Troy Baseball Preview: The Infield

TROY, Ala. – With only two days remaining before baseball returns to Troy, the Trojan infield is sure to be a group that you will want to keep an eye on this season. A strong upper-class returning brings experience to the Trojan infield, with Easton Kirk, Jesse Hall, and Caleb Bartolero all looking to build off an impressive 2021 season. "There is a lot of veteran presence in the infield this year for us," head coach Skylar Meade said. "Hall will anchor us at shortstop. Donovan Whibbs and Kirk have been tremendous at second and third base. William Sullivan and Cameron Gray are two big left-handed bats that we hope can be run producers in the middle of the lineup. There is also some position versatility with a guy like Brady Moore, who is very dynamic on the bases. This group needs to turn a lot of double plays and remain sure-handed when it comes to how we will create ground balls this season." Hall, a senior, had a .281 batting average which was fourth-best on the team last season and highest among returning players to Troy. In 42 games played in which Hall started 38 of them, he had a .750 OPS in 135 at-bats scoring 24 runs recording 38 hits, eight doubles, two home runs, and totaling 15 runs batted in and a .385 slugging percentage. His 92 assists on the season were second on the team and are highest among returning Trojans. Hall had 11 multi-hit games for Troy and had three games in which he had two or more RBIs, including four against Alabama State. During the season, Hall reached base safely in seven straight games. Hall finished with a .913 fielding percentage turning seven double plays with 51 assists. Bartolero, selected to the Preseason All-Sun Belt for the second consecutive year, played in 50 games last season, starting in all but one. He finished the season with a .279 batting average, scoring 34 runs and recording 53 hits with 10 doubles, a triple, and a home run. His .421 slugging percentage was fourth on the team to go along with his 35 RBIs which was second on the team. Bartolero had a .995 fielding percentage which ranked 10^th in the Sun Belt Conference, and 383 putouts which were fourth in the league and led Troy. In addition, he totaled 34 assists, caught seven base runners stealing, and turned 12 double plays. Bartolero Tallied nine multi-RBI games with two RBIs six times three RBIs three times. He had the second-longest hitting streak on the team, recording a hit in 11 straight games, and looks for more in his junior season. Kirk is another senior manning the infield who is coming off a 2021 season where he had three home runs, 11 RBIs, and a .328 slugging percentage. In addition, Kirk defensively had 36 putouts, 28 assists, and only error on the year resulting in a .985 fielding percentage. More names to keep an eye on are William Sullivan and Donovan Whibbs, who combined for 23 runs batted in and 24 runs scored for the Trojans last year. Colton Hipp, Justin Kelley, Will Mangurian, and Brady Moore are transferring in. Hipp and Kelley join Troy from Gulf Coast State College, where Hipp had a .283 average and 10 home runs. At the same time, Kelley was a 2021 NJCAA All Panhandle Conference First Team selection with a .301 batting average accumulating 55 hits, eight home runs, 34 RBIs, and 35 runs scored in 48 games played. Mangurian played for Orange Coast College before Troy, and Moore comes from Coastal Carolina. Eric Day is, a freshman from Orlando, Florida, who attended Oviedo High School, will join the ranks of Trojan infielders. Troy opens its season with a four-game series against Holy Cross on Friday, Feb. 16, at 4 p.m. at Riddle Pace Field to kick off the Skylar Meade era.

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