Troy University’s baseball team is set to host the University of Maryland for a three-game series at Riddle-Pace Field this weekend. This marks Troy’s final non-conference matchup of the season before beginning Sun Belt play.
The Trojans return home after a five-game road trip in which they went 2-3. Their road swing included a notable 6-5, 12-inning win over No. 8 Georgia and a victory against Rutgers at the Keith LeClair Classic. They also faced defeats against Western Carolina, East Carolina, and Vanderbilt.
Catcher Jimmy Janicki has led Troy offensively so far this season with a .368 batting average, three home runs, and 13 RBIs. The pitching rotation remains unchanged from previous weekends. Senior right-hander Tommy Egan has started Fridays, posting a 3.00 ERA across three starts and striking out 20 batters in 15 innings. Sophomore Noah Thigpen delivered his longest outing last Saturday with 5.1 innings pitched against East Carolina, while senior left-hander Benjamin Stubbs allowed just one run in seven innings versus Rutgers.
Maryland arrives in Troy with an 8-4 record and on a five-game winning streak that includes two wins over Delaware and a sweep of Wagner. Before this streak, Maryland was swept by Louisiana in Sun Belt play. The Terrapins have averaged nearly nine runs per game this season, ranking fourth in the Big Ten for scoring and third for home runs with 18. Brayden Martin leads their offense with a .412 batting average—ninth best in the conference—and Ryan Costello has hit seven home runs, placing him seventh nationally. On the mound, Maryland holds a team ERA of 5.29.
Game times are scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 3:33 p.m., and Sunday at noon at Riddle-Pace Field in Troy, Alabama. All games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and available via radio on the Troy Sports Radio Network; live stats can be found at TroyTrojans.com/LiveStats.
Friday’s opener will see Maryland’s Lance Williams (1-0) face off against Egan (1-0). Saturday matches Evan Smith (Maryland) against Thigpen (Troy), while Sunday features Jake Yeager (Maryland) versus Stubbs (Troy).
Several promotions are planned throughout the weekend: $2 draft beers and $3 hot dogs will be offered during Friday’s game; Saturday is Montgomery Biscuits Day with mascot Big Mo making an appearance—fans can use code “BOGO” for buy-one-get-one-free tickets on select seating through TroyTrojans.com/Tickets; Sunday is Kids Day and Military Sunday, granting free admission to children under twelve and military members as well as T-Roy coloring books for the first hundred kids attending.
Seniors Aaron Piasecki and Drew Nelson were recently recognized by the College Baseball Foundation: “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 is batting .333 from the leadoff position this year with ten walks drawn; Nelson has started every game in corner outfield positions while hitting .304.
Although Troy’s pitching staff holds an overall ERA of 6.34 this season, it posted improved numbers during its recent road trip—allowing opponents just a .246 batting average and compiling a collective ERA of 3.72 over those five games.
Stubbs’ most recent start saw him allow only two hits over seven innings against Rutgers before exiting after issuing his only walk to open the eighth inning.
This weekend marks the first meeting between Troy and Maryland baseball programs. Under head coach Skylar Meade, Troy holds a record of six wins to one loss against Big Ten teams since he took over—including sweeps of Indiana in previous seasons and last week’s win over Rutgers.
