Troy University Athletics
Troy Baseball Positional Preview: Newcomer Pitchers
2/12/2025 2:45:00 PM | Baseball
TROY, Ala. - The No. 25 Troy Trojans have a lot returning on the mound this season, but a plethora of incoming transfers and some talented freshman has head coach Skylar Meade excited for his 2025 pitching staff.
In total, the Trojans have 11 new faces on the mound this season, including eight transfers and three freshmen. It's a versatile group with some power righties and crafty lefties that are sure to make an immediate impact on campus.
Noah Edders is a transfer from Bradley who looks to be in the mix for a spot in the starting rotation. The 6'4" righty ranked sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference in strikeouts (76) last season and comes to Troy with 21 starts under his belt.
"Edders has just improved so much so fast," Meade said, "He's added new pitches. His average fastball velocity is up three miles per hour since his previous season. A guy that we think should be starting on the weekends for us."
A few more starting candidates are lefty Drew Nelson (Auburn) and righty Adam Falinski (Eastern Michigan). Nelson is a Troy native who could see action as a two-way player, but on the mound, he's proven he can pitch against some of the best in college baseball as he ranked second on Auburn's pitching staff in opponent batting average (.220) in 2023. Falinski, on the other hand, missed last season due to injury, but he's lit up the radar gun since arriving at Troy with a fastball that touches 97.
"We're not sure what Drew Nelson's role is going to be, but he's going to pitch a lot," Meade said. "Adam Falinski has made some alterations with the repertoire, a la his former roommate Zach Fruit. He's thrown the ball up to 97 this fall and I know he's going to enjoy the adrenaline pitching in this league. I think he's got a chance to be really good."
In the bullpen, Kentucky transfer Colby Frieda is a weapon with a career 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings. Lefty Brock Tapper ranked fourth on Mississippi State's pitching staff in ERA in 2023 (4.76) and was a key cog in Northwest Florida State's run to the Junior College World Series last season.
"Colby Frieda has been second on our team in strike throwing since August and he runs it up to 96.," Meade said. "Brock Tapper threw a lot as a freshman at Mississippi State and threw a ton at Northwest Florida last year."
A few freshmen to keep an eye on are Noah Thigpen and Chase Cartron. The young duo certainly look the part as Thigpen stands 6'2", 218 while Cartron is a staggering 6'8", 233, and their performance on the mound since arriving on campus should get them some early work in their first season.
"Every fastball is 93-95. He throws a lot of strikes, and he competes his butt off," Meade said of Thigpen. "Chase Cartron's had maybe the most renaissance of anybody in January. The velocity has gone up. The breaking ball revolution has been good."
George Welch is another interesting piece coming off an injury, but the lefty put up impressive numbers in Division II at Southern New Hampshire with 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
"It's weird. It's crossfire," Meade said. "He hides the baseball. It's multiple pitches wherever he wants it. It's not peak velocity but it's still up to 89."
Meade still is working on figuring out what everyone's role is going to be, but at the end of the day, he just wants to put his best guys on the mound.
"I always look at roles like this," Meade said. Who's just going to get the trust tree? You could throw six innings this week and it could be one start or two seperate times of three innings in relief. In the end, your best guys got to throw the best."
