Troy, South Alabama Square Off For Sun Belt Regular Season Title

TROY, Alabama – The Troy University baseball team travels to Mobile on Thursday to face rival South Alabama with the regular season Sun Belt Conference title at stake. The Jaguars are the conference leaders while Troy is in second, but just two games back with three to play.

All three games are set for a 6:30 p.m. start. Live stats, video and audio will be available on TroyTrojans.com with Saturday's finale being broadcast on ESPN3. WTBF 94.7 FM will carry the radio broadcasts of all three contests.

The Trojans (29-23, 17-10 Sun Belt) swept Georgia State last weekend, putting themselves within striking distance of the title. Troy's task will not be easy, however, as the team needs to take all three games from the league leaders in order to climb to the top of the conference standings. The last two regular season Sun Belt titles won by Troy have been decided at Stanky Field. In 2011, Troy took two of three from the Jaguars to clinch the championship; they repeated the feat in 2013.

South Alabama (34-18, 19-8) will send Kevin Hill (9-0, 1.81) to the mound on Thursday. Hill has won nine consecutive games, pitched three consecutive complete games and shutout defending Sun Belt champions UL Lafayette last week. Hill was named SBC Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday and also earned Louisville Slugger Player of the Week honors.

Troy will counter with its ace, Grant Bennett (9-3, 2.44). The junior right-hander tossed a complete game on Friday against Georgia State, his fifth of the season. Bennett is fifth in the conference with 73 strikeouts while opponents are batting just .222 against him, the fourth best mark in the league.

Lucas Brown (6-2, 2.34) has been equally as good for the Trojans and will take the mound on Friday. Brown ranks third in the Sun Belt in ERA and has surrendered just 15 extra base hits in 84 2/3 innings of work. Austin Crook (4-0, 5.01) will take the mound in Saturday's series finale for the Trojans.

Over the last five games, David Hall has blistered the baseball. The senior designated hitter is batting .500 (6-for-12) with seven RBIs. He is slugging .667 and has an on-base percentage of .563 over that stretch. Freshman Reid Long continues to swing a hot bat as well; batting .350 with five extra base hits and six RBIs in his last five games.

The Trojans claimed the season series from South Alabama a year ago as the teams split a rain-shortened series in Mobile before Troy took two-of-three games at Riddle-Pace Field. The Jaguars lead the all-time series 41-34 including a 25-13 mark at Stanky Field.

For more information on Troy baseball, visit TroyTrojans.com or follow the team on Twitter at @TroyTrojansBSB.

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Players Mentioned

Grant Bennett

Lucas Brown

Austin Crook

David Hall

Reid Long