Troy University Athletics
Cajuns Visit For Crucial League Series
4/24/2009 8:00:00 PM | Baseball
In almost four full seasons as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, there is only one league program the Troy Trojans have never defeated in a weekend baseball series.
The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns visit Riddle-Pace Field this weekend looking to keep that streak alive. The first pitch for tonight's opening game of the series is set for 6 p.m.
The Trojans and Cajuns come into the weekend headed in opposite directions in the league race. Troy has won nine straight Sun Belt Conference games to move to within two games of league co-leaders Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky.
ULL comes into the weekend having lost five straight games overall and six straight in league play. The Cajuns swept a three-game series from Middle Tennessee in early April, snapping what was at that point an 11-game MTSU league win streak.
For Troy, the series is important if the Trojans are to keep pace with the Blue Raiders and be in position to make a move to the top of the league standings when MTSU visits Riddle-Pace Field next weekend. MTSU plays at suddenly rejuvenated South Alabama this weekend while Western Kentucky hosts Florida Atlantic.
For ULL, the series is important for the Cajuns to stay safely in the top eight in the league race to guarantee themselves a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, which will be played in Troy May 20-23. ULL is just percentage points in front of Arkansas State for seventh in the current league standings. FAU is just a half game back in ninth place while UNO is a full game behind in 10th.
The key for the Trojans during their nine-game league win streak has been pitching. Freshman right-hander Tyler Ray (5-2, 4.42) moved into the role of Friday night starter two weeks ago, and has led Troy to consecutive victories over Arkansas State, FAU and UALR.
He will go for a fourth straight win tonight when he squares off with ULL junior right-hander Zach Osborne (2-2, 4.15).
To back up the pitching, Troy has gotten good defense and timely hitting in league play. Troy has a .972 fielding percentage in league games, 11 points higher than its fielding percentage in non-conference games.
Offensively, Troy has done its best work in league games with runners on base. The Trojans are hitting .312 as a team in league games with runners on, as compared to a .295 overall average in league games. Setting the table to start an inning has been the key, with Trojans reaching base 41.9 percent of the time they lead off an inning against Sun Belt foes.
Behind Ray, Troy will look to junior right-hander Jason Walls (3-2, 3.38) on Saturday night and senior left-hander Travis Burge (3-1, 5.04) on Sunday. Although he hasn't enjoyed the success in his won-loss record, Walls has been particularly tough against Sun Belt foes, posting a 2.92 ERA in five league starts.
The Cajuns are unsettled on their pitching rotation after Osborne. ULL has seen eight different hurlers make league starts this year and only Osborne has had a measure of success. The most frequent weekend starters have been freshman left-hander Alex Fuselier (2-1, 5.79) and junior left-hander Greg Wilborn (3-2, 7.41) with five conference starts each.
Saturday's game will start at 6 p.m. and Sunday's series finale will start at 1 p.m.
All three games of the weekend series will be available on radio on WTBF-FM 94.7 with Barry McKnight and Jerry Miller providing all of the action. The games will also be available on TroyTrojans.com with live statistics and web streaming.
The weekend series is being sponsored by the Troy University Air Force ROTC program.
The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns visit Riddle-Pace Field this weekend looking to keep that streak alive. The first pitch for tonight's opening game of the series is set for 6 p.m.
The Trojans and Cajuns come into the weekend headed in opposite directions in the league race. Troy has won nine straight Sun Belt Conference games to move to within two games of league co-leaders Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky.
ULL comes into the weekend having lost five straight games overall and six straight in league play. The Cajuns swept a three-game series from Middle Tennessee in early April, snapping what was at that point an 11-game MTSU league win streak.
For Troy, the series is important if the Trojans are to keep pace with the Blue Raiders and be in position to make a move to the top of the league standings when MTSU visits Riddle-Pace Field next weekend. MTSU plays at suddenly rejuvenated South Alabama this weekend while Western Kentucky hosts Florida Atlantic.
For ULL, the series is important for the Cajuns to stay safely in the top eight in the league race to guarantee themselves a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, which will be played in Troy May 20-23. ULL is just percentage points in front of Arkansas State for seventh in the current league standings. FAU is just a half game back in ninth place while UNO is a full game behind in 10th.
The key for the Trojans during their nine-game league win streak has been pitching. Freshman right-hander Tyler Ray (5-2, 4.42) moved into the role of Friday night starter two weeks ago, and has led Troy to consecutive victories over Arkansas State, FAU and UALR.
He will go for a fourth straight win tonight when he squares off with ULL junior right-hander Zach Osborne (2-2, 4.15).
To back up the pitching, Troy has gotten good defense and timely hitting in league play. Troy has a .972 fielding percentage in league games, 11 points higher than its fielding percentage in non-conference games.
Offensively, Troy has done its best work in league games with runners on base. The Trojans are hitting .312 as a team in league games with runners on, as compared to a .295 overall average in league games. Setting the table to start an inning has been the key, with Trojans reaching base 41.9 percent of the time they lead off an inning against Sun Belt foes.
Behind Ray, Troy will look to junior right-hander Jason Walls (3-2, 3.38) on Saturday night and senior left-hander Travis Burge (3-1, 5.04) on Sunday. Although he hasn't enjoyed the success in his won-loss record, Walls has been particularly tough against Sun Belt foes, posting a 2.92 ERA in five league starts.
The Cajuns are unsettled on their pitching rotation after Osborne. ULL has seen eight different hurlers make league starts this year and only Osborne has had a measure of success. The most frequent weekend starters have been freshman left-hander Alex Fuselier (2-1, 5.79) and junior left-hander Greg Wilborn (3-2, 7.41) with five conference starts each.
Saturday's game will start at 6 p.m. and Sunday's series finale will start at 1 p.m.
All three games of the weekend series will be available on radio on WTBF-FM 94.7 with Barry McKnight and Jerry Miller providing all of the action. The games will also be available on TroyTrojans.com with live statistics and web streaming.
The weekend series is being sponsored by the Troy University Air Force ROTC program.
Skylar Meade SBC Tournament Postgame - Southern Miss
Saturday, May 23
Skylar Meade, Blake Cavill & Zach Crotchfelt SBC Tournament Postgame - South Alabama
Thursday, May 21
Skylar Meade Postgame - ULM Game 2
Friday, May 15
Skylar Meade & Steven Meier Postgame - UAB
Tuesday, May 12