Troy baseball pummels Florida to force winner-take-all game in Gainesville Regional

Troy baseball’s relentless pursuit of a postseason run reached a fever pitch on Sunday. The Trojans delivered a massive 16-11 statement victory over top-seeded Florida, successfully forcing a winner-take-all showdown in the NCAA Gainesville Regional.

Gainesville Regional Showdown

Fresh off a 9-6 victory that eliminated No. 2 seed Miami earlier in the day, the Trojans (35-30) arrived at Condron Family Ballpark with serious momentum. Against the host Gators (40-20), Troy’s offense exploded for 17 hits and five home runs. The two programs are now set for a decisive rematch on Monday at 5 p.m. Central to determine who advances to the NCAA Super Regional.

Offensive Fireworks

Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Jimmy Janicki led the charge, launching two early home runs to help Troy secure a 7-5 lead. The game truly swung in favor of the visitors during a staggering nine-run sixth inning. During that frame, Troy sent 13 batters to the plate, fueled by an Aaron Piasecki single, disciplined walks from Blake Cavill and Sean Darnell, and a massive grand slam from Jabe Boroff.

Boroff’s performance was electric, as he accounted for three homers on the day, including two against Miami earlier Sunday. Playing in the 8-9 spots of the lineup, Boroff and Houston Markham proved to be an unstoppable duo, combining to go 7-for-10 with five RBIs and four runs scored.

This offensive surge follows a trend for the Trojans, who also erupted for a nine-run inning during Saturday's 15-7 victory over Rider. It marks the fourth time this season the team has hung nine runs on an opponent in a single inning.

Breaking Down the Gators

The Trojans punished Florida starter Liam Peterson, a projected first-round MLB draft pick, for nine runs and four homers. Even with Florida utilizing four different pitchers in the sixth inning alone, Troy remained dialed in. Cooper Ellingworth provided a gritty performance on the mound for Troy, earning the win after striking out five across a career-best six innings of work.

“I love the way our guys acted after the Miami win,” Troy head coach Skylar Meade said. “They had a real focus and I think the play certainly spoke to that. We didn’t get out of character. I just thought we were incredibly locked in and the results followed.”