No. 18 Troy Takes Series from Louisiana Behind Dynamic Offense

Saturday, March 15

Lafayette, La.

5 p.m.

Troy University

15-4, 2-0

Louisiana

8-12, 0-2

Troy

Louisiana

No. 18 Troy Takes Series from Louisiana Behind Dynamic Offense

3/15/2025 10:17:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

By: Troy Athletics Communications

LAFAYETTE, La. - An electric offensive showing from the Troy offense led the No. 18 Trojans to an 8-5 win to clinch the series victory over Louisiana.

Troy (15-4, 2-0 SBC) recorded ten hits on the night and climbed back from down 4-1 to take down Louisiana (8-12, 0-2 SBC). The Trojans got on the board first with an RBI sacrifice bunt from Peyton Watts in the second inning but fell behind as the Ragin Cajuns scored four runs in 3.2 innings off Trojan starter Noah Edders.

Gavin Schrader golfed a two-run homer to right-center in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to one. It was Schrader's first homer in a Troy uniform after hitting 13 in two seasons at Niagara. A three-run fifth inning from the Trojans knocked Louisiana starter JR Tollett out of the ballgame, as Brooks Bryan evened the score on a single with his Sun Belt-leading 32nd RBI while freshman Houston Markham followed with a two-run single to put the Trojans ahead 6-4.

Jakob Wax, a Prairieville, La., native playing back in his home state, gave the Trojans some insurance in the seventh with the first home run of his career. The senior shortstop crushed a two-run shot over the left field wall to put Troy ahead 8-4.

The Troy bullpen was dominant, holding Louisiana to a single run on a seventh inning solo home run, while issuing zero walks in 5.1 innings. Grayson Stewart gave up one run on two hits, putting the Cajuns down 1-2-3 in the fifth and sixth innings. Noah Thigpen tossed two scoreless frames with just two hits and stranded runners on second and third in the eighth while Jay Dill picked up his third save of the year and second of the series after holding Louisiana to one hit in the ninth.

Game 3 between Troy and Louisiana is scheduled for 1 p.m. at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field. Junior left-hander Drew Nelson will get the start for the Trojans, while Louisiana has not yet named a starter.

Quick Hitters

Troy has taken the series from Louisiana in each of Skylar Meade's four seasons as head coach.
Troy has won each of its first five weekend series to start the year. It's the first time the Trojans have won their first five weekend series since 2011. The Trojans went 49-13 that season and won their first eight weekend series.
Troy is 2-0 to begin Sun Belt play. It's the first time they've begun conference play 2-0 since 2022. The Trojans got off to a 3-0 start with a three-game sweep over Louisiana that season.
Troy has hit 25 home runs this season. All 25 have come against a right-handed pitcher.
Troy was out-hit by Louisiana 11-10, however, the Trojans are now 4-1 when being outhit by their opponent this season.
Steven Meier went 1-for-4 with a HBP, extending his on-base streak to 26 games dating back to last season.
Meier was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning, his ninth of the season. He entered the day ranked second in the Sun Belt with eight HBPs, one shy of App State's John Kramer with nine.
Meier stole second base in the sixth inning, his 12th stolen base of the season. He entered the day as the Sun Belt leader with 11 stolen bases.
Sean Darnell went 1-for-5, extending his hitting streak to five games and on-base streak to 11 games.
Blake Cavill went 1-for-4 with a walk, extending his on-base streak to 26 games dating back to last season.
Brooks Bryan went 1-for-4 with an RBI, bringing his RBI total on the season to 32. He entered the day as the Sun Belt leader with 31 RBIs.
Freshman Houston Markham went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. It was his second multi-hit game and third multi-RBI game of the season.
Gavin Schrader made his third start of the season, going 2-for-4 with a home runs and two RBIs. He's recorded at least one hit in each of his three starts.
Schrader's two-run homer in the fourth inning cut the Louisiana lead to 4-3. It was Schrader's first home run as a Trojan and the 14th of his career. He hit 13 during his two seasons at Niagara, including nine as a sophomore in 2024.
Jakob Wax hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning, the first home run of his career. The two RBIs on the hit were also the first two RBIs of his career.
Grayson Stewart earned the win after pitching 2.1 innings in relief. It was his second win this season and 21st of his career, putting him eighth all-time in Troy history for wins.
Stewart recorded one strikeout, which was the 222nd of his career. He's currently two strikeouts shy of Erik Wikstrom for the sixth-most strikeouts in Troy history.
Freshman Noah Thigpen pitched 2.0 scoreless innings in relief. He's been scoreless in three of his five relief appearances this season.
Jay Dill recorded his third save of the season and second of the series in a scoreless ninth inning, matching his save total from last season.
Dill has held the opponent to zero earned runs in six of his nine relief appearances this season.

Quotables

Head Coach Skylar Meade on guys taking advantage of their opportunities…

"Guys who got opportunities took advantage of it. Of course, Schrader and Markham. Wax has been in and out a little bit, but he made a pivotal play in the seventh on a ground ball to the left side. The runner went, and he whipped it over there to Peyton [Watts] for a tag, and we end up getting out of that inning. Of course, he hit the game-separating home run to take it from 6-4 to 8-4."

Jakob Wax on his first career home run…

"Numb. It was like a dream come true. It felt good that I got the first one out of the way."