Trojans Set To Face Auburn Tonight

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Fresh off a sweep of UALR to complete a 10-1 home stand, the Troy University baseball team will take to the road tonight for just the third time this year.

The trip for the Trojans (19-4) will be a short one, however, as they travel to Auburn to take on the rival Tigers (14-10). The first pitch at Plainsmen Park is scheduled for 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast by the Troy Sports Network with Barry McKnight and Jerry Miller calling the action.

The game will also be available online through the Auburn All-Access channel.

The Trojans come into the contest as a nationally-ranked team (No. 21 in Baseball America) for the first time in program history. Auburn (No. 30 in NCBWA) fell from three of the four major polls this week after losing all four games last week.

The Tigers fell at Jacksonville State before getting swept in Southeastern Conference play at Mississippi State.

Troy has won 10 of its last 11 games and four in a row going into the first extended stretch of road games this year. After playing 21 of their first 23 games at home, the Trojans will travel to Jonesboro, Ark., this weekend for a Sun Belt Conference series against the ASU Red Wolves.

Having played just twice on the road this year, the Trojans go into the game tonight at Auburn looking for their first road win of the year. The two previous road games included a 6-1 loss at Samford and a 6-5 loss in 11 innings in a rain-soaked game at Alabama.

Troy will send sophomore left-hander Shane McCain (0-0, 4.82) to the mound to start tonight's game. It will be McCain's first start this year after six relief appearances. His last start came on April 14 last year at UAB. That was his fifth, and final, start before elbow surgery ended his season.

McCain opened this year in dominant fashion, worked 6.2 no-hit innings in his first two appearances with 10 strikeouts. He has continued to post good strikeout numbers in his last four outings, totaling 27 so far in 18.2 innings of work, while allowing just four walks.

McCain has been prone to allowing extra base hits, having surrendered two double, two triples and two homers in his last 13 innings. His start tonight will likely be of the short variety, with several other Trojans hurlers expected to see action against the Tigers.

Auburn will counter with junior right-hander Jon Luke Jacobs (1-1, 1.93) on the mound. Jacobs took the loss in his only previous start, allowing three runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings of work in a 5-2 loss to Bethune Cookman. He earned a win in relief against Jacksonville State on Feb. 22, shutting out the Gamecocks on two hits over 4.2 innings with six strikeouts.

A pair of Troy hitters will enter play tonight with long hitting streaks on the line. Senior Adam Bryant has hit in 11 straight games and in all 21 home games this year. He is 0-for-9 so far this year on the road.

Junior Tyler Hannah has hit safely in 10 straight games, posting a .526 average during that stretch.

Auburn is led offensively by junior shortstop Casey McElroy, who is hitting .376 on the year with four homers and 22 RBI.

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