Blue Raider
Winning Tradition Middle Tennessee has a storied tradition in the ranks of college baseball, dating back to when the sport first came to campus in 1912. In the beginning stalwarts such as Fred Sain, “Red” Floyd, “Putty” Overall, Jess Neely, Kola Sharp, “Red” Owens, Charlie Kerr, and Paul Turner played for the Teachers. In the mid-thirties, the winning tradition had begun with Bubber Murphy, Jay Bird Hamblen and Cromer Smotherman going on to play professional baseball. Blue Raider legend John Stanford took over the coaching responsibilities in 1974 and during his 11-year tenure guided Middle Tennessee to a 402-222 record. Stanford’s teams won six OVC regular-season championships, and four OVC Tournament championships and made four NCAA appearances. Stanford received OVC Coach of the Year honors five times. Today’s Raiders continue the tradition set forth by their predecessors. Fundraising and coaching go hand-in-hand for current skipper Steve Peterson, who spearheaded the fundraising efforts that resulted in the Stephen B. Smith Clubhouse and the construction of the stadium. Today’s players add to the tradition as well. Past players such as Jayhawk Owens, Jason Maxwell, Clay Snellgrove, Mudcat Brewer, and Brett Carroll, just to name a few, have carved out places in the Raider history books. In fact, under Peterson, the Middle Tennessee baseball tradition has been raised to a new level. In his 22 years as head coach, Peterson’s teams have won seven regular-season OVC championships, seven OVC Tournament championships, three Sun Belt regular season titles, and two Sun Belt Tournament championships, and have advanced to NCAA play nine times. Since Middle Tennessee’s move to the Sun Belt Conference, excitement about baseball has increased. In 2000, the year prior to the Blue Raiders joining the league, the SBC sent Louisiana-Lafayette all the way to the College World Series after putting four teams into the NCAA Regionals. The conference was ranked the fifth best in the country during the 2000 season and remained one of the elite leagues in the country after Middle Tennessee joined the ranks in 2001. The Blue Raiders were one of four Sun Belt teams to compete in an NCAA regional at the conclusion of the season. One of those four, Florida International, advanced to the Super Regional before being eliminated one step from Omaha. The Blue Raiders also made history during the amazing 2001 season. Dewon Brazelton, who set the Middle Tennessee career and single-season strikeout records, became the first Blue Raider to be selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft. He was chosen third overall by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In 2009, Middle Tennessee won the regular season and conference tournament, advancing to the NCAA Louisville Regional. With the Blue Raiders now on the national stage, there is no limit to the potential of the program. Each team is now charged with continuing the legacy handed down by its predecessors.
14 NCAA Tournament Appearances 16 Regular Season Conference Championships 13 Conference Tournament Titles 9 Coach of the Year Awards 13 All-Americans 12 Conference Players of the Year 2 Conference Pitchers of the Year 1 Conference Freshman of the Year 5 Conference Tournament MVPs