Troy University Athletics
Baseball Set to Open Fall Practice
9/26/2011 9:09:00 AM | Baseball
Trojans will begin workouts Monday afternoon in preparation for the 2012 season
After posting the best home record in program history, winning the Sun Belt Regular Season Championship, and appearing in a NCAA Regional, the Troy baseball team and head coach Bobby Pierce are set to begin fall practice on Monday afternoon.
Practice will begin at 3:00 p.m. and is open to the public. The Trojans will scrimmage Thursday, September 29, Friday, September 30, and Sunday, October 2.
The 2012 roster has 15 newcomers, which includes seven pitchers and eight position players. Troy returns ten position players that combined to start over 347 games last season.
Troy returns 11 pitchers that saw action on the mound last season, including Tyler Ray and Tyson Workman who were all named to the All Sun-Belt 1st Team in 2011.
Ray, who is the reigning Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year, pitched 116.2 innings last season and posted a record of 12-0 with 2.39 ERA. Workman's four saves led the team the category during the 2011 season
2011 All-American and All-Sun Belt First Team selection, Tyler Hannah, returns for his second season after leading the team in hitting with a .370 average and 27 doubles.
Coach Pierce is beginning his tenth season at Troy and has guided the Trojans to three NCAA Regional appearances as well as two conference titles.
Troy will play an exhibition game against the Ontario Blue Jays on October 16 at 1:00 p.m. at Riddle-Pace Field.
The Trojans will host Alumni Weekend on the weekend of November 11-12.
Troy's regular season opener is February 17, 2012 when it plays host to the Central Michigan Chippewas for a four-game set.
Troy for Troops
This year's Championship Mile brought a special meaning to the Troy baseball team.
Before the start of fall team practice each year, each member of the squad has to run a mile in under six minutes, but this year Coach Pierce added a special twist.
Each player was allowed to raise up to $30 to donate to Troy for Troops in honor of Jeff Nichols. For each dollar raised, a second could be taken a player's mile time.
In all, the Trojans raised $815 to Troy for Troops. Coach Pierce will match the team's donation and the program will donate $1630 to the initiative.
Coach Pierce and the team partnered with Troy for Troops, which is a Student Government initiative that supports U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Troy for Troops initiative sends soldiers commemorative “Challenge Coins”.
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