Episode 21 feat. Jimmy Borendame

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[00:00:39] to discuss this week's episodes along with the latest news and updates around middle Tennessee.

[00:00:52] Welcome back into the Blue Raider Podcast, I'm your host Jake Bolden and today is Tuesday,

[00:00:57] April 30th and what a wrap up it has been for MTSU Athletics this last week.

[00:01:02] A lot of news ahead as we have an interview today with headman's tennis coach Jimmy

[00:01:07] Bourne-Dame.

[00:01:08] Last night we had the selection show for the men's tennis after they can come off their

[00:01:13] fifth straight conference USA title, they will be heading to Starkville, Mississippi

[00:01:16] to face off against Georgia Tech in the first round.

[00:01:19] Obviously that tournament is hosted by Mississippi State so you're looking at a rematch with

[00:01:23] the Bulldogs there in Starkville in the round of 32.

[00:01:26] So an exciting week ahead as well as previewing all that today is headman's tennis coach

[00:01:31] Jimmy Bourne-Dame.

[00:01:33] That interview debuting here with you, stick around towards the end.

[00:01:37] As we discuss the latest news on the basketball front both the lady raiders get two pickups

[00:01:43] this week one from the transfer portal one from the high school signing class and then

[00:01:46] the men's basketball on Friday also had the announcement of two additions via the

[00:01:50] transfer portal for them as well.

[00:01:52] So stick around as we break down those new pickups for basketball and of course

[00:01:56] our Raider Wrap Up portion where we will go over baseball, upcoming softball

[00:02:01] and then track and field and golf.

[00:02:03] So stick around for all that, but without further ado,

[00:02:05] here's an interview with headman's tennis coach,

[00:02:07] Jimmy Boren Dane.

[00:02:10] All right, welcome back into the Blue Raider podcast.

[00:02:12] I'm joined with headman's tennis coach,

[00:02:14] Jimmy Boren Dane, fresh off of his fifth consecutive

[00:02:17] conference USA title.

[00:02:18] Coach Boren Dane, how you doing?

[00:02:20] I'm great, Jake.

[00:02:21] Thanks for having me on the show.

[00:02:22] I appreciate it.

[00:02:23] First and foremost, again, congratulations

[00:02:26] on winning five straight conference USA titles,

[00:02:29] a major accomplishment for any sport

[00:02:31] at any level of play.

[00:02:33] But I really want to know, when you win five straight,

[00:02:36] do they kind of stand out differently to you?

[00:02:38] Like what makes this one so much special

[00:02:40] compared to the other four?

[00:02:42] Yeah.

[00:02:44] You know, I said that somebody asked me

[00:02:47] this the other day in the press room

[00:02:49] and I've been really fortunate.

[00:02:52] We've had like these little clusters

[00:02:54] of parts of the team that have been integral,

[00:02:59] integral pieces of the team.

[00:03:03] The first few years, there was Chris Edge

[00:03:06] and Max Rauch and Tom Moonen

[00:03:09] and then they graduated

[00:03:11] and then I had Motel, Rocha and Slump

[00:03:13] and they went four for four.

[00:03:15] And now I've kind of got this new group.

[00:03:18] This year I had seven out of 10 new guys,

[00:03:21] 70% of a new roster.

[00:03:24] And that was tough.

[00:03:27] It's not like I just rolled over the entire roster

[00:03:31] and had the whole team back from the year before.

[00:03:33] I don't know if with the transfer portal,

[00:03:35] that's even a thing that anybody has anymore.

[00:03:38] But so that really stuck out this year.

[00:03:43] And then obviously getting to do it

[00:03:44] in the new tennis complex was huge.

[00:03:48] But yeah, I mean,

[00:03:51] that would probably be the biggest thing this past year.

[00:03:54] There were just so many new pieces

[00:03:56] and we never really had that before.

[00:03:58] Usually like one or two pieces change,

[00:04:00] but that was it.

[00:04:04] But sadly, sadly we've won the five

[00:04:08] and the only thing I've started to think about

[00:04:11] is this how on earth am I gonna win six?

[00:04:16] The next one already is on my brain.

[00:04:20] Right, and I think it was certainly

[00:04:22] a special situation for you guys this week.

[00:04:24] I know you hosted some men's tennis alumni this last weekend.

[00:04:27] And again, as you already touched on,

[00:04:29] having it all there at the new complex.

[00:04:31] So there's just kind of a culmination of a lot of history

[00:04:34] as you've touched on in our preseason preview

[00:04:37] about how it took years to build the program,

[00:04:40] not only physically with the roster,

[00:04:42] but with what you have there on the grounds there

[00:04:44] on the corner of Middleton City Boulevard in Greenland.

[00:04:46] So it really is something special.

[00:04:48] And I love to just kind of hear your piece

[00:04:50] on what it means to win it in that facility

[00:04:52] as you talk about what it takes to build something like that.

[00:04:56] Yeah, I mean, what a weekend.

[00:04:58] I mean, I don't know if I'll do that again.

[00:05:01] 26 men's tennis alum in town from out of town,

[00:05:05] not like Murfreesboro people, but out of town

[00:05:08] and hosting the championship.

[00:05:10] And we had tennis hit arounds, we had golf,

[00:05:14] we had dinners, barbecues, you know,

[00:05:20] it was a lot.

[00:05:23] But everything came together really well.

[00:05:26] But something that was really important to me,

[00:05:29] like right when I got here within the first few weeks

[00:05:31] of me being here was just this outpour

[00:05:34] of people reaching out to me, you know,

[00:05:36] from the community to alum welcoming me,

[00:05:42] excited that I was here.

[00:05:44] And we just, you know, I've gotten to know

[00:05:46] so many alum being here 14 years.

[00:05:49] I mean, I think I'm the second or third oldest head coach

[00:05:53] we've got on tenure on campus.

[00:05:56] And you know, when we travel on the road,

[00:06:00] we try to hit up people that are in the area

[00:06:03] and say, come watch us.

[00:06:05] And yeah, I mean, this championship

[00:06:09] was had been thinking about it for a long time, you know,

[00:06:13] where the court's gonna be ready,

[00:06:14] where they're gonna be done.

[00:06:16] And could we get a big crowd out there?

[00:06:18] I mean, Sunday's crowd was just awesome.

[00:06:21] I mean, that place was rockin'.

[00:06:23] I mean, it was easily 300 plus people

[00:06:26] and they were rambunctious.

[00:06:28] So it was good.

[00:06:30] I'll remember that one forever.

[00:06:33] So pretty cool.

[00:06:35] Yeah, the crowd was definitely present too on ESPN Plus.

[00:06:37] I was pleasantly surprised again

[00:06:39] with the amount of people that were there.

[00:06:41] You had the culmination of all those groups.

[00:06:43] Like I said, the alumni

[00:06:44] and then you already have your mainstay in fans.

[00:06:46] So that was a special sight to see.

[00:06:49] But I'd love to talk a little bit about the team

[00:06:51] as far as how they've gotten to this point.

[00:06:53] I know that you play the toughest schedule

[00:06:55] of any mid-major in the country.

[00:06:57] I don't have any stats to prove that,

[00:06:58] but I feel pretty confident that I can say that.

[00:07:01] When I look back at the schedule, you make that trip

[00:07:04] or you have the home matchup against Oklahoma,

[00:07:06] then you make the trip to Texas with SMU.

[00:07:08] You drop those back to back contests

[00:07:09] and from then on, you haven't lost much.

[00:07:13] That two little two game stretch there,

[00:07:14] was that kind of a turnaround for you guys

[00:07:16] or was that kind of like, hey, we're not as good

[00:07:18] as we thought we were?

[00:07:18] What kind of happened there in Texas?

[00:07:21] Yeah man, that was a crazy weekend.

[00:07:23] We were so excited to have Oklahoma here

[00:07:25] on that Friday night.

[00:07:28] We had a great crowd again

[00:07:32] and we've been notorious for being really strong at home.

[00:07:36] I think since 2018, we'd only lost three matches at home

[00:07:42] and we added two losses this year to,

[00:07:47] we lost to Oklahoma and then somebody else,

[00:07:51] I guess I'm blocking it out right now, but-

[00:07:54] Cornell.

[00:07:55] Cornell and that Oklahoma match just kind of stung

[00:08:00] because we had match points to win the doubles

[00:08:02] on my court of course and I let them slip away

[00:08:06] and then in singles, we were rocking and rolling.

[00:08:09] I think Leo was up 4-1 in the third and then he lost.

[00:08:15] Crosslack, 4 was up 4-1 in the third

[00:08:19] and then he was letting it slip.

[00:08:24] We had the match in our hands

[00:08:27] and we let it kind of get away

[00:08:29] and then traveling to Texas with that quick turnaround.

[00:08:35] If I look back on it, I wish I wouldn't have done

[00:08:37] so many of those where we played at home on Friday night

[00:08:41] and then got in the car or playing early Saturday morning

[00:08:45] to travel and play on Sunday, it's tough.

[00:08:50] But those matches are just so big.

[00:08:52] I mean, SNU and although there's such great opportunities,

[00:08:56] we've gotta do it if we wanna keep being tough

[00:09:00] and have those, we don't really say RPI in tennis

[00:09:03] but strength of schedule is just so high.

[00:09:07] And we've kind of eliminated the easy matches

[00:09:14] from our schedule and next year I've made another adjustment.

[00:09:18] I'm not gonna do any double headers

[00:09:19] where we played two in one day.

[00:09:22] I just realized we don't get anything

[00:09:24] out of that second match.

[00:09:27] I used it in the past as a way to get some extra guys,

[00:09:32] some of my youth a match, maybe a guy

[00:09:35] that's like number seven, get him in,

[00:09:36] but I've eliminated all those.

[00:09:39] And so each year I just try to tweak a little bit.

[00:09:42] But yeah, since that trip, we got some rest

[00:09:45] and then we've been rocking and rolling.

[00:09:48] Right, absolutely.

[00:09:49] And tell me a little bit about those matchups

[00:09:51] you got there as far as your doubles teams.

[00:09:53] I know going into the year,

[00:09:55] you knew you were gonna be tinkering with them

[00:09:56] a little bit and you did there for the most part

[00:09:58] but here near the end, obviously Horak and Ray Queen

[00:10:01] are kind of your number one mainstays

[00:10:03] and you feel good as far,

[00:10:05] because I know the last, I think four or five matches,

[00:10:06] all of your doubles teams have been the same

[00:10:09] against prominent opponents.

[00:10:11] Is that kind of something you feel really confident

[00:10:13] about going into the NCAAs now?

[00:10:15] Yeah, I mean Horak and Ray Queen are like,

[00:10:18] what are they, 25 in the country,

[00:10:19] they're gonna make NCAAs.

[00:10:21] Actually this is really cool.

[00:10:22] We're gonna be the first team since 1998

[00:10:25] in tennis to have being the team nationals.

[00:10:29] Leo's gonna be in the singles nationals

[00:10:31] and then Leo and Andre will be in the doubles nationals.

[00:10:36] We haven't done that.

[00:10:37] And the list of schools that are in all three is like,

[00:10:41] I don't know, there might be maybe there's 10,

[00:10:44] not even 10 that, you know, hidden all three.

[00:10:47] So that's gonna be really cool.

[00:10:49] But yeah, the doubles has gotten sharper,

[00:10:52] which has been huge.

[00:10:54] It's been neat to see Marcel step up

[00:10:58] and get back in the doubles

[00:10:59] when he wasn't in the doubles at the beginning.

[00:11:03] You know, Matt Zouoka and Crosslack kind of coming together

[00:11:06] as a squad, they're really good friends

[00:11:08] and it's pretty cool to see them like, you know,

[00:11:11] use their bond to muscle through some matches

[00:11:14] and they're crazy young too.

[00:11:16] So but yeah, I like where the doubles is right now.

[00:11:23] And you feel good as far as going into that NCAAs

[00:11:25] that that's kind of the grouping

[00:11:27] or is it always match of dependence still?

[00:11:30] Well, so I'll have to submit my nationals lineup,

[00:11:34] I think by Sunday and then, you know,

[00:11:37] the draw come out on Monday.

[00:11:39] I'm part of the NCAA tennis committee.

[00:11:42] So I'll fly to Indianapolis on Sunday

[00:11:44] and I'm part of the group that decides who gets in

[00:11:47] and where they go for the regional and things like that.

[00:11:51] And so, you know, that's a pretty cool process

[00:11:54] to be part of and whatnot.

[00:11:57] But yeah, I'm feeling pretty good

[00:12:00] about the lineup right now.

[00:12:01] I mean, at this point, if I didn't,

[00:12:03] that'd be a little worrisome.

[00:12:04] Right, right.

[00:12:05] Well, we talked about Ray Queen and we know how good he is.

[00:12:08] And as you said, he's going to the singles nationals

[00:12:10] and then Horak is another guy

[00:12:12] that has kind of been up and down this year,

[00:12:13] but he can be pretty steady for you.

[00:12:15] I think Kamarowski has come around here late.

[00:12:17] But one guy that I really want, you know,

[00:12:18] to hear you touch on is Crosslack.

[00:12:20] He's a guy that started the year

[00:12:21] kind of on the fifth, sixth court.

[00:12:23] He's just kind of been a steady Eddie

[00:12:24] for you there on the back end.

[00:12:27] Yeah, Crosslack's pretty, he's really stepped up.

[00:12:30] You know, coming in in January is so difficult.

[00:12:33] You know, new coaches, new culture, new everything.

[00:12:37] I mean, I made this comment, I was telling Sam Dottna

[00:12:41] that the kid didn't even have a bed his first two weeks.

[00:12:44] Like he was sleeping on an air mattress.

[00:12:47] You know, just getting in the routine of class

[00:12:50] and you know, everyone speaks, you know,

[00:12:53] in Tennessee, well, even myself being a Yankee,

[00:12:56] we have a little bit of an accent, you know,

[00:12:57] and not all of his professors, you know,

[00:13:02] are from Tennessee and different things like that.

[00:13:07] It's so funny when a guy first comes,

[00:13:09] you know, they even have a hard time ordering off a menu,

[00:13:12] you know, and I, you can always figure this out

[00:13:15] because they kind of look to their left

[00:13:17] and they look to their right.

[00:13:18] They'll just be like, yeah, I'll have what he has.

[00:13:20] He has no idea what he's doing.

[00:13:24] And it takes, it takes two or three months

[00:13:26] to kind of get used to all that.

[00:13:27] And it's hard to expect their best tennis

[00:13:31] and their best performances from them, you know,

[00:13:34] with all that going on, you know,

[00:13:37] mentally, emotionally, physically.

[00:13:40] And so, you know, you know, two months in, three months in

[00:13:43] and we're starting to see what this guy can do.

[00:13:47] So I'm very excited about Jacob.

[00:13:50] And talk, we'll switch back there to Horak and Kamarowski.

[00:13:53] Those are guys that we know when you're clicking

[00:13:55] and we've already discussed the importance

[00:13:57] of the doubles point, you know how big that is for you

[00:13:59] because once you secure that,

[00:14:01] you have to just win half the singles.

[00:14:02] And Ray Queen is a guy who's pretty consistent.

[00:14:05] Like I said, we talk about Crow Slack,

[00:14:06] but if you can get one out of Horak and Kamarowski,

[00:14:09] you feel really good about it.

[00:14:10] And with those four guys there in your six,

[00:14:14] you feel good and the makeup there

[00:14:16] of all those guys collectively, the chemistry is good.

[00:14:18] But as far as playing around with,

[00:14:20] and I'm just curious about the process

[00:14:22] as far as going into nationals,

[00:14:24] you say you submit your lineup there.

[00:14:26] I assume that refers to the doubles as far as the singles go,

[00:14:29] is that one of those things

[00:14:30] that you can still play around with

[00:14:31] or they're set on the court that you decide

[00:14:34] prior to the matchup?

[00:14:36] Yeah, so I have to submit the lineup in order

[00:14:39] and then I can remove a guy

[00:14:43] and guys all fall out to slide up.

[00:14:45] And then doubles is a little different.

[00:14:47] You have to direct line substitute.

[00:14:51] So let's just say like Horak,

[00:14:54] let's hope knock on wood.

[00:14:57] He gets sick and I gotta put somebody

[00:14:59] that's not in with Raccoon.

[00:15:02] And then I have to reorder them in order of strength.

[00:15:06] And yeah, it really messes with things.

[00:15:11] When one guy goes out in tennis,

[00:15:13] it really throws things off.

[00:15:15] And that's why like this year I've been really lucky.

[00:15:18] We played Memphis March 31st

[00:15:21] and on Friday before Easter,

[00:15:25] Krosleck rolled his ankle

[00:15:26] and Kamarowski rolled his ankle

[00:15:28] within like five minutes of each other.

[00:15:29] It was like, I don't know.

[00:15:31] I thought it was maybe an early April Fool's joke.

[00:15:35] I mean, one went down

[00:15:36] and then the other one went down

[00:15:37] and we're carting them off in golf carts.

[00:15:40] I mean, and neither one played against Memphis

[00:15:44] and we still beat a top 25 team with Igor in

[00:15:49] and Matt Suoka had to step up

[00:15:52] and Javier Cuito stepped in.

[00:15:54] And it just shows that we've got that depth

[00:15:57] and that was awesome.

[00:15:59] So I think that might be one of my proudest moments

[00:16:03] so far this season,

[00:16:06] getting the team to believe

[00:16:07] that they can win that match

[00:16:09] without a couple other guys

[00:16:10] and different doubles teams

[00:16:11] and all different types of things.

[00:16:14] Credit to our leaders and our culture there.

[00:16:18] Absolutely, and I'm interested to hear

[00:16:20] kind of what the preparation

[00:16:21] for this upcoming NCAA is like for you guys

[00:16:24] because you talk about,

[00:16:25] you never know when that seventh man needs to step up for you.

[00:16:28] So what does a preparation look like

[00:16:31] for you guys going into your matchup this coming up week?

[00:16:34] And not just for your top six and your doubles

[00:16:37] but collectively as a program.

[00:16:38] What is kind of the preparation you have for them?

[00:16:40] And I know how important it is

[00:16:41] to make it into the second weekend.

[00:16:44] Yeah, I mean, I'm juggling a lot right now.

[00:16:47] I mean, we took yesterday and today off,

[00:16:49] I know the boys were celebrating.

[00:16:53] You know, today, you know, I mentioned earlier,

[00:16:56] we're getting doing this big fun event

[00:16:57] with all dodgeball student athlete dodgeball

[00:17:00] later tonight that I'm hosting

[00:17:03] and kind of putting on a different hat.

[00:17:05] I mean, tomorrow we'll start preparing.

[00:17:08] I've just been working my tail off

[00:17:10] with some meetings and some relationships

[00:17:12] to work on fundraising to continue to help

[00:17:18] use this momentum with the program and keep things going.

[00:17:22] And we'll go back to the grind tomorrow.

[00:17:26] We do two private lessons with each guy one-on-one

[00:17:30] and then we have team practice from 130 to four

[00:17:32] and then coach Russo takes him in the gym at four.

[00:17:37] So, you know, we don't stop.

[00:17:40] You know, we're not backing off at all.

[00:17:43] You know, we've gotten this program where it is

[00:17:47] with recruiting and development.

[00:17:49] So, we're just pushing that envelope.

[00:17:55] It's really important this week

[00:17:56] because I think it's tough when you don't know,

[00:17:59] I don't like this week at all

[00:18:00] because you don't know who you're gonna play

[00:18:02] and everybody's just kind of smiling and happy go lucky

[00:18:05] and then I'm the grumpy guy yelling

[00:18:07] at everybody at practice

[00:18:08] because I'm happy we won, but you know,

[00:18:11] I'm not the goal is to get to the round of 16.

[00:18:15] The motto for the year is the chip on our shoulder

[00:18:19] T-C-O-O-S 16, which means

[00:18:23] and we put it on some of the shirts on the sleeve.

[00:18:26] The chip on our shoulder 16 is to make it

[00:18:28] to the round of 16.

[00:18:29] No men's tennis program,

[00:18:31] no men's tennis team in middle Tennessee

[00:18:32] has ever made the round of 16.

[00:18:34] And, you know, that's where we wanna go.

[00:18:36] So, you know, I'm gonna have to push the envelope hard

[00:18:40] this week because the guys think they'll be on vacation

[00:18:43] for a couple of days until we figure out who we're playing.

[00:18:46] And I don't know if they know

[00:18:48] what's coming to them tomorrow or not,

[00:18:49] but I'm gonna push them.

[00:18:52] Have you been spending a lot of time

[00:18:54] with Mason working on Montres?

[00:18:56] You know, I have not.

[00:18:58] I've always done it, you know,

[00:19:01] and then, you know, in each letter

[00:19:03] kind of stands for something.

[00:19:04] I mean, you know, the thankful and C is coachable

[00:19:09] and we got all of the different letters

[00:19:11] and it's really important to understand the process.

[00:19:14] So those are all each letter stands

[00:19:15] for something in our process and our culture.

[00:19:18] And then at the end, I like we like the six,

[00:19:20] the guys like the 16 because, you know,

[00:19:23] we wanna have some type of result oriented goal

[00:19:27] for the program.

[00:19:28] And, you know, if you're not trying to strive

[00:19:31] for new heights, you're not trying to get better.

[00:19:34] I always think you're getting worse.

[00:19:36] So people think I'm crazy.

[00:19:39] I mean, we just raised all this money

[00:19:42] for the tennis center.

[00:19:42] We still have a little bit more to raise

[00:19:44] and I've already started a couple of new projects already

[00:19:48] to kind of, you know, keep moving the needle

[00:19:53] in the right direction and capitalize on some momentum

[00:19:57] as we push into this postseason.

[00:20:00] Coach's mind never seems to rest,

[00:20:01] especially this time of year.

[00:20:03] And it's exciting to hear about some of your kids there.

[00:20:05] What's kind of their attitude about the whole process now

[00:20:08] that like you said, you brought on a lot of new bodies,

[00:20:11] new faces to the program

[00:20:12] and now they've kind of been enveloped in the culture

[00:20:15] like you say, what's kind of their attitude?

[00:20:16] Are they, if there are anything like their coach,

[00:20:19] I know that this is a business trip form

[00:20:21] unless like as you say, a vacation.

[00:20:24] Yeah, no, there's no vacation about it at all.

[00:20:27] We'll practice two times per day,

[00:20:30] but they've got exams.

[00:20:32] So reading day is Thursday

[00:20:35] and then they start some exams.

[00:20:37] So we gotta work around those schedules a little bit

[00:20:39] and do that because I'm huge on students first

[00:20:45] and student athlete.

[00:20:46] And so I've got high expectations with the grades

[00:20:50] and we've got guys with academic scholarships

[00:20:51] that need to maintain GPAs and that comes first.

[00:20:55] So yeah, I mean, I think they'll know a little bit more

[00:21:01] about what I'm expecting from them tomorrow

[00:21:04] when they first get to practice.

[00:21:06] But I'd be shocked if they all think that it was gonna be

[00:21:11] all roses and butterflies as I don't think

[00:21:16] I send that message at all with my demeanor

[00:21:20] and the things that I do and say.

[00:21:22] And so a lot of the teams take the personality

[00:21:25] a lot of their coaches.

[00:21:27] And I was in the office on Sunday at 7 a.m.

[00:21:33] Just, I had a lot of things to do

[00:21:36] and kind of keep things going.

[00:21:37] I wasn't gonna sleep in and enjoy the wind.

[00:21:43] Took the breakfast of champions picture with the fam

[00:21:47] and then went to work.

[00:21:50] Right, right.

[00:21:51] I'm interested to know a little bit

[00:21:53] what the morning after a championship looks like for you.

[00:21:56] I mean, you've done it five times now.

[00:21:57] Does it, does that, the things change?

[00:22:00] Or like you say, you're still preparing

[00:22:02] for the next step in the program.

[00:22:05] Yeah, I mean, I've got things to do.

[00:22:07] I mean, heck we had a bunch of alum in town.

[00:22:10] I mean, I'm really big on relationships.

[00:22:13] I wrote, I mean, I think I still got them all right here.

[00:22:16] I mean, handwriting thank you notes

[00:22:18] to all the guys that came out

[00:22:20] and making sure that we're doing a big event

[00:22:25] on Monday at the Boulevard.

[00:22:28] So I wanna get the word out

[00:22:29] that the selection shows there come celebrate with us

[00:22:33] figure out where we're gonna go.

[00:22:34] And then Jeff Neville at the Boulevard

[00:22:37] is just huge supporter of MTSU and men's tennis.

[00:22:43] So he's gonna donate 15% of the proceeds

[00:22:46] to the men's tennis program and our student impact fund

[00:22:51] which many people don't know is a very cool thing.

[00:22:58] There's the Alston case,

[00:23:01] it was a law that was passed in 2022

[00:23:05] that enables every student athlete

[00:23:07] the ability to earn about $6,000.

[00:23:11] And we'll put the proceeds to that

[00:23:16] so we can keep doing that to support our student athletes

[00:23:20] and international student athletes

[00:23:21] can all receive that money

[00:23:23] and it's all equal across the board.

[00:23:25] So it's on my radar as my next project.

[00:23:29] So, and Derek and I are,

[00:23:32] we wanna work on that as well

[00:23:33] and enhance that for all our student athletes.

[00:23:37] So it's another pretty big project coming down the pipes.

[00:23:42] Yeah, I'm glad you said that about the NIL situation

[00:23:46] and that's an ever-changing thing.

[00:23:47] Tennis is definitely different when you compare it

[00:23:49] to like the likes of football and basketball,

[00:23:51] not necessarily the money,

[00:23:52] but from the international standpoint,

[00:23:54] these kids as you say, they can't earn NIL money

[00:23:57] outside of the Alston as you're speaking

[00:23:59] about the $6,000, but MTSU,

[00:24:02] kind of for those that don't know that situation,

[00:24:04] how does that work for those international kids

[00:24:06] who can't earn NIL money?

[00:24:07] What are their options?

[00:24:09] Yeah, that's why I'm pushing the student impact fund.

[00:24:12] So my goal is to raise the money

[00:24:16] so that I can get each student athlete

[00:24:18] the $6,000 on my team.

[00:24:21] And that's how I'm,

[00:24:23] that's the first phase of the program

[00:24:25] is to do that Boulevard event

[00:24:28] to start to build that fund up.

[00:24:30] And so then all the international student athletes

[00:24:33] can get that money

[00:24:34] and domestic student athletes can get that money,

[00:24:38] but it has to be equal.

[00:24:39] So it's, and I'm really big on that

[00:24:41] to keep the locker room,

[00:24:43] you know, good graces in the locker room.

[00:24:45] I don't want one guy to get an extra of this

[00:24:48] and then he's upset at him

[00:24:50] because he didn't practice well today

[00:24:52] or oh, I beat him in practice,

[00:24:53] he lost or whatnot.

[00:24:55] So yeah, I feel like it's a big thing for us

[00:25:00] in our program.

[00:25:01] And for me as an equivalency sport

[00:25:05] that can help me supplement tennis scholarships

[00:25:08] and academic scholarships.

[00:25:10] So, and can I can get more bang for my buck

[00:25:15] as I continue to recruit

[00:25:16] and I'm currently looking for some guys

[00:25:19] for still for next year.

[00:25:20] So it's a big thing.

[00:25:23] I know the whole athletic department

[00:25:25] is really pushing for it.

[00:25:26] I mean, for all sports,

[00:25:28] currently each student athlete

[00:25:29] is getting $1,000 out of the 6,000.

[00:25:33] And so we're trying to build on that.

[00:25:35] And that's a huge effort already,

[00:25:37] to kind of get us going at the mid major level

[00:25:40] if you'd like to call, say that word or phrase.

[00:25:44] I'm not a huge fan of it,

[00:25:46] but that's a good step.

[00:25:49] A lot of our colleagues,

[00:25:52] should we say like at Memphis,

[00:25:54] they don't give any Alston money.

[00:25:57] So the goal is to be ahead of the curve.

[00:26:02] In our conference, Liberty fully funds Alston.

[00:26:06] So that's $6,000 that their student athletes are getting.

[00:26:11] And so for us to compete with them,

[00:26:14] we've got to step up our game.

[00:26:17] Right, that's a good insight into that too,

[00:26:19] as far as what it takes to be ahead,

[00:26:22] a step ahead of your fellow opponents

[00:26:24] to talk about conferencing,

[00:26:25] you compare it to the likes of Liberty.

[00:26:27] That's a good insight.

[00:26:29] Are there any other ways

[00:26:30] as far as fans or supporters of MTSU

[00:26:33] or the program that they could help

[00:26:34] in those regards outside of,

[00:26:36] you mentioned the Boulevard thing coming up this Monday,

[00:26:38] but is there anything else?

[00:26:40] Yeah, I mean, like I said,

[00:26:42] I got projects coming out my ears.

[00:26:44] My wife's ready to kill me.

[00:26:47] But I've actually also started a men's tennis

[00:26:51] endowment program fund.

[00:26:54] So basically an endowment can be started with $25,000.

[00:27:00] And then the program can then we'll get 4% of the money

[00:27:07] from the investment will be reinvested into the endowment.

[00:27:11] And then the coach can use 4%.

[00:27:13] So a lot of our alum,

[00:27:16] we had an amazing coach in Buck Bolden

[00:27:18] and his wife Martha Bolden

[00:27:20] that the course are named after

[00:27:22] in which he coached the team for 12 years

[00:27:26] for $1 a year, $1.

[00:27:29] He was a attorney on the square,

[00:27:31] great coach, great man,

[00:27:33] supported me the moment I got here at campus.

[00:27:36] And so the endowment is named after him

[00:27:39] and it's now helping support the program

[00:27:43] and it's helping me with my budget

[00:27:45] and putting money towards Alston for our student athletes.

[00:27:49] And it ensures that our program

[00:27:52] is gonna be around for the long haul.

[00:27:54] And so the way I do things is I reach out

[00:27:59] to our in our relationships with people I know

[00:28:02] and I ask them what do they think is best?

[00:28:05] What would they like to do with their investment?

[00:28:08] And see what they wanna do

[00:28:11] because at the end of the day it's their decision.

[00:28:15] I just kinda share some ideas and what's going on

[00:28:17] and let them make choices.

[00:28:21] Right, very cool, very good insight there

[00:28:23] as far as what goes on behind the scenes there

[00:28:25] to help student athletes in the program collectively.

[00:28:28] Coach, before I let you go here

[00:28:30] I know you got a lot of things to do.

[00:28:32] I wanna know, you got your fifth ring now

[00:28:34] do you start sizing your thumb

[00:28:36] or is it still the ring finger?

[00:28:38] Let me show you this, Jake

[00:28:40] you haven't come to my office yet

[00:28:41] but my new office is not a trailer anymore

[00:28:45] it's beautiful.

[00:28:46] We got the trophies all over

[00:28:47] but my wife got this for me

[00:28:49] and I'm so when you walk in my office

[00:28:54] you can see the display case

[00:28:59] and it's, I haven't got brought a recruit into campus yet

[00:29:03] to kind of show off what I got.

[00:29:04] Okay.

[00:29:06] It's pretty cool

[00:29:07] and so yeah we're gonna start working on the next one

[00:29:11] and designing it and showing it off

[00:29:13] and I tell recruits when they come in

[00:29:18] this is what we were playing for these guys

[00:29:20] and yeah, it's the guy's pretty excited

[00:29:26] cause who doesn't wanna compete championships?

[00:29:30] Right.

[00:29:32] I know I do so.

[00:29:34] Right and impressive again to those

[00:29:36] that missed the presentation

[00:29:37] there's a lot of empty spots there

[00:29:39] they still got plenty of room to grow in that cabinet.

[00:29:41] We make, I make that very clear

[00:29:45] when the young guys come in the office

[00:29:47] and they talk about it quite a bit

[00:29:50] so yeah, I'd like to get a bigger case

[00:29:55] but we'll see.

[00:29:57] So as the old faculty athletic representative

[00:30:01] Terry Whiteside said,

[00:30:02] the goal is to get each guy to graduate

[00:30:05] with a diploma in one hand

[00:30:07] and a ring in the other hand

[00:30:09] and I remember that the first time I met him

[00:30:14] and that's something that I think

[00:30:17] as a whole department it's a great phrase

[00:30:19] and that's what we want.

[00:30:22] We want that for all the sports

[00:30:24] so I know I'm excited to get online

[00:30:27] and see how golf is doing

[00:30:28] cause golf was doing really well yesterday

[00:30:31] and Coach McIntyre does a phenomenal job

[00:30:33] with the men's team

[00:30:35] so let's get a couple more titles

[00:30:39] for the department this week.

[00:30:42] Absolutely and Coach Boren-Dame

[00:30:44] is not shorted anyone on any opportunity

[00:30:46] to get their rings if they join the program

[00:30:47] so great stuff from him as always

[00:30:49] he's more than just a tennis man

[00:30:50] he's an MTSU man

[00:30:52] and he fully supports everyone

[00:30:54] any way that he can

[00:30:55] and as he's already spoken today

[00:30:57] about his constantly running mind

[00:30:59] to help everybody

[00:30:59] so I hope everyone is able to show up there

[00:31:01] at the Boulevard

[00:31:03] and obviously where that money goes

[00:31:05] is to a good place

[00:31:06] but Coach I absolutely appreciate your time

[00:31:09] and the best of luck coming up this week

[00:31:10] in the NCAAs.

[00:31:12] Thanks so much I appreciate it

[00:31:14] hopefully we're gonna either go to Knoxville

[00:31:16] Starkville or Lexington

[00:31:18] so I know we'll make a

[00:31:21] we'll try to rally some folks to come out

[00:31:23] and see what kind of damage

[00:31:27] we can do in the tournament.

[00:31:29] Absolutely thanks Coach.

[00:31:30] No thank you appreciate it.

[00:31:33] Great stuff from headman

[00:31:34] tennis coach Jimmy Bourne

[00:31:35] named a breakdown his upcoming week

[00:31:37] as they prepare for the NCAA tournament

[00:31:39] for those that missed the news yesterday afternoon

[00:31:42] the Raiders are headed to Starkville, Mississippi

[00:31:45] where they will face off against Georgia Tech Yellowjack

[00:31:47] it's in the first round of the NCAA tournaments

[00:31:49] followed by a potential round of 32 matchup rematch

[00:31:52] with Mississippi State

[00:31:54] for those that saw that matchup earlier this year here

[00:31:56] and Murphy's bro the Raiders did defeat

[00:31:58] Mississippi State by a score of four to three

[00:32:01] so exciting news

[00:32:02] you got a matchup with Georgia Tech

[00:32:04] and then another matchup potentially with the host school

[00:32:07] the 16th seeded Mississippi State Bulldogs

[00:32:09] a game that you know that you can win

[00:32:11] so lots that look forward to

[00:32:13] that series will begin this Friday in Starkville

[00:32:17] so keep your eyes peeled

[00:32:18] I haven't seen a time posted yet

[00:32:19] but I am recording this Monday afternoon

[00:32:22] so something could come up as early as Tuesday

[00:32:24] as far as the specifics on time

[00:32:26] so exciting news for the men

[00:32:29] hopefully as Bourne Dame alluded to

[00:32:32] in our interview today looking to move on to that round of 16

[00:32:35] and a lot of stuff goes into preparation

[00:32:37] for that matchup this coming Friday

[00:32:38] so good luck to the Raiders this weekend

[00:32:41] and hopes that they can finally move into the round of 16

[00:32:44] and make history for MTSU athletics

[00:32:48] now time to move on to other news

[00:32:51] on the end of last week

[00:32:52] as I alluded to at the beginning of the episode

[00:32:54] you've got a lot of big additions

[00:32:56] on both the men's and the women's side

[00:32:59] the men's pick up two transfer portal pickups

[00:33:02] one is Issam Mostafa

[00:33:04] he is a 6'9 forward from Cairo, Egypt

[00:33:06] he is transferring to MTSU from TCU

[00:33:09] but he spent three years at Coastal Carolina

[00:33:11] prior to joining the Horned Frogs

[00:33:13] and when he was at Coastal Carolina

[00:33:15] he made quite the name for himself

[00:33:17] it was a walking double-double his junior year there

[00:33:21] at Coastal Carolina where he averaged 12.4 points

[00:33:23] per game, 10 rebounds per game

[00:33:25] he led Sunbelt with 16 double-doubles on the year

[00:33:28] so we know that this is a guy that can perform at a high level

[00:33:31] at the mid-major level

[00:33:32] got his opportunity there in the big 12 for TCU

[00:33:35] didn't get the minutes I think deemed necessary

[00:33:37] so for him to be able to come back to the mid-major level

[00:33:40] hopefully make a big name for himself

[00:33:42] he shoots the ball at a pretty high clip for a forward

[00:33:45] he's going to be very similar in size

[00:33:46] to that of what we saw with Jared Coleman-Jones

[00:33:48] but I do believe that he's a much more skilled scorer

[00:33:52] one of the best offensive rebounders in the country

[00:33:54] when he was at Coastal Carolina

[00:33:55] so he definitely adds a jolt to that starting lineup

[00:33:58] when you lose Jared Coleman-Jones

[00:34:00] he's going to be an instant plug there at the five spot

[00:34:03] I do believe

[00:34:04] he doesn't have the length that you may be looking for

[00:34:07] but at six foot nine

[00:34:08] we're able to get the job done with Jared Coleman-Jones

[00:34:10] so you would like to think that

[00:34:11] you have the same opportunities with Mustafa

[00:34:14] that you've lost now with Jared Coleman-Jones

[00:34:18] then also in adding length

[00:34:19] they pick up Kamari Lans

[00:34:20] which is an absolutely unforeseen pickup

[00:34:24] for the Raiders it's a huge news form

[00:34:26] those that don't know Lans

[00:34:27] he out of high school

[00:34:28] he was a unanimous top 100 selection

[00:34:31] I believe he was ranked as high as 39th in the country

[00:34:36] according to ESPN's 100 Class of 2022

[00:34:39] coming at a high school

[00:34:39] he averaged 33 points per game

[00:34:41] 11 rebounds, three assists

[00:34:43] shooting on 55%

[00:34:45] and he played for a top 25 high school program

[00:34:48] in Hillcrest Prep

[00:34:49] which is out of Indianapolis, Indiana

[00:34:52] so, excuse me, out of Arizona

[00:34:54] he is from Indianapolis

[00:34:56] from there he went to Louisville out of high school

[00:34:58] and then he transferred last season into Arizona State

[00:35:01] since being in college

[00:35:02] we haven't seen that scoring production

[00:35:04] that he displayed in high school

[00:35:06] but you would like to think

[00:35:08] when he is able to get into a mid-major level

[00:35:11] that he could potentially see an increase

[00:35:13] in that production on the scoring side of things

[00:35:15] and it's just kind of virtue

[00:35:16] of playing in large conferences

[00:35:18] like Louisville does in the ACC

[00:35:20] and then Arizona State in the Pac-12

[00:35:22] so when he comes here

[00:35:23] he could be an instant addition

[00:35:25] where that scoring production reappears

[00:35:28] just given the level of competition

[00:35:30] and I think if you're Nick McDevitt

[00:35:31] or if you're the Blue Raiders right now

[00:35:32] you're looking to find ways

[00:35:33] to be competitive in your own division

[00:35:35] we're not looking to be a top 25 team

[00:35:37] and someone like Kamari Lans

[00:35:38] could certainly take this team to the next level

[00:35:41] and as I've spoken to many people

[00:35:44] off the podcast

[00:35:45] I think it's vital

[00:35:46] when you're talking about the transfer portal pickups

[00:35:49] that you find guys

[00:35:50] that make your team instantly better

[00:35:51] and someone like Kamari Lans, Esam Mustafa

[00:35:54] they both do that for you

[00:35:56] they make the team better

[00:35:57] I think Mustafa is more of an impact

[00:35:59] on the starting five

[00:36:00] when you look at Kamari Lans

[00:36:01] I don't know where the scouting is

[00:36:04] in regards to McDevitt and his staff

[00:36:06] but he's definitely a depth piece

[00:36:09] if not more than that for the Raiders

[00:36:11] so exciting news to hear about Mustafa and Lans

[00:36:14] both ending up here in Murfreesboro

[00:36:16] that's five total now

[00:36:17] for the men's basketball program

[00:36:19] and again that roster has gotten better

[00:36:22] over the off season

[00:36:22] so a lot of promise

[00:36:24] for those guys moving forward

[00:36:25] the biggest thing for me is

[00:36:27] is this team competitive in conference USA

[00:36:29] and right now I feel like it is

[00:36:32] one thing that I have speculated on

[00:36:33] is a return for Justin Porter

[00:36:36] I have no background on that at all

[00:36:38] I have no reason to

[00:36:39] I have no sort of rumor that is milled

[00:36:42] but that's just my pure speculation

[00:36:43] that I don't know how much luck Porter has had

[00:36:46] in the transfer portal

[00:36:47] but if he had the opportunity to come back

[00:36:50] again I don't know where he stands

[00:36:52] in regards to the program

[00:36:54] with Nick McDevitt and his former teammates

[00:36:56] but if you were able to add him back in

[00:36:58] he would give you a proven score on the roster

[00:37:01] that could help this team tremendously

[00:37:03] as it sits right now

[00:37:04] you only have two players

[00:37:05] in the previous season

[00:37:07] that average double digits

[00:37:08] that's Jalen Counter from IUPUI

[00:37:11] and then Alec Oglesby from Stetson

[00:37:13] and as I said on a previous episode

[00:37:15] Oglesby is more than likely

[00:37:16] your only player on roster that's going to actually start

[00:37:19] I would project that Counter is gonna be

[00:37:21] the backup to Cam Weston

[00:37:22] so right now you only have one player

[00:37:24] that average double figures in last season

[00:37:27] now you know you have guys that are capable of it

[00:37:29] like I already mentioned Kamari Lanz

[00:37:31] and then Issam Mustafa

[00:37:32] but given the production of last season

[00:37:34] you only have one true proven score

[00:37:36] so if you're able to somehow get Justin Porter back

[00:37:39] assuming things are on good terms

[00:37:41] I would like to think that the roster does improve

[00:37:44] upon last year

[00:37:45] and especially now that you have the depth

[00:37:47] that point guard with Counter

[00:37:48] and with Cam Weston returning

[00:37:51] that Porter can finally play his true position

[00:37:54] a shooting guard

[00:37:55] and hopefully you know even see a heightened sense

[00:37:59] of production from what we saw last season

[00:38:01] so that's just pure speculation on my part

[00:38:04] I have no reason to

[00:38:06] I have no rumor that would lead me

[00:38:07] to believe that's going to happen

[00:38:08] but I do think that if it were to happen

[00:38:10] it would be for the greater good of MTSU

[00:38:13] and that roster

[00:38:15] so stand by on that

[00:38:16] if that doesn't happen

[00:38:16] I still believe that there's a lot of

[00:38:19] there's still a few more pieces

[00:38:20] that McDevits looking to add

[00:38:22] with there's still a few scholarships left out there

[00:38:24] where those positions would be

[00:38:26] I would assume it's going to be in the forward

[00:38:28] but if you find a guard that's willing to come here

[00:38:30] that is again a proven score

[00:38:32] I think that you may take that as a priority

[00:38:34] because those that watched MTSU this last season

[00:38:36] would know that the scoring production was a big falter

[00:38:40] or I should say a reason

[00:38:42] for not having success this last year

[00:38:46] on the lady Raiders side though

[00:38:47] you do get another pickup in the transfer portal

[00:38:49] you have Emily Monson

[00:38:50] she is a 6-1 guard

[00:38:52] she is transferring to MTSU from Purdue

[00:38:55] but most will know her name from Blackman Her Days

[00:38:58] at Blackman High School here in Murfreesboro

[00:39:01] highly sought after recruit out of

[00:39:03] Blackman High School

[00:39:04] for those that know Midstate basketball

[00:39:06] would know that Blackman High School is a winner

[00:39:08] and has been for a very long time

[00:39:09] holding a national championship there

[00:39:11] at Crystal Dangerfield

[00:39:12] so she comes from a program

[00:39:14] comes from great hands here in Murfreesboro

[00:39:16] and fits that in-sole mold

[00:39:17] that we always talk about

[00:39:19] about having a proven winner on your roster

[00:39:21] in high school she averaged 16 points per game

[00:39:23] on 44% shooting

[00:39:25] over a thousand points in her career there

[00:39:28] of one over 100 games

[00:39:30] only lost 16 in her high school career

[00:39:32] so an exceptional athlete there in high school

[00:39:35] didn't get very many minutes at Purdue

[00:39:37] so you don't necessarily know

[00:39:39] how much of a contributor she's gonna be immediately

[00:39:42] because we don't have much college film on her

[00:39:43] but there should be some things about her

[00:39:46] that would lead you to believe

[00:39:47] that you're building a lot of depth

[00:39:49] her being a guard and a wing

[00:39:50] she would play that two, three position

[00:39:52] at 6-1 she may be able to play the four

[00:39:54] but given what I've seen of her

[00:39:56] she is definitely more of a guard

[00:39:58] so she's definitely a depth piece

[00:39:59] cause I think you're pretty set in your ways

[00:40:01] with Gregory and Scott

[00:40:03] but if those were to play tougher defense

[00:40:06] Monson would be the first one off the bench

[00:40:08] given the way the roster construct is right now

[00:40:10] anything could happen

[00:40:11] and of course the evaluation could change over the summer

[00:40:14] but she's only, she was coming off her freshman year

[00:40:17] so she's gonna have four years of eligibility

[00:40:19] this could definitely be a piece

[00:40:20] that you develop, you grow

[00:40:23] she's in her home city now

[00:40:24] she definitely has a lot more comfort here

[00:40:26] so exciting to see that pick up

[00:40:29] for a multitude of reasons

[00:40:30] but again having great quality depth

[00:40:33] can never go unnoticed

[00:40:34] and I've known that anyone that listens to us

[00:40:36] over at GoMiddle.com

[00:40:38] knows that I've spoken about how this team may be set up

[00:40:40] to forcefully play more than six, seven players

[00:40:44] that we're accustomed to in the Rick and Sol era

[00:40:46] I think this is by far the most talented team

[00:40:48] that we've ever seen

[00:40:50] and I said the same thing about this last year's team

[00:40:52] and that says a lot about what we're looking forward to

[00:40:55] this upcoming 24-25 season

[00:40:56] I think this is the most talented

[00:40:59] Lady Raiders basketball team we've seen yet

[00:41:01] and you should plenty of reason to be excited

[00:41:03] and a lot of that has to do with the fact

[00:41:06] not only is the starting five improving

[00:41:08] but the depth is also improving as well

[00:41:11] then on the high school pick up side of things

[00:41:14] the Raiders finally get 20-25 signing Blair Bogus

[00:41:17] someone that they have been going after heavily

[00:41:20] for the last two years

[00:41:21] she's a six foot power forward

[00:41:22] out of Waynesboro, Tennessee at Wayne County High School

[00:41:25] she was a Miss basketball winner two seasons ago

[00:41:28] her sophomore year

[00:41:30] so big news there

[00:41:32] one thing that is kind of ironic or funny about

[00:41:34] Blair Bogus and where she comes from

[00:41:36] as a 1A student athlete

[00:41:38] she went up with Savannah Davis

[00:41:41] 20-24 signing from McKenzie quite regularly

[00:41:44] Savannah Davis won her Miss basketball

[00:41:47] her sophomore season

[00:41:48] and also won Miss basketball this last season for McKenzie

[00:41:52] Wayne County where Bogus is from

[00:41:54] has been a lot more successful this last year

[00:41:56] but they had a lot of head to head matchups

[00:41:58] being that they're both from West Tennessee

[00:42:00] so you have a lot of continuity there

[00:42:03] or at least a lot of familiarity within the roster

[00:42:05] when you talk about Blair

[00:42:06] and then incoming freshmen Savannah Davis

[00:42:08] so that's a pretty cool tidbit there

[00:42:12] as far as being that competitive team

[00:42:13] and back to what I was talking about

[00:42:15] Monson coming from Blackburn

[00:42:16] and being a highly successful school

[00:42:19] same with Blair at Wayne County

[00:42:20] they've been a very successful program

[00:42:22] made the TWSAA tournament

[00:42:24] and I would say without a doubt

[00:42:25] their upcoming senior year

[00:42:26] that they would make a return there

[00:42:27] so for those that are looking to get out

[00:42:30] take a look at our 20-25 class this next year

[00:42:32] when they come to the Murphy Center

[00:42:34] you can look at Blair Bogus from Wayne County

[00:42:37] as well as Carson Swaney

[00:42:38] who's in the same 20-25 class from Heritage High School

[00:42:41] so a lot of talent there

[00:42:43] it does appear that the Raiders are still looking

[00:42:44] to add a few more pieces to that class of 20-25

[00:42:47] having a couple offers go out to centers this last week

[00:42:50] so it does appear that they're putting

[00:42:52] a lot of their energy into getting that length

[00:42:54] at the center position for the upcoming class

[00:42:56] now that Grubovsky is in the portal

[00:43:00] but you got some promising pieces

[00:43:03] that have offers out right now

[00:43:04] they still look to be going heavily for that 20-25 class

[00:43:07] but as things sit right now with Blair Bogus

[00:43:09] and Macy Pfeiffer out of Ingomar and Mississippi

[00:43:12] and as I said Carson Swaney out of Heritage

[00:43:14] in East Tennessee

[00:43:16] the 20-25 class is a really good class

[00:43:19] and I talk about how good this upcoming season could be

[00:43:21] for the Lady Raiders

[00:43:22] 20-25 could be even better

[00:43:24] time to move into the Raider Wrap

[00:43:26] a portion of the episode

[00:43:27] where we go over last week's athletics

[00:43:29] in MTSU sports beginning with baseball

[00:43:32] they dropped their midweek contest

[00:43:35] in Clarksville against Austin P by a score of 10-16

[00:43:39] I'll give a shout out to Trace Phillips

[00:43:40] who goes two for three with two runs and four RBI's

[00:43:43] including a home run

[00:43:45] and then on the weekend

[00:43:45] the Raiders dropped their series

[00:43:47] in the 100 miles of Hade edition

[00:43:49] with the Western Kentucky Hill Toppers

[00:43:51] they did pick up the first game win

[00:43:53] on Friday night by a score of 16-9

[00:43:55] and a big shout out to Brett Bondolan

[00:43:57] from Stewart's Creek High School here

[00:43:58] in Murfreesboro

[00:44:00] he goes four or five on the night with three runs

[00:44:02] and 10 RBI's

[00:44:04] including three home runs

[00:44:05] and two of which were Grand Slams

[00:44:07] and very rarely does someone get an opportunity

[00:44:10] to not only hit a Grand Slam

[00:44:11] but very rarely do they get that opportunity twice

[00:44:14] and capitalize both times

[00:44:15] so already a record that was held by Drew Huff

[00:44:19] who had eight RBI's in a game

[00:44:21] also another Murfreesboro guy

[00:44:23] but to do it in fashion

[00:44:25] with 10 RBI's on three home runs

[00:44:28] I don't know that's something that could ever be topped again

[00:44:30] so very impressive stuff

[00:44:32] for those that got to witness that on Friday night

[00:44:34] very special

[00:44:35] coming from a local guy

[00:44:36] so big congrats to Bondolan

[00:44:39] and the win on that Friday night

[00:44:41] but the Raiders did drop the final two games

[00:44:43] of that series on Saturday

[00:44:44] by a narrow margin of three to four

[00:44:46] losing the game there in the top of the ninth

[00:44:48] and then on Sunday by a score of four to seven

[00:44:51] the one good news about picking up a game

[00:44:53] there on Friday night is the ability to

[00:44:57] keep your postseason hopes alive

[00:44:59] they're gonna have one more series

[00:45:01] or two more series I should say

[00:45:02] one more important than the other

[00:45:04] against Jacksonville State

[00:45:06] who is currently in last place

[00:45:07] and to get into Conference USA tournament

[00:45:08] you have to finish in the top eight of the nine teams

[00:45:11] so you can't finish last

[00:45:12] and as things sit right now

[00:45:14] you've got a two game cushion on Jacksonville State

[00:45:16] but you cannot afford to lose two games

[00:45:19] to Jacksonville State

[00:45:19] and put you behind the eight ball

[00:45:21] and tiebreaker there

[00:45:22] so you've got to make sure you pick up

[00:45:24] two of three

[00:45:27] you have to make sure you pick up

[00:45:28] two of three against Jacksonville State on the road

[00:45:31] and then unfortunately you end the season

[00:45:33] against one of the top teams in the Conference

[00:45:34] that is Dallas Baptist

[00:45:36] a top 25 caliber team

[00:45:38] unlikely to get much against them

[00:45:40] but you feel good if you give yourself

[00:45:43] an opportunity to make the postseason

[00:45:46] if you can at least win two against Jacksonville State

[00:45:49] coming up this next weekend

[00:45:51] or in the weekend after next

[00:45:52] because this next week it's solely non-conference

[00:45:55] they'll start their midweek series tonight

[00:45:57] a home matchup against North Alabama

[00:45:59] and then they will be on the road

[00:46:01] in the week in New York against Binghamton

[00:46:04] looking to avenge that O3 sweep

[00:46:06] from the Bearcats they experienced earlier in the season

[00:46:09] I got a little ahead of myself last week

[00:46:11] when it comes to softball

[00:46:13] got my dates wrong

[00:46:14] but softball does conclude their regular season

[00:46:17] this weekend at home

[00:46:18] they will face New Mexico State here

[00:46:21] and they will also honor their seniors this weekend

[00:46:23] but the first pitch of that series is Friday

[00:46:26] the third at 6 p.m. Saturday's game is at four

[00:46:30] and then Sunday is at 12 noon

[00:46:32] again, that'll be your last opportunity

[00:46:34] to see the Lady Raiders

[00:46:34] they're going to miss the cut

[00:46:36] for the Conference USA tournament

[00:46:38] so get on out there

[00:46:39] support your seniors for their last home series

[00:46:41] of this season

[00:46:43] Men's Golf

[00:46:44] they wrapped up their Conference USA championships

[00:46:46] this last week

[00:46:47] and they were just two strokes short

[00:46:49] of making the match play

[00:46:51] they finished fifth out of eight teams

[00:46:53] Michael Barnard finished tied for fifth

[00:46:55] at one stroke under Parr

[00:46:57] Kevin Jeggers tied for 19th at six over

[00:46:59] Owen Stamper tied for 24th at seven over

[00:47:02] and then Luke Perkins tied for 28th at eight over

[00:47:06] through a Men's Golf team

[00:47:07] just like I said, two strokes from making match play

[00:47:10] to UTEP

[00:47:11] UTEP was able to actually move on

[00:47:12] to the finals of the match play

[00:47:13] and gave Liberty a run for their money

[00:47:16] it was a real tight race

[00:47:17] unfortunately for the Raiders

[00:47:18] they just missed out on after a strong start

[00:47:21] don't forget to follow the show

[00:47:24] on all of our social medias at Twitter, Instagram

[00:47:26] TikTok at Blue Raider Pod

[00:47:28] as well as our YouTube channel Blue Raider Podcast

[00:47:31] for those that haven't stopped by

[00:47:32] I do encourage you to check out our website

[00:47:34] blueraderpodcast.com

[00:47:36] got a brand new design on there

[00:47:38] it looks sleek, looks clean

[00:47:39] got a lot of exciting announcements coming forward

[00:47:42] with NIL opportunities

[00:47:43] as I've been talking about in the past

[00:47:45] so of course our store is on there

[00:47:47] we do have a soft opening on the website

[00:47:49] if you want to support the show

[00:47:51] all the links are all on there for you

[00:47:53] so hit up that website

[00:47:55] if you're looking to do that

[00:47:56] we'll make a larger opening sometime in the summer

[00:47:59] but all of the stuff is available to order today

[00:48:02] so just feel free to stop on by the website

[00:48:04] again that's blueraderpodcast.com

[00:48:06] to shop, submerge and dyes

[00:48:08] and support the show

[00:48:11] we will be back next week

[00:48:13] again wrapping up some more spring sports stuff

[00:48:16] we hope to have some more transfer portal pickups

[00:48:20] for both men's and women's

[00:48:21] they still have some spots available

[00:48:23] some scholarships available to fill

[00:48:25] so stay in touch with us

[00:48:27] as we make hopefully an announcement

[00:48:28] for the show coming forward

[00:48:30] and until next time, go blue