Troy University Athletics
Trojans To Close Regular Season at USA
5/14/2009 3:00:00 PM | Baseball
MOBILE, Ala. ? The Troy University baseball team enters the final series of the 2009 season with two primary objectives in mind ? to maintain momentum heading into the Sun Belt Tournament next week at Riddle-Pace Field and to continue building a post-season resume that now has the Trojans on “the bubble” for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Trojans will look to do both, starting tonight, when they take on South Alabama at Eddie Stanky Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. The teams will meet again on Friday night at 6 p.m. before Saturday's series finale, which is scheduled for 2 p.m.
The host Jaguars also have an objective in mind for the weekend series, win enough to get into the league tournament next week.
Troy's spot in the conference tournament is secure. While the Trojans (31-19, 17-8) have been mathematically eliminated from any chance to win the regular season title because of the two games that were cancelled at UALR in April, Troy's final tournament seeding is still up in the air. The Trojans could finish as high as second in the league race, or as low as fourth.
South Alabama (23-26, 11-15) is in a six-way battle for the final four spots in the league tournament. Entering play this weekend, only two games separate the fifth place team in the league standings (New Orleans) from the 10th place team (Arkansas State). Only ULM, which has completed Sun Belt play, is not in control of its own destiny in terms of making the tournament.
USA has lost four straight games overall entering the weekend. The Jags are led offensively by senior catcher David Doss (.394, 10 home runs, 54 RBI) and junior outfielder Adam Heisler (.396, 3, 42).
On the mound, USA is expected to send senior RHP Miles Ethridge (4-3, 6.99) to the hill on Thursday with junior RHP Matt Jackson (4-3, 4.41) and senior LHP Brandon Sage (3-5, 3.94) to follow. USA has a 6.47 team ERA on the year.
The Trojans will attempt to do something no Troy team has done since 2002, win a season-ending road series. If Troy is able to sweep the series from the Jags, it would mark a first in Trojan baseball history ? no Troy team has ever swept a road series to end a season.
Troy will counter on the mound with the trio of freshman right-hander Tyler Ray (7-3, 4.07) tonight, senior left-hander Travis Burge (5-1, 5.04) on Friday and junior right-hander Jason Walls (4-4, 4.33) on Saturday.
Ray enters tonight's game with a share of the Sun Belt lead in wins by a pitcher overall and the outright league lead in conference wins (5-2). All three Troy hurlers had strong outings last weekend as the Trojans swept a series from ULM.
Offensively, during Troy's sweep of ULM, the Trojans set the tone early in games, scoring eight
first inning runs. For the year Troy has scored 41 runs in the first inning and are 13-3 in games when they score in the first. Troy's biggest offensive inning this year has been the second (49
runs).
Senior Trevor Tyre earned Sun Belt Player of the Week honors for his efforts against ULM, but he is not the only Trojan swinging a hot bat. Seniors Miles Hoyle (9-for-14) and Michael
Precise (6-for-14) are also hot right now. Precise has driven in nine runs in the last four games.
All three games of the series will be broadcast on WTBF-FM 94.7 with Barry McKnight and Ricky Hazel handling the broadcast. The games will also be available via live video web streaming and live statistics on www.TroyTrojans.com.
The Trojans will look to do both, starting tonight, when they take on South Alabama at Eddie Stanky Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. The teams will meet again on Friday night at 6 p.m. before Saturday's series finale, which is scheduled for 2 p.m.
The host Jaguars also have an objective in mind for the weekend series, win enough to get into the league tournament next week.
Troy's spot in the conference tournament is secure. While the Trojans (31-19, 17-8) have been mathematically eliminated from any chance to win the regular season title because of the two games that were cancelled at UALR in April, Troy's final tournament seeding is still up in the air. The Trojans could finish as high as second in the league race, or as low as fourth.
South Alabama (23-26, 11-15) is in a six-way battle for the final four spots in the league tournament. Entering play this weekend, only two games separate the fifth place team in the league standings (New Orleans) from the 10th place team (Arkansas State). Only ULM, which has completed Sun Belt play, is not in control of its own destiny in terms of making the tournament.
USA has lost four straight games overall entering the weekend. The Jags are led offensively by senior catcher David Doss (.394, 10 home runs, 54 RBI) and junior outfielder Adam Heisler (.396, 3, 42).
On the mound, USA is expected to send senior RHP Miles Ethridge (4-3, 6.99) to the hill on Thursday with junior RHP Matt Jackson (4-3, 4.41) and senior LHP Brandon Sage (3-5, 3.94) to follow. USA has a 6.47 team ERA on the year.
The Trojans will attempt to do something no Troy team has done since 2002, win a season-ending road series. If Troy is able to sweep the series from the Jags, it would mark a first in Trojan baseball history ? no Troy team has ever swept a road series to end a season.
Troy will counter on the mound with the trio of freshman right-hander Tyler Ray (7-3, 4.07) tonight, senior left-hander Travis Burge (5-1, 5.04) on Friday and junior right-hander Jason Walls (4-4, 4.33) on Saturday.
Ray enters tonight's game with a share of the Sun Belt lead in wins by a pitcher overall and the outright league lead in conference wins (5-2). All three Troy hurlers had strong outings last weekend as the Trojans swept a series from ULM.
Offensively, during Troy's sweep of ULM, the Trojans set the tone early in games, scoring eight
first inning runs. For the year Troy has scored 41 runs in the first inning and are 13-3 in games when they score in the first. Troy's biggest offensive inning this year has been the second (49
runs).
Senior Trevor Tyre earned Sun Belt Player of the Week honors for his efforts against ULM, but he is not the only Trojan swinging a hot bat. Seniors Miles Hoyle (9-for-14) and Michael
Precise (6-for-14) are also hot right now. Precise has driven in nine runs in the last four games.
All three games of the series will be broadcast on WTBF-FM 94.7 with Barry McKnight and Ricky Hazel handling the broadcast. The games will also be available via live video web streaming and live statistics on www.TroyTrojans.com.
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
Skylar Meade, Jabe Boroff & Hayden Smith Postgame - South Alabama Game 3
Sunday, May 10