The USA BaseBlog is a new web site feature found only on the baseball page at www.usajaguars.com. David Kaye, USA baseball's athletic media relations contact, provides an all-access look into Jag baseball. This is the first entry in a series counting down the 10 best games of the 2009 baseball season.
No. 10 - USA vs. Troy, May 16 (Stanky Field)
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The holiday season is here, and that means the 2009 baseball season is finally within sight. With that in mind, it's time to start counting down the 10 best games on the 2009 schedule. Voting started with ballots listing 12 potential games to be ranked 1-12. There were 11 ballots submitted by various members of the athletic department, and though the countdown begins today, remaining ballots will still be counted toward any games that have not already been listed in the countdown.
Coming in at No. 10 is the Jags showdown with the Troy Trojans May 16 at Stanky Field. While Troy is the Jags' only in-state rival in the Sun Belt Conference, there are numerous other reasons the series with the Trojans is significant.
With USA hoping to climb its way back to the top of the SBC in 2009, the final series of the regular season could be crucial in deciding the SBC regular season champion. Because it's the final series, the Jags and Trojans are scheduled to play Thursday through Saturday. All three games are likely to be important in the SBC standings, but Saturday's finale is the choice as the 2009 season's 10th-best game.
Troy (32-26/18-12 in 2008) finished third in the conference, while the Jags compiled an identical overall record, but finished 15-15 in SBC play. The Jags took the series opener 7-0 when Lance Baxter went 8.0 shutout innings and struck out seven batters in his best start of the season. However, Troy rebounded and won the series by taking the next two games 9-7 and 6-5.
Likewise, USA salvaged the series after dropping the opener 8-6 in 2007. The Jags rebounded to take the final two games 8-0 and 8-1. Since Troy began playing the Jags in a yearly three-game SBC series in 2006, the home team has gone 7-2. The Jags are 18-4 against the Trojans all-time at Stanky Field, dating back to the team's first meeting in Mobile in 1966. The Jags are 2-0 in neutral site games, while Troy leads 13-8 all-time at Riddle-Pace Field.
The two teams first met in 1965 when the Trojans beat the first-year Jags 12-0 in Troy. The following year the teams split a home-and-home, but they didn't meet again until 1974. The Jags took both games in 1974, then swept a three-game series in 1976, and again the teams had a long break before meeting again. The next time they did so was 1994, and the Jags and Trojans have met for at least two games every year since with the exception of the 2001 season.
Troy returns seven players who made 30 or more starts a year ago, while the Jags return four such players. However, the Saturday game might will likely be decided by pitching depth, and the Jags have a number of experienced pitchers who could toe the rubber. Brandon Sage started the series finale against Troy last year, and he's expected to start the season as the Jags' third starter again.
If a change is made, Chris LaGrow is another option. He threw 1.1 innings of perfect relief in the series finale a year ago, and he has a chance of joining the starting rotation in 2009. Miles Ethridge could also see a spot start. He worked 3.2 innings and allowed one run in relief in the middle game of last season's series.
Offensively, the Jags will rely on a pair of experienced bats in the middle of their order. David Doss has hit .300 (9-for-30) with two doubles, six RBI and five walks in 11 career games against Troy. Additionally, Ryan Bohanan hit .308 with a double and two RBI in his only series against Troy.
The Jags can breathe a sigh of relief with the graduation of All-American Bryan Miller. Hitting in Troy's cleanup spot a year ago, Miller had three hits in each of the three games against the Jags. He also collected five doubles, six RBI and a home run. However, Troy figures to have plenty of offense with four players returning who hit .300 or better in 2008.
Steven Felix (.325), Adam Bryant (.310), Daryl Otwell (.306) and Michael Precise (.300) all return for the Trojans. Precise collected 11 home runs and 57 RBI, while Felix led the team with a .449 on-base percentage.
Both teams return experienced closers who each logged double-digit saves a year ago. Troy's Josh Storm notched 12 saves and posted a 2.09 ERA in 27 relief appearances. USA counters with senior closer Greg Johnson, who posted a 4-1 record and 10 saves in 24 appearances in 2008.
Assuming both teams qualify, there's a possibility the tables will be turned in the Trojans' favor in the week following their 2009 regular season matchup. After $4.7 million worth of upgrades to Riddle-Pace Field, including a renovated (and deeper) outfield wall, video board and a new synthetic playing surface, Troy will host the 2009 Sun Belt Baseball Championship. USA and Troy have met just once in postseason play, with the Jags taking a 4-1 victory in 2007.
NOTES: Troy's renovations were necessary in order for the Trojans to be able to host an NCAA Regional. Those renovations included adding a 27-foot wall in right field, though it's still just 310 down the right line. A built-in scoreboard makes the wall 30-feet high in the right field power alley, while center field is now 400, and left field is 340 feet deep. With the synthetic playing surface, the only places dirt can be found are the pitching mound and warning track.
Click below to view previous entries in the USA BaseBlog ...
"Meet Corey Powell" - Dec. 4, 2008
"Seven for 2010, Plus 10 for 2009" - Nov. 25, 2008
"Recruiting for 2010" - Nov. 21, 2008
"Signing On" - Nov. 14, 2008
