Deland, Fla. • Melching Field (2,500)
The 2005 Atlantic Sun Conference Champion Troy Trojans will join with five other A-Sun teams this week in a four-day showdown to earn the right to represent the league in the NCAA Tournament.
The Trojans are, by far, the most highly decorated team in the A-Sun this year after having earned the 2005 A-Sun Player of the Year (Adam Godwin), the 2005 A-Sun Pitcher of the Year (Brent Adcock) and the 2005 Coach of the Year (Bobby Pierce) awards.
In addition, the Trojans placed four players on the first team All-Conference squad, two more on the second team and two on the All-Freshman team.
Joining Godwin and Adcock on the first team were senior catcher Henry Gutierrez and junior designated hitter Nick Smith. The Trojans were represented on the second team by senior right-hander Landon Brazell and junior right-hander Tony Falls.
Freshmen pitchers Steven Morelock and Pete Van Horn were honored on the All-Freshman squad.
The Trojans will enter the tournament trying to get back to the title game, where they were run over by FAU 21-2 last year. Troy enters the event having lost three of its last four games, and will open the tournament against one of the two teams in the A-Sun to have won a series from Troy this year.
Gardner-Webb enters the tournament as the sixth seed and will likely send unbeaten senior right-hander Josh Martin (7-0, 3.51) to the mound Wednesday morning against Adcock (11-2, 3.24).
The winner on Wednesday will go on to play the loser of the UCF-Stetson game. The loser of the Troy-GWU game will play the loser of the FAU-Georgia State game in an elimination game at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Troy is expected to follow Adcock with Brazell (8-5, 4.00) in the Trojans' second tournament game. Freshman left-hander Steven Morelock (6-3, 4.68) would get the call to start the third game of the tournament for the Trojans.
