Troy Set for Midweek Trip to Alabama State

Tuesday, March 17

Montgomery, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

Alabama State

Troy Set for Midweek Trip to Alabama State

3/16/2026 5:52:00 PM | Baseball

Live Stats Hornet Sports Network Listen Live

By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. - Troy baseball returns to action Tuesday with a quick trip up Highway 231 to Montgomery for a midweek matchup against Alabama State.

The Trojans are coming off a 2-1 series victory over Old Dominion to open Sun Belt Conference play, turning in their most productive offensive series of the season. Troy hit .327 over the weekend with six home runs while drawing 21 walks and nine HBPs to just 20 strikeouts.

Sophomore Jimmy Janicki led the way with three home runs in the series, including two on Friday, totaling seven RBIs. Shortstop Nolan Book added six RBIs in the series, capped off by a huge performance in Saturday's win while going 3-for-5 with a double, his first homer as a Trojan and five RBIs.

Freshman Matt Dill will make his first start of the season for the Trojans after turning in a strong start to his Trojan career out of the bullpen, posting a 3.52 ERA across five relief appearances. The right-hander was the hero in Troy's win at No. 8 Georgia on Feb. 25, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings in extra innings, and most recently sealed Saturday's victory over Old Dominion with a season-best three strikeouts across two scoreless frames.

Alabama State enters the matchup with a 9–9 record and is coming off a 2–1 series loss to Grambling in its opening SWAC weekend. The Hornets are hitting .265 as a team and lead the SWAC with 17 home runs, including six from sophomore Trey Calloway and five from redshirt freshman Jackson Williams. On the mound, Jaxon Bishop is set to make his fourth start of the season, carrying a 6.19 ERA with 13 strikeouts and 14 walks across 16 innings pitched.

Game Information
The Matchup: Troy (8-11, 2-1 Sun Belt) at Alabama State (9-9, 1-2 SWAC)
Gametime: Tuesday, March 17 - 6 p.m
Location: Montgomery, Ala. - Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex
TV: Hornet Sports Network
Radio: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyTrojans.com/LiveStats

On the Mound
Troy: Fr. RHP Matt Dill (1-0, 7.2 IP, 3.52)
ASU: Fr. RHP Jaxon Bishop (1-3, 16.0 IP, 6.19 ERA)

Productive Pyne
Redshirt senior Josh Pyne is among the most experienced hitters in college baseball. Iin fact, the Indiana transfer ranks No. 1 among active Division-I hitters in both hits (243) and doubles (64).
The Troy third baseman has played his best ball as a Trojan as of late, entering midweek action on a team-high six-game hitting streak. During that stretch, Pyne has hit .360 with four doubles, a homer, and six RBIs.

Jimmy Four Bags
Sophomore catcher Jimmy Janicki was among the hottest hitters in college baseball last week, hitting .471 with a 1.785 OPS across Troy's last four games. Janicki homered four times last week, including one last Tuesday at Alabama and three during Troy's series victory over Old Dominion.

Janicki has tapped into his power this season, as he's up to seven home runs early this season, the second-most in the Sun Belt, after hitting two as a freshman last spring.

Series History
Troy owns a 34-5 all-time record against Alabama State. The Trojans have won 17 consecutive games against the Hornets dating back to 2016, and are 7-0 under head coach Skylar Meade.