This Week in Blue Raider Baseball

THREE RAIDERS EARN ALL-TOURNAMENT: Three Middle Tennessee players were voted to the All-Tournament team at the recently completed Sun Belt Championships in Bowling Green, Ky. Seniors Jeff Beachum, Josh Horn and Todd Martin all made the nine member team. Martin was 8-for-14 (.571), collecting two hits in all four contests, with two doubles, three RBIs and four runs scored. Horn recorded seven hits in 16 at-bats (.438) with three doubles and five runs scored. He also had two RBIs, driving in a pair of runs in the 10th inning in a 5-3 victory over South Alabama to start the tournament. Beachum ended his career with eight hits in 18 at-bats (.444) with two doubles, a home run, four RBIs and eight runs scored. Middle Tennessee has placed three players on the All-Tournament team the last three seasons, the only years in which the Sun Belt has named an all-tournament team.

PLAYERS HEAD TO SUMMER LEAGUES: A total of nine Middle Tennessee players will play in collegiate wood bat leagues across the country and also in Canada this summer, with six others taking part in the Nashville summer league. Michael McKenry is scheduled to play for the Hyannis (MA) Mets in the prestigious Cape Cod League and should report after next week's professional draft. Sophomores Alex Watson and Jimmy Kelly are set to play for the Southern Ohio Copperheads in the Great Lakes League, while freshman Taylor Dennis is heading to the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League and the Greeley (CO) Grays. Freshman Rawley Bishop will play for the Junction City (KS) Generals in Central Plains Baseball League, and junior Brett Reilley is heading to the Central Illinois Collegiate League and the Dubois County (IN) Bombers. Junior Nick Marrs is playing for the Union City (TN) Greyhounds in the Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee (Kitty) League, while junior Wayne Kendrick and freshman Chad Coley are both heading to the Western Major Baseball League and the Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada, Cardinals. Six other players - freshmen Justin Jones, Ben Darlington and Dillon Heath and juniors Grant Nickell, Justin Humphrey and Will Hulsey - will all take part in the Stan Musial Wood Bat League in Nashville. A link on the baseball page at GoBlueRaiders.com has team information and websites for each team.

MLB DRAFT NEXT WEEK: The Major League Baseball First-Year Amateur Player Draft is set for June 6-7. Full draft coverage, including audio for each pick, may be found at mlb.com. The Blue Raiders had eight seniors on this year's club - Jeff Beachum, Todd Martin, Chase Eakes, Marcus Taylor, Jeff Kasser, Allan Woodward, Tommy Sterritt and Josh Horn. Also eligible for the draft are all juniors and third-year players who have reached the age of 21, including: Michael McKenry, Matt Scott, Matt Campbell, Wayne Kendrick, Michael McSweeney, Tyler Copeland, Adam Warren, Langdon Stanley, Brett Reilley, Shay Horseman, Josh Anderson, Jimmy Kelly, Grant Nickell, Justin Humphrey, Nick Marrs and Will Hulsey.

CHUCK TAYLOR GOLF TOURNAMENT SET: Middle Tennessee head baseball coach Steve Peterson has announced the annual Chuck Taylor Golf Tournament will be played at Indian Hills Golf Course on Tuesday, June 6, 2006. As usual, the event will be a four-person scramble with prizes awarded for first through fifth place. Prizes will also be given for Closest-to-the-Pin and Longest Drive. A hole-in-one on any par 3 on the course will be awarded prizes as well. Each entry into the tournament will receive a barbecue lunch, a goody bag, free beverages on the course, a red tee and mulligan, and a chance for a big money prize for an ace on hole number seven. The entry fee is $115 per player. The tournament committee is also seeking hole sponsors for $100 each. Registration for the tournament is slated to begin at 11:30 a.m. with a shotgun start scheduled for 1 p.m. For further information or to obtain a registration form, please contact Tommy Wheeler at 615/890-3333 or 615/893-8498. Entries may be mailed to: Blue Raider Baseball, MTSU Box 90, Murfreesboro, TN 37132. When sending in an entry, please include the names and addresses of each player in the foursome along with your entry fee. Entry forms can be found on the baseball page at GoBlueRaiders.com.

BASEBALL TEAM CAMP DATES SET: The Blue Raider baseball program will host its second annual Team Camp, July 10-13, at Reese Smith Field. The camp includes five games plus instruction, as well as a pro-style workout with area scouts on the first evening. Team coaches and players receive instruction each afternoon of the session from Middle Tennessee coaches, current and former players, as well as area high school and college coaches and scouts. Registration forms may be found at GoBlueRaiders.com on the baseball page or by calling Associate Head Coach Jim McGuire at 615/898-2961.

OTHER SUMMER CAMP DATES: Three other summer baseball camps will be held in June, starting the 11th and running until the 22nd of the month. The Pitcher-Catcher Camp runs June 11-13 and the Hitting Camp is June 13-15, with both camps for ages 13-2006 High School senior. The Day Camp for ages 7-12 ONLY is June 19-22. For information on these camps please call the main athletic department number at 615/898-2450 or you may access a camp brochure on the baseball page at GoBlueRaiders.com.

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