MURFREESBORO, Tenn.—When Brett Coker stepped into the box for his first at-bat of last season's 2021 Conference USA Baseball Tournament, not many people had he and his Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders pegged to be there, let alone make any sort of noise. It only took one pitch, however, for Coker to send a fastball on the outer half of the plate over the right field fence and give Middle Tennessee the early lead. It was a lead MTSU didn't give up in its 7-2 victory over the No. 16 Charlotte 49ers.
Last year, Middle Tennessee proved it was a force to be reckoned with on the diamond.