Troy University Athletics
Troy University
USC Upstate
No. 19 Troy Set for First Road Series at USC Upstate
3/6/2025 3:19:00 PM | Baseball
TROY, Ala. - No. 19 Troy is set for its first road series of the 2025 season, as they'll travel to Spartanburg, S.C. to take on USC Upstate for a three-game set Friday-Sunday.
The Trojans are off to an 11-2 start to the season, and are 9-0 in their three weekend series this season. The Trojans have been dominant on the mound on the weekend, with Garrett Gainous setting the tone on Fridays with a 2.57 ERA through three starts. Saturday starter Noah Edders has held hitters to a .173 batting average this season, while Sunday starter Drew Nelson owns a 2.30 ERA on the year.
Offensively, Steven Meier has been one of the most productive players in the country. The leadoff hitter leads the nation in runs scored (25) and ranks second among all players in college baseball in wins above replacement (1.53). Brooks Bryan leads the Sun Belt in RBIs (22) while Blake Cavill is 19th in the nation in on-base percentage (.597).
The Trojans began a nine-game road swing with a 3-1 loss to Alabama on Wednesday. The Trojan pitchers held the dynamic Crimson Tide offense to their fewest runs this season, but recorded just seven hits offensively.
Gameday Info
The Matchup: No. 19 Troy (11-2, 0-0 Sun Belt) at USC Upstate (6-5, 0-0 Big South)
When: Friday - 2 p.m. CT | Saturday - 1 p.m. CT | Sunday - 12 p.m. CT
Location: Spartanburg, S.C. - Harley Park
TV: ESPN+ (Games 2 and 3 only)
Radio: Troy Sports Network
Live Stats: UpstateSpartans.com/SidearmStats
Probable Starters
Friday
Troy: Garrett Gainous (14.0 IP, 2.57 ERA), RHP, Sr.
USC Upstate: Cooper Ellingworth (13.1 IP, 4.73 ERA), RHP, Sr.
Saturday
Troy: Noah Edders (15.0 IP, 4.20 ERA), RHP, Jr.
USC Upstate: Max Kaplan (14.1 IP, 3.77 ERA), LHP, Fr.
Sunday
Troy: Drew Nelson (15.2 IP, 2.30 ERA), LHP, Jr.
USC Upstate: Chris Torres (16.1 IP, 3.86 ERA), LHP, So.
Quick Hitters
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Troy entered the season ranked No. 25 in the D1Baseball Top 25 and has moved up to No. 19 after three weeks. It was the first time in Troy's Division I history that they entered the season ranked in the Top 25.
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Troy's No. 19 ranking is one spot shy of its highest ever national ranking (18th - 2011).
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Leadoff hitter Steven Meier leads the Sun Belt in runs scored (25)and stolen bases (9) . His 25 runs lead the country and he ranks fifth in the nation in doubles (8).
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Meier has been one of the most valuable players in college baseball. His 1.53 wins above replacement rank second in the country.
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First baseman Blake Cavill ranks 10th nationally in walks (16) and 19th in on-base percentage (.597).
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With two home runs at Mississippi State last week, Shane Lewis is now tied for fifth in Troy history in home runs with Clint Robinson (37).
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Brooks Bryan leads the Sun Belt and ranks 12th nationally in RBIs (22). Bryan's run production comes as no surprise, as he's batting .417 with runners in scoring position.
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Friday starter Garrett Gainous went 6.0 innings with eight strikeouts in last Friday's 11-1 win over Penn. It was both the deepest he's gone and the most strikeouts he's recorded in a game since 2022. Gainous missed the 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery.
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Gainous and reliever Grayson Stewart are climbing the Troy all-time leaderboards in wins and strikeouts. Gainous ranks tenth in wins (18) and is tied for fifth in strikeouts (224) while Stewart is tied for eighth in wins (20) and seventh in strikeouts (220).
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Saturday starter Noah Edders is holding opponents to a .173 batting average this season. He's been excellent at forcing weak contact, as his .182 batting average on balls in play ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference.
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Troy's pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts and zero walks in last Sunday's 6-1 win over Penn. It was Troy's first game with double-digit strikeouts and zero walks since it struck out 11 in a 7-1 win over Louisiana on 3/18/22.
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Drew Nelson went 6.0 innings without surrendering a walk in the 6-1 win over Penn. It's the deepest he's gone into a game without issuing a walk in his career.
Scouting USC Upstate
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The Spartans enter the weekend with a 6-5 record under first-year head coach Kane Sweeney.
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USC Upstate ranks fourth in the nation in batting average (.351) and is 24th in runs per game (9.4).
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Shortstop Vance Sheahan ranks 11th in the nation in hits (23) and 16th in doubles (7).
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On the mound, the Spartans are pitching to a 5.69 ERA this season with 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings.
Series History
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This weekend's series will be the second-ever meeting between Troy and USC Upstate.
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The Trojans swept a three-game series at home during the 2023 season.
