Troy University Athletics
Troy University
Chattanooga
Trojans Travel To The Sunshine State For The Spring Games
3/7/2024 9:34:00 AM | Softball
TROY, Ala. – The Troy softball team is preparing to travel to Madeira Beach, Florida for their final regular season tournament at R.O.C. Park. The Trojans are looking to bounce back after struggling in the Bulldog Invitational where they dropped three out of five games.
Troy (16-7) will be pitted against five different teams between Friday, March 8 and Sunday, March 10 in the self-proclaimed "world's largest softball event".
The Trojans begin play on Friday at 9:00 a.m. against Chattanooga (13-7). Troy won't play again until the second day of the tournament when they play back-to-back against Columbia (1-4) and Sacred Heart (4-9) with first pitches scheduled for 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. respectively.
Troy closes out the tournament on Sunday with another back-to-back schedule. The Trojans will play Stonehill (1-4) at 11:00 a.m. before facing Long Island University (6-9) at 1:15 p.m.
Libby Baker has been a key piece in the Trojans' early success this season. The fifth-year senior has been dominating from in the circle as well as the batters' box. Baker has been hitting at a .355 clip with 17 RBIs and a team-leading four homers as well as bolstering a 2.61 ERA and a 6-2 record with 51 innings pitched.
Checking in with Chattanooga
The Mocs are entering this tournament with a 13-7 record and hot off a four-game winning streak after sweeping the Central Arkansas Tournament. Chattanooga also swept their own tournament, The Chattanooga Challenge, earlier this year where they beat teams such as Western Kentucky, Ball State and North Alabama.
Taylor Long serves as the Mocs ace. The sophomore from Calhoun, Georgia bolsters an impressive 2.48 ERA over 12 appearances. Long has struck out 57 batters in just 42.1 innings en route to a 7-3 record.
Kendall Forsythe has been a cornerstone in Chattanooga's offense. The senior catcher leads the team with a .408 batting average, 20 hits, 14 RBIs, three homers and four doubles.
Looking deeper at the Lions
The Columbia Lions are entering this tournament with only five games played so far this season. Columbia appeared in the FAU Owl Classic where they dropped all but one of their games which was a 4-2 win over Rhode Island. The 1-4 Lions will be coming to The Spring Tournament off two weeks of rest.
Eleni Katsivalis has been a bright spot early in the season for Columbia. The sophomore outfielder starts the season with a .583 batting average through 12 at-bats. The Lions' pitching staff has struggled to begin the season, however, senior Raquel Reyes has found the most success so far this season. Reyes started three of Columbia's six games and earned their only win so far.
Peeking at the Pioneers
Sacred Heart enters The Spring Tournament with a 4-9 record and are looking to break their four-game losing streak. The Pioneers have a two-headed machine at the top of their pitching rotation with both Sam Kowalski and Emily Heath seeing similar action and posting similar stats.
Kowalski, a sophomore from San Clemente, California, bolsters a 2.57 ERA over her 30 innings of work in which she has punched out 30 opposing batters. Heath, a sophomore from Coventry, Rhode Island, has a 2.75 ERA across her 28 frames.
Scoping out the Skyhawks
Stonehill enters this tournament with barely any games under their belt. The Skyhawks have only played five games so far, dropping all but one in which they beat Texas A&M University-Commerce, 7-5.
Sophomore outfielder Natalie Bottiglieri has excelled for the Skyhawks so far this season. Bottiglieri has kept a .400 batting average through 15 at-bats and has scored four runs while driving in three others.
Stonehill's pitching staff has gone through early-season struggles, allowing 26 earned runs as a unit. Junior Skylar Brandemarte has seen the most action for the Skyhawks to begin the season, throwing 15.2 innings in which she has bolstered a 4.47 ERA and a 1-1 record.
Scouting the Sharks
LIU enters this weekend with a 6-9 record and some impressive wins over Boston College, Florida Gulf Coast and Maryland. However, the Sharks are currently looking to break a two-game losing streak after struggling at the Stetson Invitational.
Alexia Castro is off to an impressive start to the 2024 campaign. The sophomore shortstop is currently batting .340 through 50 plate appearances and has recorded 17 hits including three doubles.
Junior pitcher Lindsey Cowans has seen the most action from the circle so far for the Sharks. Cowans has hurled 48.2 innings so far, bolstering a 3.51 ERA with 29 strikeouts and a 3-5 record over her eight appearances.
