TROY BASEBALL OFF TO HISTORIC START

STORY BY JOSH BOUTWELL

The Troy University baseball team started the season with 11 straight wins for the first time since 1990.

The 11 wins is the second most in school history, behind the 1982 team’s 13 straight wins to start the season. The 1983 team went on to win the Gulf South Championship and made it all the way to the Division II World Series. It’s also the first time Troy has had an 11-game winning streak, at any point in the season, since 2006. After 11 games, Troy was one of just one of five teams in the entire country to remain undefeated.

The Trojans fast start is in part due to a pitching staff that allowed just 18 total runs in the first 11 games and struck out a total of 109 opponents. Troy’s aces on the mound, Grayson Stewart and Brady Fuller have been two of the top pitchers in the Sun Belt. Through 11, Stewart allowed just two earned runs and struck out 10 batters, while Fuller has struck out 21 batters and allowed just five earned runs.

The biggest improvement for Troy, though, has been the power at the plate. The Trojans team tied for fourth in the entire country in home runs with 29 through the first 11 games, while newcomer Shane Lewis ranked fourth in the country with eight homers in the first 11 games. First baseman William Sullivan and catcher Caleb Bartolero have both belted five homers each, as well.

Troy 2023 roster features a slew of new faces as second-year head coach Skylar Meade brought in a huge class of transfers and talented freshmen.

Prior to the season, Meade said Troy fans should watch out for Hartford transfer Tremayne Cobb Jr., who is coming off an All-Conference season at shortstop.

“Trey Cobb was a first-team allconference at Hartford,” Meade said. “He’s a very dynamic shortstop that (throws) 96 miles-per-hour across the diamond and hit double digit home runs last year. He’ll be a very exciting player for us.”

Eastern Michigan transfer pitcher Zach Fruit and junior college transfer pitcher Ben Thompson are new faces on the pitching staff Meade said he’s excited about.

“Zach Fruit is hitting 93-97 miles per hour, he’s a 6-foot-5-inch kid that we were fortunate enough to swoop in and get him,” Meade said. “Thompson signed with FIU originally but they had a coaching change and we were able to land him. He’s a stocky righty that can hit 97 miles per hour.”

Another newcomer that Meade said fans would love is LSU Eunice transfer outfielder Kole Myers.

“I think people will fall in love with him. He’s from Lafayette, La., and plays Lafayette style baseball,” said Meade. “He stole 58 bases last year and he will be our leadoff hitter day one. We (scrimmaged) Northwest Florida and Mississippi State and he was 5-for-7, hit home runs in both games and stole three bases. He is a dynamic player and one we may only have here at Troy for a year, but people will fall in love with him.”

Meade said Troy has lofty goals this season but is confident in his team.

“Our goal is to win the Sun Belt (Championship) and get into the NCAA Regional (Tournament). Once you get into the regional anything can happen,” he said. “When you have great pitching like we are going to have year in and year out anything can happen. The end goal is obviously to get to Omaha (for the College World Series).”

While there’s still a ton of baseball left to play, Meade likely couldn’t have asked for a better start to 2023. The Troy baseball squad is also enjoying the newly renovated Riddle-Pace Field, which now boasts new comfortable chair-back seats throughout the stadium, a new press box and additional concession stands. The outside façade of the stadium is still a work in progress, however.

The Sun Belt Conference schedule will begin on March 17 for the Trojans.