TROY, Ala. – What has already become the most successful postseason run in Little Rock baseball history now comes down to one final hurdle.
The Trojans (39-26) travel to Troy this weekend for the NCAA Super Regional, needing two wins in a best-of-three series to earn the program's first-ever trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
Little Rock enters the weekend riding an eight-game winning streak after capturing its second consecutive Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship and then running undefeated through the Hattiesburg Regional.
Standing between Little Rock and Omaha is Troy (36-30), which rallied through the Gainesville Regional by winning four straight elimination games, including two victories over national seed Florida.
The Super Regional marks another historic milestone as neither Little Rock nor Troy had previously advanced to the Super Regional round.
GAME INFO
Who: Little Rock (39-26) vs Troy (36-30)
When: 4 p.m., Friday, June 5
Where: Riddle-Pace Field (Troy, Ala.)
TV: ESPNU
Radio: 106.7 Buz2
Live Stats: lrtrojans.com
SERIES HISTORY
• Troy leads the all-time series 24-22.
• The teams were Sun Belt Conference rivals.
• Little Rock has won the past two meetings, including a victory in Troy during the 2022 season.
COACH SPEAK
"We need to make June baseball a tradition," Little Rock head coach
Chris Curry said. "There are 300 baseball teams, and they'd all like to be playing now. We're really blessed to still be playing, and we want to set that standard in this program."
TROJAN TIDBITS
• In a season full of milestones, Little Rock added another Tuesday when the Trojans debuted at No. 19 in the NCBWA Top 25 Poll. It marks the first national ranking of the
Chris Curry era.
• The Trojans have won eight consecutive games, tied with St. John's for the longest active winning streak among teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament field. Georgia and Kansas own six-game winning streaks entering the weekend.
•
Nico Baumbach has moved into the team lead with a .337 batting average after hitting .385 during the Hattiesburg Regional.
Kade Smith and
Nolan Freund are both batting .329 entering the weekend.
•
Jerdy Lopez continued his breakout postseason in Hattiesburg. The Trojan leadoff hitter batted .465 with three doubles, a triple and six runs scored during the regional while earning All-Regional Team honors. Lopez leads the team with 16 stolen bases this season.
•
Brody Bunting has emerged as one of Little Rock's most valuable postseason contributors. After throwing just 10.1 innings during the regular season, the North Little Rock native has delivered critical outings in both the OVC Tournament and NCAA Regional. Bunting tossed eight innings in an elimination-game victory over Southern Indiana and recorded a 3.1-inning save against Jacksonville State in the regional final.
• Friday starter
Brannon Westmoreland has been one of the OVC's most consistent arms all season. The junior right-hander is 6-2 with a 3.12 ERA in 98 innings while striking out 81 batters.
SCOUTING TROY
• Head coach Skylar Meade is in his fifth season leading the Trojans and owns a 184-119 record at Troy.
• Troy's 36 wins are the fewest among the Super Regional field.
• The Trojans challenged themselves with one of the nation's toughest schedules, facing Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi State and Southern Miss during the regular season.
• Troy went 15-11 at home during the regular season.
• After opening regional play with a 10-5 loss to Miami, the Trojans reeled off four straight victories while averaging 12.5 runs per game. Troy outscored Florida 26-13 in two regional victories, including a dominant 10-1 win Monday night to claim the Gainesville Regional title.
• Jimmy Janicki leads the Troy offense with a .349 batting average and 85 RBI.
• Zach Crotchfelt has posted a 7-1 record on the mound this season.
• Dylan Alonso leads the club with seven saves.
