Troy baseball: What to know about Gainesville Regional

The road to Omaha begins this Friday, and the Troy Trojans are ready to make some noise. Troy kicks off its postseason campaign with a high-stakes first-round matchup against Miami at the NCAA Gainesville Regional.

The Trojans (32-29) enter the four-team bracket as the No. 3 seed. The regional field is headlined by No. 1 Florida (39-19) and No. 2 Miami (38-18), while No. 4 Rider (33-18) rounds out the competition. Troy’s opening game against the Hurricanes is slated for 5 p.m. Central on Friday at Florida’s Condron Family Ballpark and will be broadcast live on the ACC Network.

“You set preseason goals, and one of them is always to be one of the Field of 64,” said Troy pitcher and outfielder Drew Nelson. “And so being able to have this chance to make a run and go to Omaha is what every team dreams for, is what I dream of. And hopefully we can make those dreams come true.”

The Path to Gainesville

Troy secured an at-large bid after a strong finish to the season, which included tying for third in the Sun Belt Conference regular-season standings and a deep run to the conference tournament semifinals. Returning to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2023, the Trojans proved they belonged by navigating a gauntlet of a schedule. That slate featured 19 victories over RPI Top 100 opponents, eight wins against teams that went on to be conference champions, and four triumphs over regional hosts.

Trojans to Watch

At the plate, the Trojans are led by Sun Belt Player of the Year Jimmy Janicki. The catcher enters the regional after a stellar conference season, pacing the league with 17 home runs, 73 RBIs, and an impressive 1.078 OPS. The offense, which averages 6.75 runs per game, also features the steady bat of shortstop Aaron Piasecki—who sports a .455 OBP and 52 runs scored—alongside first baseman Blake Cavill and his 12 long balls.

On the mound, Benjamin Stubbs (4-3, 5.13 ERA) has been tapped to start Friday's clash with Miami. Troy will look for momentum from a pitching staff that showed flashes of brilliance during the Sun Belt tournament, particularly from senior Zach Crotchfelt, who surrendered just one earned run across nine innings of work.

Scouting the Regional Field

The competition in Gainesville is fierce. Florida’s rotation features the high-octane arm of Liam Peterson, a projected MLB draft pick who hits 99 mph, and SEC Pitcher of the Year Aidan King, who anchors the staff with a 7-2 record and a 2.68 ERA.

Miami presents an explosive offensive challenge, tied for 14th nationally with 8.5 runs per game. The Hurricanes are led by a powerful trio of sluggers in Alex Sosa (17 homers), Derek Williams (15), and Daniel Cuvet (12), as well as ace hurler Rob Evans, who has racked up 94 strikeouts in 82.2 innings.

Rider arrives as the MAAC regular-season and tournament champions. They bring a well-balanced lineup featuring first-team all-conference standouts Nick Shuhet, Charley Magoulick, and Kyle Neri, all of whom have been elite at reaching base and driving the ball this year.

Gainesville Regional Schedule (All Times Central)

• Game 1: No. 1 Florida (39-19) vs. No. 4 Rider (33-18), noon, ESPN+
• Game 2: No. 2 Miami (38-18) vs. No. 3 Troy (32-29), 5 p.m., ACC Network
• Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, noon
• Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 5 p.m.
• Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 11 a.m.
• Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 4 p.m.
• Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary), time TBD