MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — At 2:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Bryant Beranek toed the rubber on the mound at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
It wasn't a new location for the freshman right-hander, per se, given the countless practices and scrimmages the Spring Hill, Tenn., native pitched in during the long offseason for Middle Tennessee Baseball. But on Tuesday, in front of 917 fans with the sun shining high and a pleasant breeze whipping across the ballpark, Beranek, making his first career appearance as a college athlete, certainly could've been forgiven for having a little bit of nerves on the mound.