Troy University Athletics
Tuesday, May 2
Troy, Ala.
6 p.m.
Troy University
vs
Jacksonville State
Troy Set for Rematch with Jacksonville State
5/1/2023 4:05:00 PM | Baseball
TROY, Ala. – The season's last home midweek of the season and the first game in May for the Trojans sees a rematch with Jacksonville State at Riddle-Pace Field. The action is set for Tuesday, May 2, at 6 p.m. with broadcasts on ESPN+ and across the Troy Sports Radio Network.
The Trojans and Gamecocks saw each other two weeks ago, with Troy coming out on top 11-1 in eight innings for their fourth run-rule victory of the season. Troy scored eight runs in the sixth inning to take control of the last game, with seven different players recording a hit and RBI with eight different Trojans scoring a run.
Troy remains in control of the all-time series with Jacksonville State, going into Tuesday 89-61 all-time with 46 wins coming in Troy and not losing on home turf since 2019. The Trojans will be looking for their fifth straight win over the Gamecocks.
What: Troy (30-15) vs. Jacksonville St. (21-21)
Date: May 2
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Riddle-Pace Field- Troy, Ala.
Radio: Troy Sports Radio Network 94.7 FM
Audio: TroyTrojans.com/listen
Talent: Barry McKnight & Jerry Miller
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
RHP Ben Thompson (4-1) 5.20 ERA vs. RHP Reid Fagerstrom (0-3) 6.04 ERA
Troy will look to avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time since the beginning of April as they try and get back in the win column after falling in the series finale to South Alabama.
The Trojans are on pace for a historic year. Multiple records are on the cusp of being broken, with current Trojans cementing themselves among the top 10 in various categories in Troy's baseball history.
Senior Caleb Bartolero ranks seventh all-time in career doubles with 47 as he looks to become only the sixth Trojan to amass 50 or more doubles during his time at Troy. William Sullivan, who has hit 15 home runs this season, has been hit by a pitch 20 times thus far. He currently is in second place for most hit-by-pitches with 40; three more would give him the record.
Shane Lewis, one of the top hitters in the country, is having a historic season all on his own. His 21 home runs are second in the nation and are the fifth most hit by a Trojan in a single season. It is the first time since 2010 a Trojan has hit more than 20 home runs in a season. The record is 26 by Jorge Soto in 1999.
Lewis, a two-time Sun belt player of the week, also has 66 RBIs on the year, which puts him in another top 10 for most in a season. Joey Denison holds the record at 81 runners batted in set in 2018.
With 80 home runs as a team, the 2023 Troy Trojans have already set a record for most home runs in a season during the BBCOR bats era. In addition, it is the most home runs a Troy team has hit since 2010, when they connected for 100. The 80 home runs rank eighth most in history during a single season.
It's not just the bats producing at a high level either; Trojan pitching has been strong all season with 470 total strikeouts going into Tuesday; they already have the ninth most in program history. After leading the Sun Belt last season and setting a program record of 9.7 strikeouts per game, Troy is well on their way to surpassing the record of 541 strikeouts as they are averaging 10.9 per nine this season which is 12th in the nation.
With a win over South Alabama over the weekend, head coach Skylar Meade won his 62nd game at the helm of the Trojans. A win on Tuesday would push him past Melvin Lucas in only his second season in charge.
Know Your Foe: Jacksonville State
Just like they were the first time these two teams met, the Gamecocks enter Tuesday with a .500 record at 21 wins and 21 losses. With a record of 14-7 in the conference Jacksonville State sits two games out of first place. However, they have won three games in a row after a sweep of North Alabama.
The Trojans and Gamecocks saw each other two weeks ago, with Troy coming out on top 11-1 in eight innings for their fourth run-rule victory of the season. Troy scored eight runs in the sixth inning to take control of the last game, with seven different players recording a hit and RBI with eight different Trojans scoring a run.
Troy remains in control of the all-time series with Jacksonville State, going into Tuesday 89-61 all-time with 46 wins coming in Troy and not losing on home turf since 2019. The Trojans will be looking for their fifth straight win over the Gamecocks.
What: Troy (30-15) vs. Jacksonville St. (21-21)
Date: May 2
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Riddle-Pace Field- Troy, Ala.
Radio: Troy Sports Radio Network 94.7 FM
Audio: TroyTrojans.com/listen
Talent: Barry McKnight & Jerry Miller
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
RHP Ben Thompson (4-1) 5.20 ERA vs. RHP Reid Fagerstrom (0-3) 6.04 ERA
Troy will look to avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time since the beginning of April as they try and get back in the win column after falling in the series finale to South Alabama.
The Trojans are on pace for a historic year. Multiple records are on the cusp of being broken, with current Trojans cementing themselves among the top 10 in various categories in Troy's baseball history.
Senior Caleb Bartolero ranks seventh all-time in career doubles with 47 as he looks to become only the sixth Trojan to amass 50 or more doubles during his time at Troy. William Sullivan, who has hit 15 home runs this season, has been hit by a pitch 20 times thus far. He currently is in second place for most hit-by-pitches with 40; three more would give him the record.
Shane Lewis, one of the top hitters in the country, is having a historic season all on his own. His 21 home runs are second in the nation and are the fifth most hit by a Trojan in a single season. It is the first time since 2010 a Trojan has hit more than 20 home runs in a season. The record is 26 by Jorge Soto in 1999.
Lewis, a two-time Sun belt player of the week, also has 66 RBIs on the year, which puts him in another top 10 for most in a season. Joey Denison holds the record at 81 runners batted in set in 2018.
With 80 home runs as a team, the 2023 Troy Trojans have already set a record for most home runs in a season during the BBCOR bats era. In addition, it is the most home runs a Troy team has hit since 2010, when they connected for 100. The 80 home runs rank eighth most in history during a single season.
It's not just the bats producing at a high level either; Trojan pitching has been strong all season with 470 total strikeouts going into Tuesday; they already have the ninth most in program history. After leading the Sun Belt last season and setting a program record of 9.7 strikeouts per game, Troy is well on their way to surpassing the record of 541 strikeouts as they are averaging 10.9 per nine this season which is 12th in the nation.
With a win over South Alabama over the weekend, head coach Skylar Meade won his 62nd game at the helm of the Trojans. A win on Tuesday would push him past Melvin Lucas in only his second season in charge.
Know Your Foe: Jacksonville State
Just like they were the first time these two teams met, the Gamecocks enter Tuesday with a .500 record at 21 wins and 21 losses. With a record of 14-7 in the conference Jacksonville State sits two games out of first place. However, they have won three games in a row after a sweep of North Alabama.
Players Mentioned
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