Troy University Athletics
Friday, February 17
Troy, Ala.
7:00 p.m.
Troy University
vs
University of Missouri
Trojans Set to Host Quality Inn Classic
2/16/2012 11:19:00 AM | Softball
Tournament Central | Game Notes
TROY, Ala. – The Troy softball team will look to build off of its 5-0 start as they host the Quality Inn Classic at the Trojan Softball Complex this weekend.
The tournament gets underway at 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning as Ball State takes on ETSU. The Trojans first contest will come at 7:00 p.m. on Friday night as Troy hosts No.6 Missouri.
The six-team tournament will feature 15 games over Friday, Saturday and Sunday with admission to all games being FREE. For a complete schedule and results as the tournament progresses, visit the tournament central link above.
The Trojans are coming off of a tournament victory last weekend at the Southeastern Louisiana Lion Classic as they went 5-0 and were the only undefeated team in the 10-team field.
The Trojans were led by a young pitching staff as four different Trojans picked up their first career victory, including Ashley Rainey who went 2-0 thanks to a combined 16.2 shutout innings. The debut effort by the true freshman earned Rainey Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week honors.
For more information on Troy Athletics, be sure to visit TroyTrojans.com. Fans can also find Troy on Twitter at @TroyAthletics or become fans on Facebook.
Gameday Storylines
- Troy looks to continue its hot start as it hosts the Quality Inn Classic at the Troy Softball Complex this weekend. The six-team tournament will feature 15 games over a three-day span.
- The Trojans started the seasons with a perfect 5-0 finish as the captured the tournament title at the 10-team Southeastern Louisiana Lion Classic last weekend.
- True freshman Ashley Rainey was named the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week after going 2-0 on the weekend while throwing 16.2 shutout innings in the first weekend of her college career.
- Four different pitchers picked up their first career victories for the Trojans who a five-player pitching staff made up of four true freshman and a junior college transfer.
- Troy did a good job of taking pressure off the young pitching staff as they scored 16 runs in the first two innings last weekend and led after the second inning in four of five games. Troy scored 39 runs total on the weekend and hit seven home runs while drawing 23 walks.
- The Trojans are out to 5-0 start for the second time in three years and for the fifth time in program history. The best start in school history came in 1998 when Troy got out to a 10-0 start.
Scouting the Opposition
- No.5/6 Missouri who is opening its season at the Quality Inn Classic. The Tigers were picked to win the Big 12 and are coming off of three straight College World Series appearances.
- The Quality Inn Classic also marks the first action of the season for Ball State who is just two years removed from an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Cardinals are picked to finish second in the MAC West Division this year.
- Eastern Kentucky will also open its season at the Quality Inn Classic as the Colonels enter the 2012 campaign picked to finished eighth in the OVC.
- ETSU is coming off of an 0-4 weekend at the Georgia State First Pitch Classic where they lost to Georgia State, Longwood and twice to Western Carolina.
- Nicholls State went 1-4 at the Southeastern Louisiana Lion Classic last weekend, including a 3-0 loss to Troy. The Colonels defeated Akron but fell to Troy, Northern Illinois, UT-Martin and Jackson State. Their home opener that was schedule for Wednesday vs. Southern Miss was cancelled due to rain.
The Series
- Troy and Missouri have never met on the softball diamond. The Tigers mark the first ranked foe for Troy this season. Troy was 0-7 against Top 25 teams last season.
- Troy defeated Ball State in their only previous meeting, a 2-0 win in 2004 at the Georgia Tech Buzz Classic.
- The series between Troy and Eastern Kentucky is tied, 2-2, with the Trojans holding a 2-0 advantage at home. The most recent match-up came in 2000 at the Ole Miss Rebel Games with EKU winning. The three previous meetings came in 1994.
- Troy and ETSU have never met.
- Troy leads the all-time series over Nicholls State, 5-2-1, including a 1-1-1 mark at home. Troy has won five straight dating back to 2002, including a 3-0 win last weekend at the Lion Classic.
Chanda Rigby Postgame Press Conference - No. 24 Alabama
Sunday, December 21
Troy vs. No. 24 Alabama
Sunday, December 21
Troy vs. Marshall (Full Highlights)
Sunday, December 21
Players Postgame Press Conference (Marshall)
Saturday, December 20