Tuesday link

March 16, 2010

By Drew Champlin

In preparation for Troy’s NIT game at Ole Miss, I wrote THIS STORY on Brandon Hazzard and Bernard Toombs. The two came in together, were roommates 3 of the last 4 years, and were actually the last freshmen signed, way back in 2006.

But Toombs has another year since he redshirted last season. I think Troy will sign another high school player or two this spring, but head coach Don Maestri made a good point about not signing high school kids just to sign high school kids.

Troy has also had a hard time attracting high school kids in the Sun Belt lately, because high school kids are turned on more by facilities than JUCO kids, who want to come in and play. I think that’ll change in the next year or so with Troy’s new arena. Troy’s not exactly a town with a bunch of stuff to do, nor is it right on the beach like FAU or FIU or within 30 minutes of a major city (I don’t see Montgomery on the same level as Nashville or Dallas) like Middle Tennessee or North Texas. Think of a place like Arkansas State, which has a nice facility but is in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Yet, coaches reeled in talented freshman Brandon Reed from Atlanta and he looks to be one of the league’s top players over the next few years.

Troy will have to do that, and should be able to do that - find guys that they’re able to reel in. It’s tough to get the 4 and 5-star guys for all mid-majors, but some talented kids are out in places like Atlanta and can be scooped up.

From over in Ole Miss, it’s unclear if Eniel Polynice will play against Troy in the NIT. Talented guy, but been in the coaches’ doghouse.

Troy hosts UNF in midweek series

March 15, 2010

By Drew Champlin

The Trojan baseball team is back in action this week as North Florida comes to town. The teams play Tuesday night at 6 and Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m. I’ll be covering the Wednesday game.

Head coach Bobby Pierce said freshman LHP Shane McCain (2-1, 6.60 ERA) will pitch Tuesday. The probable starter for Wednesday is junior RHP Nick Ward (0-0, 4.91). You’ll probably see a lot of pitchers throw minimal innings each because there’s a big road series at FIU this weekend.

Third baseman Chase Whitley is the team’s top hitter, hitting .442 with 3 HRs and 18 RBIs.

The Ospreys are 8-8 and you can read more about them HERE.

Monday links

March 14, 2010

By Drew Champlin

Some links for today

HERE is Ken’s baseball gamer from Troy’s 10-6 win.

HERE is my NIT story from Sunday night. Unfortunately I won’t be making the trip to Ole Miss - paper won’t put up for a night in a hotel room because it’s the NIT (I don’t disagree with that, I’d be for sure going to the NCAAs), and I wasn’t going to drive 6 hours back overnight to Dothan for safety reasons.

A couple of Ole Miss blogs for you. HERE is the Clarion-Ledger’s Ole Miss blog. HERE is the blog from the NE Mississippi Daily Journal. Both are informative.

Troy and Ole Miss play at 7 p.m. Wednesday. I still can’t figure out what the NIT selection committee was inhaling when they didn’t send Troy to UAB, especially when the Blazers are a 2 seed like Ole Miss. I guess they don’t care about ticket sales. I would be going to UAB (or Mississippi State had they gone there as I had lodging arrangements).

HERE is the NIT bracket.

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Off topic, but I filled out a bracket about 5 minutes after the selection show, and after a long night on the desk, I looked at it again. I think there’s just one or two games I’d change, and I’m not sure that I will.

So, my Final Four is Kansas, Kansas State, West Virginia and Duke (because Duke was given the weakest bracket I’ve ever seen a No. 1 that shouldn’t be the third overall seed get). I’ll take Kansas over West Virginia in the finals, with Kentucky losing in the Elite 8 because it can’t hit free throws (and vacating all these wins a couple of years later). I like UTEP and Cornell as lower seeds that can make runs. Florida will win its first round game because of all the haters.

Troy will open NIT at Ole Miss

By Drew Champlin

Troy is a No. 7 seed in the NIT in the Arizona State bracket and will play at No. 2 seed Ole Miss. GAME IS AT 7 p.m. WED and NOT on TV

Seeds in this bracket are as follows. Only way Troy can get a home game is if they play No. 8 Jacksonville in the quarters.

1. Arizona State
8. Jacksonville

4. Seton Hall
5. Texas Tech

3. Memphis
6. St. John’s

2. Ole Miss
7. Troy

Troy wins finale

By Drew Champlin

Troy defeated FAU 10-6 to salvage a game in the series with the Owls. It’s Troy’s first Sun Belt win of the year.

Troy got Tyler Ray back, and he got the win, giving up three earned runs in six innings. Can’t imagine he was 100 percent healthy, but was good enough to gut it out. It makes you wonder how the series would have gone with a healthy Ray on Friday night, given how Troy swung it early that night.

Troy, which struck out double-digit times at the plate the first two games, struck out twice Sunday, both by Blake Martz, but give him credit for getting hits in his three other at-bats.

Good to see Robby Loew get the save. He seems to be pitching much better this year early on after coming back from injury and his arm in the pen will be needed.

I’ll link Ken Rogers‘ game story later tonight. Troy hosts North Florida Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Wednesday at 1 p.m. before a big 3-game series at FIU.

So it wasn’t the way Troy hoped, but the areas to improve are there and looked to be there Sunday.