Troy University Athletics
Trojans Set To Host Screentech Wiregrass Baseball Classic
2/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
About The 2005 ScreenTech Wiregrass Baseball Classic
Growing in popularity every year, the ScreenTech Wiregrass Baseball Classic enters its fifth season at Westgate Park in Dothan with a pair of Big Ten heavyweights in Ohio State and Iowa joining the Trojans and future Sun Belt Conference foe Middle Tennessee.
All three teams will be making their first trips to Dothan for the tournament. Iowa and Ohio State will be opening their 2005 seasons in the tournament. Middle Tennessee opened last weekend, splitting two games with Ball State.
Troy has faced all three schools in baseball before. Troy defeated Iowa 22-8 in 1998 in a game played at Patterson Field in Montgomery. The Trojans and Ohio State have played three times, with the Buckeyes holding a 2-1 series lead. The last time the teams met was in 1999, with Ohio State taking an 11-8 decision at Patterson Field.
Previous meetings with the Buckeyes were played in 1993, in Panama City (a 10-0 OSU victory) and in 1996 at Patterson Field (a 9-6 Troy win). The Trojans and Blue Raiders have played more frequently, with Troy holding a 10-8 lead in the series, which started in 1992. The Trojans took both meetings last year, in Murfreesboro, winning 18-3 and 2-1.
Admission to the Tournament is $20 for a full weekend pass or $10 per day. No single game tickets for the tournament will be sold.
The All-Time Series
The Trojans are 5-5 all-time in the Wiregrass Classic. The school with the best record in the tournament is Vanderbilt. The Commodores posted a 3-0 record in the inaugural Wiregrass Classic in 2001.
Washington State went 2-0 in 2002 while Kansas State is 3-1 in two trips to Dothan. The first two years of the tournament were both hampered by rain. In 2001 St. John's only got to play one game, and Kansas State suffered the same fate in 2002.
Troy won two of three games last year, as did Nicholls State and Northwest-ern. Samford went winless in three games in 2004.
The Coaches
Troy - Bobby Pierce (Alabama, ?˜82) is in his third season at Troy and has a 67-52 record after guiding the Trojans to a 36-22 record a year ago. In Pierce's second season, Troy finished fifth in the A-Sun regular season race and then advanced to the championship round of the conference tournament. In his career as a head coach, Pierce has won 602 games in his 17 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including 259 at Chipola (Fla.) Junior College. His record at four-year schools stands at 343-160 and he is in his 10th season.
Iowa - Jack Dahm (Creighton, 1989) will open his second season with the Hawkeyes against Troy. His first Iowa team was 20-35 last year and he is 303-311 in 11 overall seasons.
Ohio State - Bob Todd (Missouri, 1971) is the dean of baseball coaches in the Big 10. He will be opening his 18th season with the Buckeyes and currently holds a 686-355-2 record at the school. His overall career mark stands at 810-426-2.
Middle Tennessee - Steve Peterson (Jacksonville State, 1973) is no stranger to the state of Alabama. The Huntsville native is in his 18th season in Murfreesboro and has a record of 543-427-2 at Middle Tennessee. He is in his 24th season overall and has a career record of 696-523-2.
On the Air
There will be no radio from any of the four participants in the Wiregrass Baseball Classic. Troy baseball will be back on the Troy Network, with Barry McKnight providing play-by-play, on Sunday, March 6 against Saint Louis. The broadcast can also be picked up at www.TroyTrojans.com.
