Overview: Troy (11-4) will open Sun Belt Conference play with a three-game home series versus in-state rival South Alabama (15-3) at Riddle-Pace Field. The Trojans are coming off a 9-3 loss to UAB on Tuesday. South Alabama defeated Alabama State 5-1 on Tuesday. The series will end an 11-game home stand for the Trojans. Troy head coach Bobby Pierce will also look to pick up career win No. 900.

Schedule:
Friday – 6pm
Saturday – 6pm
Sunday – 1pm

What to Watch: Both teams have won five of their last six games and come in with conference championship aspirations. Troy’s offense was silenced on Tuesday, but RF Danny Collins still leads the league in batting with a .471 average while 3B Logan Pierce is second batting .459. The Trojans are 10-2 on the year at home while South Alabama is 5-2 on the road.

Troy’s Tanner Hicks (3-0, 4.05) and South Alabama’s Jacob Noble (3-0, 1.57) will square off on Friday night. The pair were junior college teammates at Central Alabama Community College last season.

Will Starling (3-1, 5.82) will get the start on the mound for Troy in Game 2 on Saturday while Shane McCain (3-0, 3.32) will take the bump on Sunday.

Dustin Dalken (.366), Bud Collura (.347) and Cole Billingsley (.338) lead the South Alabama offensively.

Troy center fielder Ali Knowles has been throwing and could see some action. David Hall, who has been battling a foot injury, returned to action on Tuesday against UAB. Off the bench, Hall went 0-for-2 as Troy’s DH.