Troy University Athletics
Troy Baseball Hosts Maryland For Final Non-Conference Series
3/5/2026 3:00:00 PM | Baseball
TROY, Ala. - Troy Baseball returns to Riddle-Pace Field this weekend following a five-game road swing, as the Trojans host Big Ten opponent Maryland in their final non-conference series of the season.
The Trojans finished 2-3 on their road swing, highlighted by a 6-5, 12-inning victory over No. 8 Georgia on Feb. 25. Troy then went 1-2 at the Keith LeClair Classic in Greenville, N.C., falling to Western Carolina and host East Carolina before defeating Big Ten foe Rutgers. The trip concluded on Wednesday with a 4-1 loss at Vanderbilt.
Catcher Jimmy Janicki leads the Trojans offensively with a .368 batting average to go along with three home runs and 13 RBIs, and the Troy backstop will again work with the same pitching rotation the team has used through the first three weekends of the season.
Tommy Egan has set the tone on Fridays with a 3.00 ERA, going 5.0 innings in each of his starts while striking out 20 hitters. Noah Thigpen turned in his best outing of the year last Saturday at East Carolina, tossing a career-long 5.1 innings, while left-hander Benjamin Stubbs delivered a standout performance against Rutgers with 7.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing just two hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
Maryland enters the weekend with an 8-4 record and is riding a five-game winning streak, highlighted by back-to-back midweek victories over Delaware and a three-game sweep of Wagner in between. Prior to the win streak, the Terrapins traveled to Louisiana for a Sun Belt matchup, where they were swept in a three-game series.
Maryland brings one of the Big Ten's most productive offenses into the weekend, averaging 8.9 runs per game - fourth in the conference - while its 18 home runs rank third. Brayden Martin leads the way with a .412 batting average, ninth-best in the Big Ten, while Ryan Costello's seven home runs rank seventh nationally. On the mound, the Terrapins hold a 5.29 ERA, which ranks 11th in the conference, and a 1.54 strikeout-to-walk ratio, 14th in the Big Ten.
Series Information
The Matchup: Troy (5-7, 0-0 Sun Belt) vs. Maryland (8-4, 0-0 Big Ten)
Game Times: Friday - 6 p.m. | Saturday - 3:33 p.m. | Sunday - 12 p.m.
Location: Troy, Ala. - Riddle-Pace Field
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyTrojans.com/LiveStats
On the Mound
Game 1
Maryland: So. RHP Lance Williams (1-0, 12.2 IP, 5.93 ERA)
Troy: Sr. RHP Tommy Egan (1-0, 15.0 IP, 3.00 ERA)
Game 2
Maryland: R-So. LHP Evan Smith (0-0, 2.0 IP, 9.00 ERA)
Troy: So. RHP Noah Thigpen (0-3, 10.0 IP, 9.90 ERA)
Game 3
Maryland: So. RHP Jake Yeager (0-0, 13.0 IP, 4.15 ERA)
Troy: Sr. LHP Benjamin Stubbs (0-0, 15.0 IP, 4.05 ERA)
Game Promotions
Troy seniors Aaron Piasecki and Drew Nelson were each named to award watch lists by the College Baseball Foundation this week. Piasecki was selected to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, presented annually to the nation's top shortstop, while Nelson earned a spot on the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Watch List.
Piasecki has been a key contributor out of the leadoff spot, batting .333 on the season while drawing 10 walks and four hit-by-pitches compared to just five strikeouts. Nelson, who has yet to make his season debut on the mound after making eight starts in 2025, has started every game in the corner outfield, hitting .304 and leading the Trojans with five doubles.
Pitchers Heating Up
While Troy's pitching staff owns a 6.34 ERA on the season, the Trojans turned in their best stretch on the mound during their recent five-game road swing. During that trip, Troy pitched to the tune of a 3.72 ERA, holding its opponents to a .246 batting average.
Stubbs Shoved
Troy left-hander Benjamin Stubbs made his best start of the season last Sunday against another Big Ten opponent in Rutgers. Stubbs cruised through the first seven innings, allowing only two base runners on a pair of singles in the third inning and putting them down 1-2-3 six times.
The Flagler (Division 2) transfer struck out four, and the only 3-ball count he got into during the first seven innings was to the first batter of the ballgame. Stubbs exited after a leadoff walk in the eighth. His only charged run came after a sac bunt, a groundout, and a wild pitch against the Troy bullpen.
Series History
This weekend's series marks the first-ever meeting between Troy and Maryland. Under head coach Skylar Meade, the Trojans hold a 6-1 record against Big Ten opponents. Troy swept Indiana at home in 2022 and went 2–1 in the return trip to Bloomington in 2024. The Trojans also picked up a win over Rutgers last Sunday at the Keith LeClair Classic hosted by East Carolina.
The Trojans finished 2-3 on their road swing, highlighted by a 6-5, 12-inning victory over No. 8 Georgia on Feb. 25. Troy then went 1-2 at the Keith LeClair Classic in Greenville, N.C., falling to Western Carolina and host East Carolina before defeating Big Ten foe Rutgers. The trip concluded on Wednesday with a 4-1 loss at Vanderbilt.
Catcher Jimmy Janicki leads the Trojans offensively with a .368 batting average to go along with three home runs and 13 RBIs, and the Troy backstop will again work with the same pitching rotation the team has used through the first three weekends of the season.
Tommy Egan has set the tone on Fridays with a 3.00 ERA, going 5.0 innings in each of his starts while striking out 20 hitters. Noah Thigpen turned in his best outing of the year last Saturday at East Carolina, tossing a career-long 5.1 innings, while left-hander Benjamin Stubbs delivered a standout performance against Rutgers with 7.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing just two hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
Maryland enters the weekend with an 8-4 record and is riding a five-game winning streak, highlighted by back-to-back midweek victories over Delaware and a three-game sweep of Wagner in between. Prior to the win streak, the Terrapins traveled to Louisiana for a Sun Belt matchup, where they were swept in a three-game series.
Maryland brings one of the Big Ten's most productive offenses into the weekend, averaging 8.9 runs per game - fourth in the conference - while its 18 home runs rank third. Brayden Martin leads the way with a .412 batting average, ninth-best in the Big Ten, while Ryan Costello's seven home runs rank seventh nationally. On the mound, the Terrapins hold a 5.29 ERA, which ranks 11th in the conference, and a 1.54 strikeout-to-walk ratio, 14th in the Big Ten.
Series Information
The Matchup: Troy (5-7, 0-0 Sun Belt) vs. Maryland (8-4, 0-0 Big Ten)
Game Times: Friday - 6 p.m. | Saturday - 3:33 p.m. | Sunday - 12 p.m.
Location: Troy, Ala. - Riddle-Pace Field
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyTrojans.com/LiveStats
On the Mound
Game 1
Maryland: So. RHP Lance Williams (1-0, 12.2 IP, 5.93 ERA)
Troy: Sr. RHP Tommy Egan (1-0, 15.0 IP, 3.00 ERA)
Game 2
Maryland: R-So. LHP Evan Smith (0-0, 2.0 IP, 9.00 ERA)
Troy: So. RHP Noah Thigpen (0-3, 10.0 IP, 9.90 ERA)
Game 3
Maryland: So. RHP Jake Yeager (0-0, 13.0 IP, 4.15 ERA)
Troy: Sr. LHP Benjamin Stubbs (0-0, 15.0 IP, 4.05 ERA)
Game Promotions
- Every Friday game this season features $2 draft beer and $3 hot dogs for fans at Riddle-Pace Field.
- Saturday's game will be Montgomery Biscuits Day at Riddle-Pace Field, featuring an appearance by Big Mo. Fans can take advantage of a buy-one, get-one-free offer on Field Level and General Admission tickets by using the code "BOGO" at TroyTrojans.com/Tickets.
- Sunday's matchup at Riddle-Pace Field will feature Kids Day and Military Sunday. Admission is free for children 12 and under and all military members. The first 100 kids in attendance will receive a T-Roy coloring book.
- This weekend's concession special at Riddle-Pace Field is cinnamon sugar pretzels with icing, available during all three games.
Troy seniors Aaron Piasecki and Drew Nelson were each named to award watch lists by the College Baseball Foundation this week. Piasecki was selected to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, presented annually to the nation's top shortstop, while Nelson earned a spot on the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Watch List.
Piasecki has been a key contributor out of the leadoff spot, batting .333 on the season while drawing 10 walks and four hit-by-pitches compared to just five strikeouts. Nelson, who has yet to make his season debut on the mound after making eight starts in 2025, has started every game in the corner outfield, hitting .304 and leading the Trojans with five doubles.
Pitchers Heating Up
While Troy's pitching staff owns a 6.34 ERA on the season, the Trojans turned in their best stretch on the mound during their recent five-game road swing. During that trip, Troy pitched to the tune of a 3.72 ERA, holding its opponents to a .246 batting average.
Stubbs Shoved
Troy left-hander Benjamin Stubbs made his best start of the season last Sunday against another Big Ten opponent in Rutgers. Stubbs cruised through the first seven innings, allowing only two base runners on a pair of singles in the third inning and putting them down 1-2-3 six times.
The Flagler (Division 2) transfer struck out four, and the only 3-ball count he got into during the first seven innings was to the first batter of the ballgame. Stubbs exited after a leadoff walk in the eighth. His only charged run came after a sac bunt, a groundout, and a wild pitch against the Troy bullpen.
Series History
This weekend's series marks the first-ever meeting between Troy and Maryland. Under head coach Skylar Meade, the Trojans hold a 6-1 record against Big Ten opponents. Troy swept Indiana at home in 2022 and went 2–1 in the return trip to Bloomington in 2024. The Trojans also picked up a win over Rutgers last Sunday at the Keith LeClair Classic hosted by East Carolina.
Players Mentioned
RHP
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LHP/UTL
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INF
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LHP
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RHP
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