Troy Baseball Hosts UT Martin to Begin 2018 Season

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TROY, Ala. – The Troy baseball team will open its 2018 campaign this weekend with a four-game set against the UT Martin Skyhawks at Riddle-Pace Field. First pitch for Opening Night is set for 6 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. for the doubleheader Saturday and 1 p.m. for the series finale on Sunday.

The Trojans are in their third season under head coach Mark Smartt and are coming off a third-place finish in the Sun Belt's East Division. The 2017 squad defeated every opponent from the state of Alabama at least once and became the first team in school history to sweep the season series with both Alabama and Auburn.

Sun Belt Preseason Pitcher of the Year Andrew Crane will lead Troy on the mound and will toe the rubber for the start on Opening Night. Crane set a school and league record with 40 consecutive scoreless innings in 2017; not allowing a run from March 31 to May 26. He finished the season with a league-leading 1.47 ERA – the second lowest of all returning players nationally.

JUCO transfer CJ Carter, senior Daren Osby and home-grown product Rush Hixon will round out the pitching rotation for the remainder of the weekend.

Troy will look to several experienced players loaded with offensive talent; headed by all-conference selection Brandon Lockridge. Lockridge led the league in hits per game with 1.48 last season, as well as ranking second in hits (83) and fifth in batting average (.344).

Seniors Joey Denison and Matt Sanders will lead the Trojans on and off the playing field. A Troy-native, Denison will make his long-awaited return to game action after missing the final 39 games of 2017 with a wrist injury. Sanders, a four-year starter at shortstop, was the toughest batter to strikeout in the conference last season – once every 11.9 at-bats.

UT Martin enters the 2018 season one year removed from its most wins in its Division I era and are led by interim head coach Ryan Jenkins. The Skyhawks are paced by seniors Tyler Albright and Creighton Eldridge at the plate, and will call on righty Dalton Westfall to take the mound in Friday's opener.

BROADCAST INFO
TV: None
Online: Facebook.com/TroyAthletics
Radio: WTBF 94.7 FM (Friday & Sunday) / WTBF 970 AM (Saturday)
            Online: TroyTrojans.com
Live Stats: TroyStats.com

SERIES HISTORY
UT Martin (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
Overall Series: Troy leads 18-8
            at Troy: 11-3
Streak: Troy W4
Last: Apr. 21, 1979
            Troy won 13-3 (at Martin)

PITCHING MATCHUPS - (Troy v. UT Martin; 2017 Stats)
Game One:
RHP Andrew Crane (6-2, 1.47) v. RHP Dalton Westfall (5-6, 5.24)

Game Two:
RHP CJ Carter v. LHP Sam Folks (2-0, 7.12)

Game Three:
RHP Daren Osby (5-5, 5.02) v. RHP Winston Cannon (5-4, 6.71)

Game Four:
RHP Rush Hixon v. RHP Peyton Cain (1-6, 5.45)

Troy Baseball Hosts UT Martin to Begin 2018 Season

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Players Mentioned

CJ Carter

Andrew Crane

Joey Denison

Rush Hixon

Brandon Lockridge

Daren Osby

Matt Sanders

Troy University Athletics