Troy University Athletics
Troy Baseball Positional Preview: Infielders & Catchers
2/9/2025 12:00:00 PM | Baseball
TROY, Ala. - The No. 25 Troy baseball team has a new look in the infield this season after graduating Will Butcher, Tremayne Cobb Jr., and Aidan Gilroy, but a plethora of newcomers and the return of All-Sun Belt catcher Brooks Bryan give the Trojans a lot to be excited about entering the 2025 season.Â
The Trojans had four infielders in Bryan (No. 6 catcher), Blake Cavill (No. 18 first baseman), Jimmy Janicki (No. 38 third baseman) and Peyton Watts (No. 50 shortstop) featured in D1Baseball's preseason position rankings, making this one of head coach Skylar Meade's most talented groups yet.Â
Not much needs to be said about Bryan, who led the Trojans with 18 home runs a season ago while setting a school record with 85 RBIs. The junior catcher has a powerful left-handed bat and was one of five catchers in the country to represent Team USA on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. But what has Meade excited about Bryan, alongside senior Jason Hawkins and the coveted freshman Janicki, is what they can do while in the squat. Â
"Obviously Brooks is special, and people know Brooks is special," Meade said. "All the guys, the receiving and blocking have been off the charts, and they've thrown well for the duration of the fall and the spring."Â
While Janicki may be behind Bryan in the pecking order at catcher, the Trojans will play him at third base in order to get his bat in the lineup. One of few right-handed hitters on the team, Perfect Game's Preseason Sun Belt Freshman of the Year has a powerful right-handed stick that is what Meade calls a future superstar. Â
"We think Jimmy's going to be a superstar, and he's going to catch some this year while also playing third base," Meade said. "It's a funny thing to say how few right-handed hitters we tend to have here, but that's obviously by design because lefties are awesome. Jimmy is certainly a guy we believe will be in the early-to-middle of our lineup, and there's nothing that's gone on thus far that makes us not feel confident that he'll be incredibly productive."Â
Over at first base, Cavill comes in after an ultra productive junior season at Western Kentucky. The Sydney, Australia native is one of the most vocal and charismatic personalities on the team and is a seamless fit for a Troy offense that drew the third most walks in college baseball last year. Â
Last season, Cavill drew 43 walks while striking out just 31 times, but he's got some power in his game as well as he hit for a .970 OPS with eight home runs and 19 doubles. Â
"Well, we don't have to alter his personality," Meade said. "He's got a great personality. He plays the game with fun and freedom, but he's hyper locked in offensively and defensively. He's going to be a guy that's front-middle of the order. He'll be hopefully as productive as a player as he's always been since his time at Northwest Florida Junior College. We thought he was a dynamic player then and his time at Western Kentucky proved that."Â
Watts makes the move from second base to shortstop after a freshman season which saw him start 40 games. While Watts hit .227 in 2024, the Oxford, Ala., native showcased steady improved during his first collegiate season and batted .289 in Sun Belt play.Â
The sophomore is certain to be a lockdown defender at shortstop due to his athleticism, and Meade's hope is that he can continue to churn out competitive at-bats to take his play to the next level. Â
"We've seen a jump defensively, he shortened his arm path a little bit," Meade said. "He's got elite twitch and juice. His shortstop play has been good. He's been very competitive with the bat. The biggest thing is we want him to have great at-bats and not worry about getting hits. When he does that, he's pesky, he's annoying, but he can still get you."Â
The Trojans also added some junior college transfers and a freshman that could get into the mix at second base and designated hitter. Wallace-Dothan Community College teammates Sean Darnell and Cason Eubanks both hit over .370 last year, while Tyler LeJeune is a scrappy hitter who was an All-Conference performer at Northwest Florida State. A freshman to look out for is Peryn Bland, who was the No. 2 ranked shortstop in Alabama by Perfect Game out of Thompson High School. Â
