JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State continues its homestand with a Wednesday meeting with in-state rival Troy on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Tickets are available online at JaxStateSports.com. Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.
The Gamecocks (9-18) enter the week looking to get back on track after a tough nine-game stretch, including three tight contests in Conference USA action with Western Kentucky. The Trojans have a busy week with a Tuesday evening road test in Montgomery, Alabama against Alabama State before visiting Jacksonville on Wednesday. Troy enters the week 18-11 overall and 4-5 in the Sun Belt after dropping a road series last weekend at Southern Miss.
It's one of the longest rivalries in program history as Jax State and Troy will be meeting for the 139th time on Wednesday night. The Trojans hold an 80-58 lead in the series. The Gamecocks will be looking to snap a five-game losing skid to the Trojans in a streak that dates back to the second meeting of the 2021 season. Troy has swept the two-game season series in 2022 and 2023. In 2023, Troy claimed an 11-1 win over Jax State in its last visit to Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium and turned in an 8-5 decision on its home turf of Riddle-Pace Field. Jax State and Troy will wrap up the home-and-home set on April 17 in Troy.
The home run ball has keyed the Jax State offense this season with 35 home runs in 27 games so far this season and ranks third in the league heading into the week. Dallas Baptist leads CUSA with 54, while Jax State's weekend foe, FIU, is listed second with 41 on the season. Junior
Brennen Norton has tallied 10 home runs this season to lead the Gamecocks and ranks second in the league.
Sophomore
Caleb Johnson ranks second on the club with eight home runs this season. The shortstop from Phenix City, Alabama has reached base in all 27 games this season and has a streak of 32 consecutive games reaching base that goes back to the last five games of the 2023 season.
The Gamecocks have been active on the base paths this season with 45 stolen bases in 55 attempts. The combination of junior
Drew Collins and sophomore
Will Fincher have combined for 22-of-the-45 stolen bases. Collins enters the Troy contest at 12-for-12 in stolen bases, while Fincher is 10-for-10.
Jax State returns to CUSA action this weekend against the Panther of Florida International. The series begins on Friday, April 5. The Friday and Saturday games will get started at 6 p.m. and the series finale will be a 1 p.m. start time.
