Troy Baseball: Midweek Slate vs Samford & Florida A&M | Trojans News
Troy University’s baseball team returns to action Tuesday, March 24, hosting Samford at Riddle-Pace Field, following a challenging weekend series against No. 12 Southern Miss. The Trojans (10-13, 2-1 Sun Belt) will then travel to Tallahassee, Florida, for a Wednesday afternoon matchup against Florida A&. M (9-13, 4-2 SWAC).
The weekend series in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, saw Troy secure a 6-5 victory on Friday night, fueled by a three-run home run from catcher Jimmy Janicki and a strong offensive performance from third baseman Josh Pyne, who went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. However, the Trojans dropped the subsequent games, falling 11-5 on Saturday and 5-4 on Sunday, despite continuing to demonstrate offensive power with ten or more hits in each contest.
Troy’s offense has been a consistent bright spot, with Pyne leading the team with six hits, including three doubles, over the three-game series. Janicki also contributed significantly, recording two hits in both Friday’s and Sunday’s games.
Tuesday’s game against Samford (9-13, 1-2 SoCon) will feature a band night at Riddle-Pace Field, with an appearance by the Sound of the South pep band. General admission tickets are available for $2, and concessions will offer $5 longnecks and Straw-Ber-itas. Samford enters the midweek contest after going 1-2 in its opening Southern Conference series at Western Carolina. The Bulldogs are hitting .278 as a team, led by Jake Souders, who boasts a .425 average. However, Samford’s pitching staff has struggled, ranking last in the SoCon with a 7.37 team ERA.
Noah Berry is scheduled to start for Samford, carrying a 3.00 ERA over 12 innings pitched, despite allowing 12 hits, nine walks, and two hit-by-pitches. Troy will counter with freshman right-hander Matt Dill (2-0), who has a team-best 3.09 ERA and pitched a career-long four innings in his last appearance against Alabama State, allowing only one run.
Wednesday’s game against Florida A&M will be played at Moore-Kittles Baseball Complex in Tallahassee. The Rattlers have a 4-2 record through two weekends of Southwestern Athletic Conference play, hitting .238 as a team with a 5.40 team ERA. Starting pitchers for both Troy and Florida A&M have not yet been announced.
Troy’s recent performance has significantly boosted its RPI ranking, climbing from No. 83 to No. 42 in the past week. The Trojans’ strength of schedule is currently ranked No. 4 nationally, with their non-conference schedule ranked No. 8.
Historically, Troy holds a dominant record against both opponents, boasting a 48-16 all-time record against Samford, including a 28-7 mark at Riddle-Pace Field. They also lead the series against Florida A&M 38-6, with a 17-4 record in Tallahassee. Head coach Skylar Meade has led Troy to victory in each of the previous four meetings against Samford and the previous six against Florida A&M.