DAVID HUNTER, Post Sports
Posted: Sunday, August 29, 2010 7:32 am

In 2001, the Blue Raiders ended their long-time association with the Ohio Valley Conference, and moved into the Sun Belt Conference. The SBC known for its tremendous baseball and basketball action, decided to begin football in the same year.

MTSU completed its first decade of SBC membership at the close of the 2009-10 athletic year. In honor of that achievement, here is a look back at the Top 10 (11, because we try harder) moments in no specific order.

• The Bubas Cup

Each year, the SBC gives out a trophy to the university with the best overall performance in all of the sports the conference sponsors. Even though the Blue Raiders have been in the conference for a short time compared to other schools, they took home the Vic Bubas Cup six times (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010).

• Women’s Basketball

The Lady Raider basketball team, made the NCAA tournament six of the last seven seasons.

In three of those appearances, the team won its first round games over North Carolina, North Carolina State and Gonzaga. The team won six conference titles.

A trio of Lady Raiders, Chrissy Givens, Amber Holt and Alysha Clark, were each selected in the WNBA draft.

• Volleyball

The program Matt Peck took over in 2004 had only made one NCAA tournament appearance.

Since then, the Blue Raiders won three SBC tournament titles and made four trips to the national tournament.

In 2007, MTSU advanced to the Sweet 16 by beating Louisville and Hawaii, and fell to BYU.

• Football

The Blue Raiders won the school’s first SBC football title in 2001.

Five years later, Rick Stockstill took over the program and led MTSU to two bowl games.

In 2006, the Blue Raiders played in the Motor City Bowl. A year ago, MTSU finally got a New Orleans Bowl trip and won it with help from quarterback Dwight Dasher and defensive star Chris McCoy.

• Baseball

Under long-time head coach Steve Peterson, the MTSU baseball squad continued its success with five trips to the NCAA tournament.

Several players moved on to the professional ranks including pitcher Dewon Brazelton, who was picked third in the 2001 MLB draft, and Brett Carroll, who is a current member of the Florida Marlins.

In 2010, the Blue Raiders set school records with seven players drafted into MLB with 10 overall signing professional contracts, including standout Bryce Brentz, who was selected 36th overall by the Boston Red Sox.

• Men’s golf

Head coach Whit Turnbow is back for his fourth season with the Blue Raiders. The team won the 2009 conference tournament and competed in three consecutive NCAA tournaments, with two of those appearances on at-large bids.

• Men’s basketball (MTSU vs WKU)

Joining the SBC in 2001, MTSU restarted an annual rivalry with Western Kentucky.

When the conference tournament came around, both schools were usually fighting for the only berth to the NCAA tournament.

During the past 10 years, the teams played each other in front of sold-out crowds at their respective home arenas.

In 2009-10, the Blue Raiders swept the Hilltoppers for the first time since the 1974-75 season while Desmond “Boogie” Yates became the program’s all time leading scorer with a career total 1,775 points.

• Men’s Tennis

The Blue Raiders tennis team won two team SBC titles and made five NCAA tournaments, mostly under legendary head coach Dale Short.

This past year, John Peers was the latest MTSU player to compete in the individual tournament.

However, it was a dominant duo of Andeas Siljestrom and Marco Born that would bring a national title to the Blue Raiders.

• Siljestrom/ Born

The Andeas Siljestrom and Marco Born tag-team played in three straight NCAA doubles tournaments.

They were eliminated in the second round in 2005, and advanced all the way to the semifinals in 2006. The following year, the duo became national champions after beating a team from Illinois in a tight match that went to a third set tiebreaker.

• Track and Cross-Country

Head coach Dean Hayes has coached at the school since the 1960s and he has seen great ones come and go.

The first decade in the SBC was no different.

The men’s team won six indoor track titles, three outdoor track titles and one cross-country title. The women took home four indoor and two outdoor.

Several individuals also made NCAA appearances, but one, Marty Scales, would become the fastest man in the nation.

• Marty Scales

The seven-time All-American won the 2003 national championship in the 100-meter dash.

He was the school’s fourth national champion and was named 2004 SBC Athlete of the Year.

David Hunter may be reached at sports@murfreesboropost.com