Troy University Athletics
Troy Baseball Positional Preview: Returning Pitchers
2/11/2025 7:08:00 PM | Baseball
TROY, Ala. – The No. 25 Troy Trojans enter the 2025 season with four of its six top inning eaters from a season ago. The mix of veterans and young talent on the mound provides an opportunity for the Trojans to rack up some wins in the Sun Belt Conference.
Senior Garrett Gainous, the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in 2021, returned last year after missing the 2023 season due to injury and looks to hit another gear after starting 14 games and collecting 57 strikeouts over 48.1 innings. With 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings, his ability to miss bats was remarkable.
"Gary's a guy that's been asked to start game ones a lot in his career and we expect him to do that this year," head coach Skylar Meade said.
Once again, Grayson Stewart was one of Troy's top bullets in 2024 after an All-Sun Belt 2023 campaign. The senior from Dothan, Ala., was a jack-of-all-trades for the Trojans, appearing in 18 games with ten starts. Stewart had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 66:21 in 59.1 innings while holding opponents to a .250 batting average.
"Stew has been pitching really well in the preseason. He is a player who is going to take up a lot of different roles for us, which he did somewhat last year," Meade said.
In 2024, Luke Lyon received All-Sun Belt Second Team honors. He caught everyone's attention as one of Troy's reliable arms. He's a do-it-all pitcher who led the team in 73.2 innings pitched and earned an 8-3 record, the third most victories in the Sun Belt.
Against Arkansas State, he had a dominant performance with a seven-inning shutout, achieving a personal best of nine strikeouts. At App State, he pitched a season-high eight innings and gave up just two earned runs with no walks.
"A guy that could do any role," Meade said. "He started for us last year the last 11 weeks of the year. Had some outings that didn't go the way he wanted, but a great competitor and obviously produced really good numbers in the totality of the season."
Senior Jay Dill emerged as a vital part of the team, particularly enjoying success with 19 relief appearances and team-high three saves. The powerful right-hander was at his best in Sun Belt action, pitching for a 3.67 ERA and holding opposing hitters to a .222 batting average in 27 innings.
"Obviously Jay can run it up to 98-plus, which he did last year, Meade said. "The thing I like about Jay is that there's nobody that loves to throw more than Jay. He wants to throw. He's never going to say no. He's refined his fastball and if he can maintain the off-speed the way he's been showcasing the last couple months we think he's going to have a really good year. This guy could play in pro ball for a long, long time."
In the bullpen, Meade has a plethora of options that has him excited. Colton Walls, returning from football, brings a strong arm that reaches up to 94 mph. Grady Gorgen has been a nightmare matchup for lefties, while fellow southpaws Jacob Roettgen and Connor Burt could find their way in the mix. The wildcard is Dylan King, who missed a majority of the last season due to injury but has a fastball that touches 97.
"A lot of these guys are competing," Meade said. " I don't know how it's going to shake, but I like that we have options."
