JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 26, 2026) – Fresh off a 9-4 win over Virginia Tech on Tuesday, the ETSU baseball team will be back in action this weekend with a three-game home series against VMI. The series, which runs Friday through Sunday, is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Friday from Thomas Stadium.
Probable Pitching Matchups
LHP Peyton Dhein (VMI) vs. LHP Tadan Bell (ETSU) – Friday @ 11 a.m. | Live Stats | ESPN+
RHP Roberto Velasquez (VMI) vs. RHP Michael Harpster (ETSU) – Saturday @ 2 p.m. | Live Stats | ESPN+
TBA (VMI) vs. RHP Cooper Jones (ETSU) – Sunday @ 1 p.m. | Live Stats | ESPN+
Curless Continues Hot Streak – After being named the SoCon Player of the Week on Monday,
Tristan Curless continued his hot streak on Tuesday against Virginia Tech by going 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI. Curless has been especially good in the month of March. In 13 games, Curless is hitting .447 with seven home runs and 23 RBI. He has also worked more walks (nine) than strikeouts (four) this month. Entering this weekend's play, Curless leads all SoCon hitters with 11 home runs and 35 RBI with both of those marks ranked among the top 20 in Division I baseball.
Pitchers Rank Near the Top of the SoCon – As the calendar nears April, the Buccaneer pitching staff paces the SoCon in both team ERA (4.10) and in team WHIP (1.38). Over the last 10 games, ETSU has been even better with a collective ERA of 3.56, opponent batting average of .229, and 81 strikeouts in 81 innings pitched. Those marks have helped ETSU go 8-2 over the last 10 games.
Protecting Home Field in Conference – Since the beginning of the 2024 season, the Bucs have lost just one conference series at home (UNCG – 2025). Overall, the Bucs are 34-18 (.654 winning percentage) during that time frame against fellow SoCon schools. Furthermore, ETSU has enjoyed one of best home field advantages since 2024 with a record of 63-14 (.818 winning percentage), including a 14-1 mark this spring.
Coach Closing In On a Milestone – With just two more victories, Head Coach
Joe Pennucci will win his 250
th game leading the Bucs. Pennucci will join Tony Skole, who won 471 games at ETSU, as the only two head coaches to reach 250 wins with the program.
About VMI– VMI has the second-most wins in the SoCon this season with a record of 20-4. The Keydets are a team primarily built on speed. VMI has stolen a Division I-leading 119 stolen bases so far in 2026. That is 14 more steals than the next closest team (Duke – 105).
Series Rewind vs. VMI – ETSU and VMI have met over 100 times over the years. The Bucs have an all-time record of 70-47 against the Keydets. ETSU have won the last seven games against VMI and 11 of the last 12. VMI will be looking for its series win in Johnson City since 2000 and just its third overall against the Bucs during that time frame.
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