTSA

    The Memphis Tigers have bounced back after their loss on Friday night. Against the conference-leading UTSA Roadrunners, they scored twelve runs, while only giving up five. A balanced offense was the key as the Tigers scored in six of the nine innings with a total of eight players contributing a run.

    Both teams started off quick as each one scored a run early in the first inning. UTSA contributed another run in the second, but just as it looked as both teams would go blow for blow, the Tigers blew the game wide open. A total of five runs in the second saw Memphis jump up in front big – a lead that they would not give up for the whole game. Coach Riser was more than pleased with his offense after the game: “The hitters did a really good job of digging in. They had some big at-bats for us with big moments early.”

    Austin Baskin slides home for a Tigers run. He added another one later on. Photo: Florian Krempel

    Starting pitcher Seth Garner had a good showing on the day. After giving up the two runs in the first two innings, he would only allow two more runs during his five played innings. Although the Tigers defense had a couple of easy errors with pitches sailing high over first base, UTSA was not able to capitalize completely.

    Luke Ellis pitching in the last inning. He finished the game for the Tigers. Photo: Florian Krempel

    The Tigers offense on the other side did not take the foot of the gas pedal as they continued their scoring after the big second inning. Over the next four, they added another six runs to put the game out of reach. Something that, according to coach Riser was immensely important: “We knew, we had to keep the pressure on UTSA. We did a really good job with that.”

    When Seth Garner’s day was over, Luke Ellis filled in on the mount. He continued the great pitching performance for Memphis. Over the last four innings, he only allowed one more run for UTSA. The combination of Garner and Ellis already worked for the second time after the same duo finishing off Rice University last Saturday. Coach Riser was full of praise for the tow after the game: “Both of them did a fantastic job. The helped us to get through some difficult stuff today as we did not play great defense today.”

    The Tigers offense was on form on Saturday. They scored a total of twelve runs. Photo: Florian Krempel

    With using only two pitchers on the day, coach Matt Riser looked forward to having a full bullpen for tomorrow’s rubber match. The Roadrunners, on the other hand, had to burn through another five pitchers on the day. After using the same amount yesterday, tomorrow’s pitching will be something to keep an eye on.

    Matt Riser hopes for his team to put on a good showing in all aspects of the game: “We did pitch really well and swung the bat really well. Let’s put all aspects of the game, also the defense, together tomorrow and go win the series.”  

    The series decider between the Memphis Tigers and the UTSA Roadrunner will kick off at 1 pm at FedEx Park.

  • Tigers Rally Falls Short In Series Opener Against UTSA

    Tigers Rally Falls Short In Series Opener Against UTSA

    After a slow start, both teams would combine for 12 runs starting in the sixth inning. Memphis would tie the game in the eighth, but a four-run ninth inning for the UTSA Roadrunners would secure them the 9-6 win to open the series.

    The Tigers would strike first in the bottom half of the opening frame after a sac fly from Jacob Compton would drive in the first run of the game.

    Then in the top of the second, a single from Mason Lytle would bring Hector Rodriguez to knot the game at 1-1.

    Lytle would continue his contributions with a triple in the fourth, which he go on to score after a sac fly from Alexander Olivio, giving the Roadrunners a 2-1 lead.

    The sixth inning would see the offenses wake up for both teams, as UTSA would start it off by hanging three runs on the board after a single from Olivio would drive in Lytle. Then later in the inning a single from Diego Diaz would bring in two more runners to make 5-1.

    The Tigers would claw back in the bottom half of the inning with a lead off single by Austin Baskin. Then, Pierre Seals would bring him in with a two-run home run, to bring it to 5-3.

    The Roadrunners would go scoreless in the seventh and eighth. But a deep drive to left by Brennan DuBose would bring it to 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh. Then with Daunte Stuart on first, Seals would hit a single into center field, with the fielder struggling to pick it up, Stuart would score. Making 5-5 going into the ninth inning.

    All the moment for the Tigers would stop there with them allowing four runs, with three errors committed. The Tigers would commit six throughout the entire game with Coach Matt Riser saying afterwards, “You make six errors in a ballgame, it makes extremely difficult to win.”

    The Tigers would attempt another in the bottom of the ninth with DuBose scoring of a Jake Curtis sac fly, but it would not be enough as the fall 9-6.

    The play again tomorrow at home with the game starting at 2 P.M.

  • AAC Baseball Weekend Recap

    AAC Baseball Weekend Recap

    Memphis Baseball Faces Rice in Game Three at Reckling Park (Eli Parker / Memphis Athletics)

    By Aaliyah Brown and Chandler Black

    East Carolina University Pirates (23-7) (6-3 AAC)

    Following their road victory against NC State, No.9 ranked East Carolina traveled to Florida to face FAU in a three-game conference series. The Pirates secured a 4-1 victory in the first game of the series against the Owls. FAU halted East Carolina’s six-game winning streak by edging out a 6-5 win in the second game. In the final game of the series on Sunday, East Carolina University emerged victorious with an 8-6 win to secure the series victory. The 9th-ranked Pirates are scheduled to play a single-game match against Elon at home on Tuesday, followed by a two-game series against Old Dominion on Wednesday. They will transition into conference play, hosting a three-game weekend series against AAC opponent Charlotte at home.

    University of Memphis Tigers ( 17-17) (5-4 AAC)

    The Tigers have reached a .500 record for the season and are currently on a four-game winning streak following their victory over Ole Miss. The team defeated the Rebels with a score of 9-4 at FedEx Fogelman Field before heading to Houston for a three-game series against Rice in the conference. This road sweep against conference opponents marks Memphis’ first since 2012 when they were part of C-USA and defeated Houston. Notably, there were no home runs hit by either team during the series. The Tigers clinched a hard-fought 4-3 victory on Friday night in a 15-inning game.  Next, they will travel to Conway, Arkansas, to take on Central Arkansas in a one-game matchup before returning home for a three-game weekend series against UTSA, who are currently ranked No.1 in the AAC with a (7-2) record and (19-13) overall. 

    Florida Atlantic University Owls (18-11) (5-4 AAC) 

    After securing a three-game series win on the road against Memphis, the Owls returned home on Tuesday to face the University of Miami, emerging victorious with a 3-0 score. They took on the formidable No. 9-ranked ECU in a challenging series. Despite ECU claiming victory in games one and three, the Owls managed to defeat them 6-5 on Saturday, ending ECU’s six-game winning streak. This weekend, the Owls achieved a 2-2 record and will now hit the road once more to rematch against Miami in a single-game showdown on Tuesday night. As conference play kicks off, FAU will travel to Wichita, Kan., for a three-game series against Wichita State.

    University of North Carolina at Charlotte 49ers (14-18) (4-5 AAC) 

    The 49ers ended the week with a 1-3 record. They played against Campbell, who has a .710 record (22-9), and lost 13-9 at home. In a three-game conference series on the road against UTSA, the 49ers won game one 10-5 on Friday night but then lost the next two games 4-14 and 1-13, bringing their AAC record to 4-5. Next, the 49ers will face North Carolina A&T at home on Tuesday. Following that, they will head to Greenville, N.C., for a three-game series against ECU later in the week.

    University of South Florida Bulls (19-13) (6-3 AAC)

    After a three-game losing streak following a 9-19 defeat to Stetson on Tuesday night, the Bulls turned the tide and swept Wichita State in a three-game conference series at home. They emerged victorious in game one with a score of 7-3 and clinched game two with a close 8-7 win. The final game of the series extended into 10 innings, resulting in a tight 3-2 victory for the Bulls as they sealed the sweep. This week, the Bulls have a single home game against Bethune-Cookman before heading to New Orleans, La., for a three-game series against Tulane, who currently hold a 17-15 overall record and a 3-6 AAC record.

    Wichita State Shockers (19-13) (1-4 AAC)

    The Shockers had a chance to make some big moves this week. They had two great home opponents and a conference road series over the weekend. The started off the week by dropping a game to the University of Oklahoma by a score of 2-11. They did bounce back however by beating the Kansas Jayhawks 7-6 the very next night. They did not have a good weekend, however. They were swept by the South Florida Bulls. They went just 1-4 for the week.

    Rice Owls (9-23) (1-8 AAC)

    Rice has had a disappointing season, and this week was no different. They visited a familiar foe on Tuesday when they battled the Houston Cougars. The Owls lost this matchup by a score of 3-4. They then hosted the Memphis Tigers over the weekend at Reckling Park. This series saw Memphis defeat Rice three straight times including a marathon 15 inning loss on Saturday night. Rice went 0-4 for the week and fell to 9-23 for the season.

    Tulane Green Wave (17-15) (3-6 AAC)

    Tulane went 2-2 this week. They did however manage to score a whooping 41 runs this week. They kicked off this week’s campaign by defeating Texas Southern 19-1 in just seven innings. They then traveled to Tulane where they lost a weekend series two games to one. The Green Wave now sit at 17-15.

    UAB Blazers (14-17) (3-6 AAC)

    UAB split their four games this week. On Wednesday, they traveled to face an in-state rival, the Auburn Tigers. The Blazers dropped this game by a margin of 10-4. They then hosted the Tulane Green Wave over the weekend. They won this series two games to one. Their loss came on Saturday where they did manage to cross the plate 13 times. They move to 14-17 for the season.

    UTSA Roadrunners (19-13) (7-2 AAC)

    The Roadrunners had a good week. They started off by traveling to an inner-city rival, the UIW Cardinals. They picked up a road win 7-4. UTSA then hosted the Charlotte 49ers. They won this series 2 games to win, tallying a total of 22 runs over the three games. They took care of Charlotte in just seven innings on Saturday and at Sunday’s rubber match. UTSA now finds themselves at 19-13 for the year.

  • Memphis Shuts Down Rice to Complete Sweep

    Memphis Shuts Down Rice to Complete Sweep

    Photo Credit: Brock Busick/Memphis Athletics

    The Memphis Tigers defeated the Rice Owls 2-1 in the finale game of the series to complete the series sweep Sunday.

    It was the first series sweep of the season for the Tigers and the first road conference series sweep in over than a decade. After this weekend they find themselves back at a .500 record of 17-17.

    “Great weekend, just really proud of the guys,” head coach Matt Riser said after the game.

    Caden Robinson started the game for the Tigers and continued the solid pitching the Tigers had all series.

    The Tigers got all the scoring they needed in the top of the second inning when Jacob Compton doubled home Daunte Stuart.

    Compton was brought home by a Shane Cox single to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

    All Rice could muster offensively was a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third inning to make it a 2-1 game.

    Robinson was solid throughout his time on the mound, going 4 innings while giving up one run, four hits, one walk, and three strikeouts.

    Logan Rushing replaced Robinson in the fifth inning but gave up back-to-back walks in the sixth inning, causing him to be relieved and finishing 1.1 innings pitched with no runs, no hits, two walks, and one strikeout.

    Jackson Lyons was brought in with one out in the sixth with two men on, and he only had to face one batter in his appearance when he got a double play to end the sixth inning.

    It was one of many clutch plays on defense that the Tigers had in the series, which has been a problem for the Tigers this season.

    “That’s been our achilles heel all year in all honesty…this weekend it showed.” Coach Riser said.

    Jake Curtis the took to the mound from his shortstop position to keep the lead for closer Brayden Sanders.

    Curtis would do just that with a solid seventh inning before getting into some trouble in eighth with runners at second and third.

    Curtis would work his way out of it with a Rice baserunner being thrown out at home and then got a groundout for the final out to keep the lead going into the ninth.

    Brayden Sanders, who has been lights out for the Tigers all season, was brought in complete the game for the Tigers.

    Sanders would let the first two batters in the ninth get on base but was able to work around it to get the three outs and get his seventh save of the season.

    The Tigers will now take their momentum to Bear Stadium in Conway, Arkansas on Tuesday to take on Central Arkansas at 6 pm.

  • ‘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+

  • How Has the Memphis Locker Room Reacted to a Losing Season up to this Point?

    How Has the Memphis Locker Room Reacted to a Losing Season up to this Point?

    MEMPHIS – The University of Memphis baseball team went through a lot changes during this past off season. The team saw a few seniors graduate but replaced them with some very good acquisitions in the transfer portal. The biggest move that the team made was naming Matt Riser as their head coach for their 2024 campaign.

    There was a lot of hope surrounding this squad early before this season started. They added some quality players while bringing back some upper classmen to maintain their culture. Riser had a lot of success Southeastern Louisiana, and the goal was for that success to roll over into Memphis.

    So far, this season has been very up and down for the Tigers. They have had some quality wins and have shown that they do not quit and can erase big leads. The team has also blown some double digit run leads in late innings and has had some bullpen liabilities. They are never truly out of a game, but no lead feels exactly safe either.

    The pitching woes have been a story all season long. The Tigers have had some decent starting pitching, but the bullpen has been giving up some big innings. “Real difficult to have success when your bullpen comes out and pitches like that (after Memphis’ loss to FAU). We got to stay in ballgames, obviously disappointing,” said Riser.

    Memphis currently sits at 13-17. Conference play just started, and the team is 2-6 through the four games. They do have big home matchups coming up against Ole Miss and Mississippi State. If they can start winning some conference games and knock off these teams, they could start to make some noise towards the end of the year.

    “Not a whole lot to say right now, it’s a matter of doing now,” said coach Matt Riser. “You get to a point in time where either you can do it or you can’t do it. That’s the point we’re at now.”

    The season a is a little over the halfway point now. Memphis seems to think that it is do or die time for their team. Coach Riser said that some changes are going to have to be made right now in order for this team to turn things around.

    “There has to be (major lineup changes). Some things have to shake up a little bit. We don’t have a whole lot to shake it with to be honest with you, what you see is what you got. There will be a few guys that get some more opportunities,” said Riser.

    The locker room as well has a feel that is now the time for them to turn things around. Closing pitcher Brayden Sanders said, “After every game we tell ourselves that we are 0-0. The next one is the one that matters. We just got to attack it day by day.”

    It will be very interesting to see how Memphis responds in the back half of this season. Their next game is at home against Ole Miss on April 2nd, at 6 p.m. “We’ve got 48 hours to reflect and see what we want to do. We are at the halfway point,” said Riser.

  • Home Run Festival at FedEx Park – FAU Evens the Series Against the Tigers

    Home Run Festival at FedEx Park – FAU Evens the Series Against the Tigers

    The Memphis Tigers have lost the second game of their series against Florida Atlantic. After the low scoring first match, game two proved to be a home run-festival as FAU hit a total of seven with Memphis adding one more. The Tigers had a chance to come back late into the game, but fell short for the final result of 5-13.

    After the series opener saw a pitching masterclass from David Warren and Brayden Sanders, the Tigers could not replicate the same success. Starting pitcher Luke Ellis had an off day as FAU started the game with two home runs bringing the score to 5-0 after the top of the second inning. The Tigers had their chance to answer in the bottom of the second and took it. They scored five runs evening up the score. Another one-run home run for FAU in the third meant the end of the game for Luke Ellis. Coach Riser commented on his showing after the game:

    “We saw it pretty early. He did not have his best stuff today,” said Riser. But, I thought, we did pick him up pretty well afterwards”.

    Relieving him was Seth Garner, who pitched well on the day. Over the next five innings, he only allowed to more runs for FAU.

    Always a step quicker – a FAU player slides to reach base. Photo: Jacob Morgan

    The supposed turning point of the game of the game came in the bottom of the seventh inning, as the Tigers loaded up the bases down three with only one out. But just like in game one of the series, Memphis was once again unable to cash in on the situation as they left all three runners stranded. After the game, coach Riser was frustrated with the situation.

    “We got to be better off the bench pinch hitting,” said Riser. “We got to be more productive in these situations.”

    A series recap of the Tigers’ series against Florida Atlantic.

    The missed opportunity in the seventh also meant that the Tigers were only able to score in one of the nine innings. After their big second, the Memphis offense went completely quiet, although there were a lot of chance to add to the scoring.

    All eyes on the ball – Daunte Stuart and the Memphis Tigers. Photo: Jacob Morgan

    After the seventh, FAU further extended their lead as they added another five runs bringing the final score all the way up to 13-5. This leaves the series tied at 1-1. Sunday will see a rubber match to decide the first conference home series of the Memphis Tigers. After game two, coach Riser already looked forward to the decider.

    “Tomorrow is a must-win. We get Caden Robinson, we feel good about the matchup. It will be a good one.”

    Due to the travelling schedule of FAU, Sunday’s game will be moved up one hour. So, the first pitch will no longer be happening at 1 pm. The series decider between the Memphis Tigers and Florida Atlantic University will start at 12 pm at FedEx Park.