Troy coach waiting on decisions from pitchers

Bobby Pierce is playing a waiting game he hasn’t had to play in his coaching career.

The Troy head coach is waiting to see if two of his star pitchers, Jason Walls and Chris Sorce, will take professional money or return for their senior seasons. Walls, a weekend starter this season, was picked in the 19th round by the San Francisco Giants and Sorce, the team’s closer, was picked in the 26th round by the Seattle Mariners.

Walls is in Troy taking classes and working out. Sorce is playing in the Valley League for the Harrisonburg (Va.) Turks and has posted an 0.77 ERA and 2-0 record with two saves this summer.

“I’ve just talked to Jason, and he said if the Giants didn’t up their offer, he was coming back to school,” Pierce said. “If they do, we’ll have to see what happens. With Sorce, it’s a deal where the (Mariners) know what money they’ve got left and they’ll watch him this summer and go from there.

“It’s a business. These teams aren’t going to give anything away.”

If the two return, that means Troy would return two-thirds of its weekend rotation and its second team all-conference closer. The key date is Aug. 12 — the start of classes. Once the two walk in to their first fall class, Pierce said, then they’ll be pitching for Troy in 2010.

Family matters: Pierce will get a chance to coach his youngest son, Logan, again this year. Logan Pierce hit .416 with two homers and 31 RBIs in just 77 at-bats as a freshman at Shelton State Community College, which went to the JUCO World Series. Pierce was a Dothan Eagle Super 12 member and all-state performer at Charles Henderson as a senior in 2008.

Bobby Pierce said coaching his son shouldn’t be a distraction to the team. The last time he coached Logan was in rec ball growing up. Logan will be a corner infielder/designated hitter for the Trojans and be a sophomore in 2010.

“He’ll get to make out the lineup card,” Pierce joked. “No, but when you get the son of a head coach on the team, there’s always potential for problems, but I think our players know me and how we run our program and that’s to treat people the right way. If anybody’s got to work harder, it would be my son.”

Two other players with local ties will join the Trojans next year – G.W. Long’s Cass Abercrombie and Dothan Post 12 outfielder Hayden Hillyer. Abercrombie was the Dothan Eagle Player of the Year this spring and is playing summer ball for the Wiregrass Cardinals.

Howard’s rehab on track: Pierce said that left-handed pitcher A.J. Howard, who redshirted this year after having labrum surgery, is pitching again and should be ready to go next year. Howard, like several Trojans, is pitching in the Montgomery Metro Baseball League (MMBL) this summer.

“He feels good and says there’s been no problems,” Pierce said. “He’s mainly throwing fastballs and changeups, but is starting to throw the breaking pitch again.”

Not many players are playing in summer leagues, Pierce said, because the NCAA requires that baseball players be eligible before the fall semester starts, when they used to not have to be eligible until the spring. Most players take classes and work out during the week and play in the MMBL on the weekends.

Sorce is playing in the Valley League and outfielder Steven Rosado is playing in a league in Vermont. Sun Belt Freshman of the Year pitcher Tyler Ray isn’t pitching this summer, but “is home in Birmingham working with a bunch of elite athletes to get stronger,” Pierce said.