OMAHA, Neb. – There’s a first time for everything, and often, it’s been a long time coming.
So it is for the Troy Trojans, who fell in the Sun Belt Conference championship game to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, then battled through five games at the Gainesville Regional, losing their opener to Miami (Fla.), a team many picked to reach college baseball’s promised land this year, before rattling off four consecutive win in elimination games, including back-to-back wins against Florida to host a Super Regional for the first time in program history.
Hosting the Little Rock Trojans, the men of Troy (let’s face it, two teams nicknamed “Trojans” playing a series can make for confusion) never faced elimination, drawing standing-room-only crowds to 2,500-seat Riddle-Pace Field. Those who made the trip were rewarded, seeing Troy win the Super Regional in two games, outscoring Little Rock 19-4 to earn the program’s first trip to the Men’s College World Series.
Baseball has been played on the Troy campus since 1911, but the Trojans made their first of 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in 1993, with their last six – in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019, and this year – all coming via at-large bids, as they haven’t won the Sun Belt title since 2006. It speaks to the strength of the schedule they’re able to put together in the heart of SEC country.
Because of their location, while the Trojans are a mid-major, they’re a familiar opponent to two teams in Omaha, having split a pair of games against Georgia, including an early season 6-5 road win in 12 innings on Feb. 25, and split a pair of games against Alabama, beating the Crimson Tide at home 6-1 on May 5.
The Troy lineup boasts seven regulars with at least 35 RBIs, and five with at least 10 homers, led by Chicagoland-native Jimmy Janicki, who has hit 19 homers and driven in 85 runs this season while posting a 1.061 OPS. They’ve outscored opponents 487-406 this season and have a strong lineup.
For the Trojans, as with most teams, the big question revolves around pitching. How deep is the pitching staff, and how far can their best arms take them?
Tommy Egan and Benjamin Stubbs are their two workhorse starters, having made 17 starts each. Both have held opposing batters to averages under .270 and have WHIPs of under 1.460, but they do have a tendency to walk batters, and their ERA’s aren’t stellar, with Egan posting a 5.38 mark in 87 innings and Stubbs doing a little better, with a 4.93 ERA in 91 1/3 frames. The third starter spot has been a revolving door, with 11 other pitchers making at least one start or appearance as an opener. Among them are frequent relievers Hayden Smith (18G, 2.97 ERA, 28K, 21BB) and Zach Crotchfelt (27G, 3.50 ERA, 61 2/3 IP, 74K, 22BB), who will likely be first out of the bullpen when the need arises.
If Troy’s pitching can hold up, they’re a team that might be able to make their first trip to the Men’s College World Series even more memorable.
Troy Trojans Schedule
All times Eastern Daylight Time
Friday, June 12
2 p.m. – Game 1 – Bracket 1 – West Virginia (45-15) vs. Troy (38-30) – ESPN
7 p.m. – Game 2 – Bracket 1 – North Carolina (50-12-1) vs. Ole Miss (41-21) – ESPN
Sunday, June 14
3 p.m. – Game 5 – Bracket 1 – Game 1 Losing Team vs. Game 2 Losing Team – ESPN
8 p.m. – Game 6 – Bracket 1 – Game 1 Winning Team vs. Game 2 Winning Team – ESPN
Photo: Troy catcher Jimmy Janicki (5) runs to first during an NCAA regional baseball game against Miami on Friday, May 29, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)
