Troy University Athletics
Friday, February 17
Troy, Ala.
6 PM
Troy University
vs
Xavier
Baseball Hosts Xavier to Open 2017 Campaign
2/16/2017 1:16:00 PM | Baseball
Live Stats | Listen Live | Watch Live | Game Notes
TROY, Alabama – The Troy baseball team opens its 2017 season this weekend with a four-game series against the defending Big East champion Xavier Musketeers at Riddle-Pace Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. for Saturday's doubleheader and 12 p.m. for Sunday's finale.
Entering year two under head coach Mark Smartt, the Trojans are coming off a third-place finish in the Sun Belt last season. It marked the eighth time in Troy's 11 seasons as a member of the Sun Belt that it finished among the top three in the league; the total is tied with UL Lafayette for the most in the conference.
The Trojans return a wealth of offensive talent from that 2016 squad with 80 percent their home runs and 75 percent of their hits back for the 2017 season.
Leading the way for the Troy offense is local product Joey Denison. The senior left fielder paced the Trojans with a .322 batting average, 14 doubles, seven home runs, 37 RBIs and an .893 OPS.
Smartt will have a veteran defense behind an inexperienced pitching staff with seven of the nine defensive positions having a returning starter expected to start opening night.
On the mound, the Trojans will turn to junior right-hander Corey Childress on Friday night. Childress spent last season at the back of Troy's bullpen where he tallied 10 saves and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Senior southpaw Evan Hebert, JUCO transfer Daren Osby and senior Houston Mabray will round out Troy's rotation for the weekend.
Xavier was picked to repeat as Big East champions and Joe Gellenbeck was tabbed as the Big East Preseason Player of the Year. The Musketeers, who advanced to the regional final at the Nashville Regional last season, had seven players named preseason All-Big East.
BROADCAST INFO
TV: None
Online: TroyTrojans.com (Friday & Sunday)
Radio: WTBF 94.7 FM (Friday & Sunday) / WTBF 970 AM (Saturday)
Online: TroyTrojans.com
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
SERIES HISTORY
XAVIER (0-0, 0-0 Big East)
Overall Series: Series tied 1-1
at Troy: First Meeting
Streak: Xavier W1
Last: March 3, 1998
Xavier won 12-9 (in Jacksonville, Fla.)
PITCHING MATCHUPS - (Troy v. Xavier; 2016 Stats)
Game One:
RHP Corey Childress (2-4, 3.12) v. LHP Zac Lowther (7-5, 3.09)
Game Two:
LHP Evan Hebert (3-3, 6.29) v. RHP Garrett Schilling (4-3, 1.91)
Game Three:
RHP Daren Osby v. LHP Trent Astle (5-5, 6.33)
Game Four:
RHP Houston Mabray v. LHP Greg Jacknewitz (1-7, 6.96)
TROY, Alabama – The Troy baseball team opens its 2017 season this weekend with a four-game series against the defending Big East champion Xavier Musketeers at Riddle-Pace Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. for Saturday's doubleheader and 12 p.m. for Sunday's finale.
Entering year two under head coach Mark Smartt, the Trojans are coming off a third-place finish in the Sun Belt last season. It marked the eighth time in Troy's 11 seasons as a member of the Sun Belt that it finished among the top three in the league; the total is tied with UL Lafayette for the most in the conference.
The Trojans return a wealth of offensive talent from that 2016 squad with 80 percent their home runs and 75 percent of their hits back for the 2017 season.
Leading the way for the Troy offense is local product Joey Denison. The senior left fielder paced the Trojans with a .322 batting average, 14 doubles, seven home runs, 37 RBIs and an .893 OPS.
Smartt will have a veteran defense behind an inexperienced pitching staff with seven of the nine defensive positions having a returning starter expected to start opening night.
On the mound, the Trojans will turn to junior right-hander Corey Childress on Friday night. Childress spent last season at the back of Troy's bullpen where he tallied 10 saves and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Senior southpaw Evan Hebert, JUCO transfer Daren Osby and senior Houston Mabray will round out Troy's rotation for the weekend.
Xavier was picked to repeat as Big East champions and Joe Gellenbeck was tabbed as the Big East Preseason Player of the Year. The Musketeers, who advanced to the regional final at the Nashville Regional last season, had seven players named preseason All-Big East.
BROADCAST INFO
TV: None
Online: TroyTrojans.com (Friday & Sunday)
Radio: WTBF 94.7 FM (Friday & Sunday) / WTBF 970 AM (Saturday)
Online: TroyTrojans.com
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
SERIES HISTORY
XAVIER (0-0, 0-0 Big East)
Overall Series: Series tied 1-1
at Troy: First Meeting
Streak: Xavier W1
Last: March 3, 1998
Xavier won 12-9 (in Jacksonville, Fla.)
PITCHING MATCHUPS - (Troy v. Xavier; 2016 Stats)
Game One:
RHP Corey Childress (2-4, 3.12) v. LHP Zac Lowther (7-5, 3.09)
Game Two:
LHP Evan Hebert (3-3, 6.29) v. RHP Garrett Schilling (4-3, 1.91)
Game Three:
RHP Daren Osby v. LHP Trent Astle (5-5, 6.33)
Game Four:
RHP Houston Mabray v. LHP Greg Jacknewitz (1-7, 6.96)
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
OF/IF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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