Troy University Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2025
Jason Fawcett’s impact on the Troy baseball program goes far beyond what he did while topping the mound for the Trojans.
Fawcett, a right-hander who pitched for Troy State from 1994-97, was a freshman during the Trojans’ first season at the Division I level and was a key cog in the program’s success in the early stages. Longtime radio broadcaster Jerry Miller recalls some of the speculation that Fawcett helped put to bed as Troy State transitioned up from Division II, proving that the Trojans could compete on that level.
“He was certainly one that proved the level of baseball we had, and particularly the pitching, was good enough. That we could play at that level,” Miller said. “There was some speculation that our players wouldn’t be good enough to hold up at that level, but I think Jason helped prove that we can. It starts on the hill, and he was a competitor. He would give you a chance every time he went out there.”
During his four seasons at Troy State, Fawcett made his mark on the record books, setting records that still stand today. The right-hander holds Troy’s record for strikeouts in a single season (141 – 1997), strikeouts in a career (425) and wins in a career (34) while making the second-most starts (55) with the second-most innings pitched (394.2).
Fawcett’s strikeout record is one that might never be broken, as his 425 strikeouts are 152 more than Shane McCain, who ranks second in Troy history with 273 punch outs.
What made Fawcett so dominant was his mindset on the mound. Miller recalls the aggression that Fawcett had when attacking opposing hitters, pairing that competitiveness with a strong fastball and a wipeout slider.
“He was aggressive. He was just attacking the hitters. Even when he was young, he was very confident,” Miller said. “He had really good stuff. He would just come after the hitter, and that’s why that strikeout total was so high. He was just so aggressive. He had a really good fastball, but it was the slider that was really nasty.”
Fawcett helped the Trojans reach the NCAA Tournament in 1995 and 1997, toeing the rubber in a 16-7 win over Wright State in the 1995 play-in. Fawcett started against Alabama in the 1997 Tuscaloosa Regional, and while the Trojans couldn’t hang on to a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning, it was a big stepping stone toward what the program is today.
“In ‘97, he was Pitcher of the Year,” Miller said. “We had to go through a play-in then, and he was on the hill when we faced Alabama in Tuscaloosa. We were up into the seventh inning, and Jason was the guy that was keeping us in that one.”
Fawcett was named to the All-Mid-Continent Conference First Team three times in his career, taking home Pitcher of the Year honors as a senior in 1997. That season, Fawcett struck out a Troy-record 143 hitters while going 11-3 in 15 starts. Fawcett pitched to a 3.61 ERA and held opponents to just 96 hits in 123.1 innings pitched while going the distance for five complete games.
