Troy University Athletics
Photo by: Aliza Chambers
Noah Thigpen Shines in Relief as Troy Secures Historic CWS Win
6/15/2026 8:05:00 PM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. – A baseball career that began when four-year old Noah Thigpen's parents noticed a roadside announcement for t-ball tryouts culminated Sunday with one of the most dominant pitching performances in school history.
Thigpen threw a season-high 5.0 innings while holding the high-powered Rebel offense to two runs on six hits in Troy's 12-8 win over Ole Miss. He struck out five, walked only one, and allowed Ole Miss to score only single runs in the seventh and eighth innings before giving way to Zach Crotchfelt after starting the ninth inning. Crotchfelt retired the final three batters to move the Trojans into Tuesday's CWS rematch against West Virginia.
Troy faces the Mountaineers on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. CT at Charles Schwab Field. The game will be televised on ESPN.
"I wanted to finish the game with everything I had," said Thigpen following Troy's practice on Monday. "Coach Meade said, 'great job and we are going with Crotch (Zach Crotchfelt) here.' I didn't make an argument to stay in because I had done my job for as long as I could. I was tired when the ninth started, and at that point Coach Meade knew Crotch would come in and slam the door."
It took Crotchfelt only 14 pitches to close out the victory and give Troy its first win at the College World Series in school history.
For the sophomore from Lake Park, Ga., the ovation Thigpen received from the college baseball fans inside the Field of Dreams when his day was complete was everything he had dreamed it would be.
"It was definitely unreal," Thigpen said during Sunday's postgame press conference. "It was one of the favorite moments of my life so far. I can't lie. It was pretty cool. I was trying to give the fans a show and help my teammates because I knew the bats were going to come along and give us some run support."
During Thigpen's near career-long 5.0 innings pitched, the Troy bats came alive. He entered the game with the Trojans trailing 6-2 with Ole Miss batting in the bottom of the fourth. He left to a cascade of cheers with the Trojans ahead, 12-8, after pitching to one batter in the bottom of the ninth.
Thigpen's first pitch out of the bullpen in the fourth was a 96 mile per hour fastball. He earned a strikeout against the first batter he faced. With three strikes on his first four pitches, any nerves he may have had in his first CWS appearance, were quickly replaced by full-on adrenaline.
"I was more ready to go than I was nervous," said Thigpen. "My first pitch was a fastball at 96. To come out of the bullpen and to strike out a hitter such as that guy (Ole Miss third baseman Judd Utermark) was a huge confidence builder and really got me going."
Along the way, Thigpen earned a perfect inning in the bottom of the fifth on only six pitches, faced only five Ole Miss hitters in the bottom of the sixth, and faced only four batters and threw only 16 pitches in the bottom of the eighth.
"The short fifth inning was great," said Thigpen. "You love short innings as a pitcher and that definitely helped me go for as long as I did."
"Noah Thigpen has been at his finest the last six weeks," said Troy head coach Skylar Meade, who pitched in the 2007 CWS as a senior at Louisville.
Thigpen made 19 appearances and totaled five starting assignments as a freshman. He was Troy's Friday night starter during the final four weeks of the regular season.
The sports management major started each of Troy's first four Saturday games in 2026 before moving to the bullpen against Old Dominion during the second weekend in March. He's made 24 appearances with five starts as a sophomore.
"I am more comfortable starting because you know what day you throw and can follow your same routine," said Thigpen. "I would have to say I prefer coming out of the bullpen because of the adrenaline that gets built running into the game.
"Hopefully I can become a good starter, but I can also see myself being a bullpen guy to help win some games."
Thigpen's 5.0 innings pitched on Sunday marked just the fourth time he has thrown five or more innings during his career at Troy. He pitched 5.0 innings as a starter against South Alabama and Texas State as a freshman and threw a career-high 5.1 innings as a starter against East Carolina earlier this season.
Thigpen has helped Troy advance to the fifth day of the 2026 CWS as one of the Trojans' most effective pitchers out of the bullpen since the beginning of May.
He has earned saves in both the Trojan's wins over Florida to advance to their first ever Super Regional appearance and their win over Arkansas Little Rock to advance to Omaha for the first time in school history.
Thigpen earned a save in Troy's win over No. 17 Alabama (May 5) as he retired all five batters he faced with a pair of strikeouts during a regular season win over the Tide, who were eliminated from the 2026 CWS by Texas on Monday. In regional play, he closed out the final four innings of the Gainesville Regional championship game as he struck out four Gators while allowing one run to earn the save. Thigpen then earned his second save of the 2026 NCAA Tournament with 1.2 shutout innings pitched against Little Rock in the Troy Super Regional championship game.
In his 10 appearances since gaining the save against Alabama in early May, Thigpen has an ERA of 2.75 in 19.2 innings pitched. During those 10 outings, he has struck out 22 while walking only four including just one walk against Ole Miss.
With his performances on the mound since the calendar turned from April to May, Thigpen is exactly where he wants to be during the second week of June.
"I chose Troy because the coaches built great relationships with me before I stepped on campus," said Thigpen. "Coach Meade is awesome, always supportive, and confident in himself and others. His confidence ultimately makes you more confident in yourself when you have someone like that leading you."
For Noah Thigpen, that journey, from a roadside sign in Jacksonville, Fla. to the biggest stage in college baseball, has come full circle, turning a childhood start into a defining role on the road to the College World Series.
Thigpen threw a season-high 5.0 innings while holding the high-powered Rebel offense to two runs on six hits in Troy's 12-8 win over Ole Miss. He struck out five, walked only one, and allowed Ole Miss to score only single runs in the seventh and eighth innings before giving way to Zach Crotchfelt after starting the ninth inning. Crotchfelt retired the final three batters to move the Trojans into Tuesday's CWS rematch against West Virginia.
Troy faces the Mountaineers on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. CT at Charles Schwab Field. The game will be televised on ESPN.
"I wanted to finish the game with everything I had," said Thigpen following Troy's practice on Monday. "Coach Meade said, 'great job and we are going with Crotch (Zach Crotchfelt) here.' I didn't make an argument to stay in because I had done my job for as long as I could. I was tired when the ninth started, and at that point Coach Meade knew Crotch would come in and slam the door."
It took Crotchfelt only 14 pitches to close out the victory and give Troy its first win at the College World Series in school history.
For the sophomore from Lake Park, Ga., the ovation Thigpen received from the college baseball fans inside the Field of Dreams when his day was complete was everything he had dreamed it would be.
"It was definitely unreal," Thigpen said during Sunday's postgame press conference. "It was one of the favorite moments of my life so far. I can't lie. It was pretty cool. I was trying to give the fans a show and help my teammates because I knew the bats were going to come along and give us some run support."
During Thigpen's near career-long 5.0 innings pitched, the Troy bats came alive. He entered the game with the Trojans trailing 6-2 with Ole Miss batting in the bottom of the fourth. He left to a cascade of cheers with the Trojans ahead, 12-8, after pitching to one batter in the bottom of the ninth.
Thigpen's first pitch out of the bullpen in the fourth was a 96 mile per hour fastball. He earned a strikeout against the first batter he faced. With three strikes on his first four pitches, any nerves he may have had in his first CWS appearance, were quickly replaced by full-on adrenaline.
"I was more ready to go than I was nervous," said Thigpen. "My first pitch was a fastball at 96. To come out of the bullpen and to strike out a hitter such as that guy (Ole Miss third baseman Judd Utermark) was a huge confidence builder and really got me going."
Along the way, Thigpen earned a perfect inning in the bottom of the fifth on only six pitches, faced only five Ole Miss hitters in the bottom of the sixth, and faced only four batters and threw only 16 pitches in the bottom of the eighth.
"The short fifth inning was great," said Thigpen. "You love short innings as a pitcher and that definitely helped me go for as long as I did."
"Noah Thigpen has been at his finest the last six weeks," said Troy head coach Skylar Meade, who pitched in the 2007 CWS as a senior at Louisville.
Thigpen made 19 appearances and totaled five starting assignments as a freshman. He was Troy's Friday night starter during the final four weeks of the regular season.
The sports management major started each of Troy's first four Saturday games in 2026 before moving to the bullpen against Old Dominion during the second weekend in March. He's made 24 appearances with five starts as a sophomore.
"I am more comfortable starting because you know what day you throw and can follow your same routine," said Thigpen. "I would have to say I prefer coming out of the bullpen because of the adrenaline that gets built running into the game.
"Hopefully I can become a good starter, but I can also see myself being a bullpen guy to help win some games."
Thigpen's 5.0 innings pitched on Sunday marked just the fourth time he has thrown five or more innings during his career at Troy. He pitched 5.0 innings as a starter against South Alabama and Texas State as a freshman and threw a career-high 5.1 innings as a starter against East Carolina earlier this season.
Thigpen has helped Troy advance to the fifth day of the 2026 CWS as one of the Trojans' most effective pitchers out of the bullpen since the beginning of May.
He has earned saves in both the Trojan's wins over Florida to advance to their first ever Super Regional appearance and their win over Arkansas Little Rock to advance to Omaha for the first time in school history.
Thigpen earned a save in Troy's win over No. 17 Alabama (May 5) as he retired all five batters he faced with a pair of strikeouts during a regular season win over the Tide, who were eliminated from the 2026 CWS by Texas on Monday. In regional play, he closed out the final four innings of the Gainesville Regional championship game as he struck out four Gators while allowing one run to earn the save. Thigpen then earned his second save of the 2026 NCAA Tournament with 1.2 shutout innings pitched against Little Rock in the Troy Super Regional championship game.
In his 10 appearances since gaining the save against Alabama in early May, Thigpen has an ERA of 2.75 in 19.2 innings pitched. During those 10 outings, he has struck out 22 while walking only four including just one walk against Ole Miss.
With his performances on the mound since the calendar turned from April to May, Thigpen is exactly where he wants to be during the second week of June.
"I chose Troy because the coaches built great relationships with me before I stepped on campus," said Thigpen. "Coach Meade is awesome, always supportive, and confident in himself and others. His confidence ultimately makes you more confident in yourself when you have someone like that leading you."
For Noah Thigpen, that journey, from a roadside sign in Jacksonville, Fla. to the biggest stage in college baseball, has come full circle, turning a childhood start into a defining role on the road to the College World Series.
Players Mentioned
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballSunday, June 14
Friday, June 12
Saturday, June 06
Saturday, June 06