Grayson Stewart Named SBC Preseason Pitcher of the Year; Troy Tabbed Third

TROY, Ala. – Troy junior right-hander Grayson Stewart has been named the Sun Belt Preseason Pitcher of the Year and the Trojans have been picked to finish third in the league in a vote by the Sun Belt head coaches. Additionally, Stewart was joined by Shane Lewis and Noah Manning on the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team. Troy was picked to finish third in the league behind Coastal Carolina and Southern Miss.

Stewart earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors last season after leading the Trojans with a 3.65 ERA over 17 starts. The Dothan, Ala., native struck out 94 batters in 91.1 innings of work and held opponents to a .247 batting average.

Stewart outlasted his opposition in 14-of-16 starts (not counting the Regional opener against Boston College that was delayed by rain), and the Trojans were 12-2 in those games. He started twice against the Eagles during the Tuscaloosa Region and held Boston College to just one run on four hits over six innings as the Trojans faced elimination.

Down the stretch, Stewart allowed three of fewer earned runs in 10 of his final 11 starts and in 15-of-17 starts overall. He put together one of his best starts of the season at South Alabama, where he struck out 10, walked just one and allowed one unearned run over 6.1 innings of work.

The Trojans won 14 of the 17 games in which Stewart started on the bump, including a run of eight straight before the second game against Boston College in the Regional.

Lewis and Manning were both named to the NCBWA Preseason All-America Team yesterday.

Lewis, a junior from Vicksburg, Miss., slugged his way into the history books as he blasted a program-record 27 home runs during his first season with the Trojans. His 27 home runs broke Jorge Soto's single-season record (26) that stood since 1999. Additionally, Lewis finished second on Troy's single-season list with 77 RBIs and eighth with 153 total bases.

Named the Sun Belt Player and Newcomer of the Year in 2023, Lewis was a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy in addition to earning ABCA/Rawling All-America honors and first team all-region distinction. Lewis hit at a .286 clip with a .436 on-base percentage to go along with his record-breaking power to both sides. Lewis ranked fourth nationally with his 27 home runs while checking in 13^th in RBIs.

Manning, a senior, was one of the nation's elite closers in 2023, finishing the season ranked 14^th in the country and first in the Sun Belt with 11 saves, just one off a Troy single-season record. A native of Minooka, Ill., Manning led the Sun Belt and ranked eighth nationally with 34 total appearances, with 33 coming out of the bullpen.

Better known as "The Ringer", Manning dominated down the stretch, holding opponents without an earned run in 10 of his final 11 appearances, pitching to a 1.42 ERA. He opened the season allowing an earned run in just three of his first 13 appearances, pitching to a 2.20 ERA.

Troy, coming off a 40-win season and appearance in the NCAA Tournament, opens its season with a four-game series against SIU-Edwardsville at Riddle-Pace Field on Feb. 16-18.

2024 SUN BELT CONFERENCE BASEBALL PRESEASON AWARDS
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Grayson Stewart, Troy (Jr., SP – Dothan, Ala.)

Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Kyle DeBarge, Louisiana (Jr., SS – Kinder, La.)

Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
Niko Mazza, Southern Miss (Jr., SP – Madison, Miss.)
Billy Oldham, Southern Miss (Sr., SP – Brookfield, Conn.)
Grayson Stewart, Troy (Jr., SP – Dothan, Ala.)
Noah Manning, Troy (Sr., RP – Minooka, Ill.)
Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina (So., C – Haddon Heights, N.J.)
Zack Beach, Coastal Carolina (Gr., 1B – Mechanicsville, Va.)
Chase Mora, Texas State (So., 2B – Tomball, Texas)
Kyle DeBarge, Louisiana (Jr., SS – Kinder, La.)
Jarrett Brown, Georgia Southern (Sr., 3B – Savannah, Ga.)
CJ Boyd, App State (Sr., OF – Lewisville, N.C.)
Fenwick Trimble, James Madison (Jr., OF – Virginia Beach, Va.)
Shane Lewis, Troy (Jr., OF – Vicksburg, Miss.)
Derek Bender, Coastal Carolina (Jr., DH – Murrells Inlet, S.C.)
Sam Blancato, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., UT – Marietta, Ga.)

2024 SUN BELT CONFERENCE BASEBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Coastal Carolina (12) – 193
2. Southern Miss – 173
3. Troy – 164
4. Louisiana (2) – 159
5. Texas State – 138
6. Old Dominion – 115
7. Georgia Southern – 99
8. South Alabama – 98
9. App State – 82
10. James Madison – 79
11. Georgia State – 78
12. Marshall – 34
13. ULM – 33
14. Arkansas State – 25

Troy University Athletics

Grayson Stewart Named SBC Preseason Pitcher of the Year; Troy Tabbed Third

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