Troy University Athletics
Saturday, February 22
Tampa, Fla.
10:15 a.m.
Troy University
vs
Michigan
Troy Softball Takes First Road Trip of Season
2/21/2025 1:05:00 PM | Softball
Troy, Ala. – Following a midweek loss to Georgia Tech, Troy softball is traveling to Tampa, Fla., for the South Florida Showdown. The Trojans (7-4) will square off against Michigan, Wisconsin, Kent State and USF in four games this weekend.
Troy will get a chance to secure its first Power Four win under head coach Eric Newell with matchups against the Wolverines (5-4) and the Badgers (6-4) on Saturday, Feb. 22. On Sunday, Feb. 23, the Trojans will take on the Golden Flashes (3-6) and the Bulls (10-2) to end the tournament.
"The first road trip of the season is always exciting and the schedule we've been given is very challenging," said head coach Eric Newell. "That said, our girls are hungry and eager for the challenge and we look forward to competing at a high level."
Game Information
What: South Florida Showdown
Date: Feb. 22 | Feb. 22 | Feb. 23 | Feb. 23
Time: 10:15 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 10:30 a.m. | 1:05 p.m.
Who: Troy (7-4) at Michigan (5-4) | Wisconsin (6-4) | Kent State (3-6) | USF (10-2)
Location: USF Softball Stadium – Tampa, Fla.
Watch: ESPN+ (Game 4)
Georgia Tech Recap
On Wednesday, Troy got run-ruled 8-0 by Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets held the Trojans to just two hits in the midweek contest and used a four-run first inning to win the game.
Taylor McKinney and Caiden Oliva were the only Trojans to get hits in a game where the offense was stifled. Alyssa Faircloth had another solid outing, striking out three batters in two innings of relief. She leads the team with 28 strikeouts this season.
Opponent Breakdown
The Trojans face tough competition in Tampa – USF holds a seven-game win streak after losing to nationally ranked Florida and has wins over Sun Belt Conference mate Georgia Southern and Power Four Penn State under its belt.
Jamia Nelson leads the Bulls with a 1.392 OPS and two home runs, while the pitching staff has locked down opponents to the tune of a 1.63 ERA and .221 batting average allowed. South Florida is currently in a tie for first place in the American Athletic Conference.
After starting the season ranked No. 22, Michigan got off to a slow 2-4 start. However, the Wolverines have won three straight games to get back on track. True freshman Lauren Putz has starred for Michigan, hitting three home runs and posting a 1.324 OPS to start the year.
Wisconsin has gone 6-4 to start the year, and the Badgers pitching staff has a 2.84 ERA with 47 strikeouts. The Badgers have dropped games to Ole Miss, Omaha and Florida Gulf Coast.
Kent State sits at 3-6 with wins over East Tennessee State, UMass and Towson.
Notables
Troy will get a chance to secure its first Power Four win under head coach Eric Newell with matchups against the Wolverines (5-4) and the Badgers (6-4) on Saturday, Feb. 22. On Sunday, Feb. 23, the Trojans will take on the Golden Flashes (3-6) and the Bulls (10-2) to end the tournament.
"The first road trip of the season is always exciting and the schedule we've been given is very challenging," said head coach Eric Newell. "That said, our girls are hungry and eager for the challenge and we look forward to competing at a high level."
Game Information
What: South Florida Showdown
Date: Feb. 22 | Feb. 22 | Feb. 23 | Feb. 23
Time: 10:15 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 10:30 a.m. | 1:05 p.m.
Who: Troy (7-4) at Michigan (5-4) | Wisconsin (6-4) | Kent State (3-6) | USF (10-2)
Location: USF Softball Stadium – Tampa, Fla.
Watch: ESPN+ (Game 4)
Georgia Tech Recap
On Wednesday, Troy got run-ruled 8-0 by Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets held the Trojans to just two hits in the midweek contest and used a four-run first inning to win the game.
Taylor McKinney and Caiden Oliva were the only Trojans to get hits in a game where the offense was stifled. Alyssa Faircloth had another solid outing, striking out three batters in two innings of relief. She leads the team with 28 strikeouts this season.
Opponent Breakdown
The Trojans face tough competition in Tampa – USF holds a seven-game win streak after losing to nationally ranked Florida and has wins over Sun Belt Conference mate Georgia Southern and Power Four Penn State under its belt.
Jamia Nelson leads the Bulls with a 1.392 OPS and two home runs, while the pitching staff has locked down opponents to the tune of a 1.63 ERA and .221 batting average allowed. South Florida is currently in a tie for first place in the American Athletic Conference.
After starting the season ranked No. 22, Michigan got off to a slow 2-4 start. However, the Wolverines have won three straight games to get back on track. True freshman Lauren Putz has starred for Michigan, hitting three home runs and posting a 1.324 OPS to start the year.
Wisconsin has gone 6-4 to start the year, and the Badgers pitching staff has a 2.84 ERA with 47 strikeouts. The Badgers have dropped games to Ole Miss, Omaha and Florida Gulf Coast.
Kent State sits at 3-6 with wins over East Tennessee State, UMass and Towson.
Notables
- This weekend will mark Troy's first ever meetings with Kent State and Wisconsin
- The Trojans are 1-2 all-time against Michigan and South Florida
- Troy is 15-4 when playing in the state of Florida under head coach Eric Newell
- Taylor McKinney hit her fourth double of the season against Georgia Tech, tying Annie Orman for the team lead
- Alyssa Faircloth improved her K/7 ratio to 8.65 against the Yellow Jackets
- Caiden Oliva raised her batting average to .375 with her single against Georgia Tech
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
C / UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballPlayers Postgame Press Conference - Arkansas State
Sunday, November 02
Gerad Parker Postgame Press Conference - Arkansas State
Sunday, November 02
Troy vs. Arkansas State (Full Highlights)
Sunday, November 02
Troy vs. ULM (Full Highlights)
Saturday, November 01