Trojan junior Houston Mabray finished his first season in Division 1 on a high note.

Mabray played his first two years at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College. This year, he returned home to Troy and joined former high school teammates Chase Smartt and Joey Denison.

“It was great to be back home in front of my home fans, friends and family,” Mabray said. “The competition level was great and more than I expected. It was highly competitive.”

Mabray finished 5-0 with a 3.94 ERA as a sophomore at Wallace, and he had to quickly transition to a game that challenged him on a different level.

“Hitters don’t miss mistakes at this level,” Mabray said. “If you make mistakes, they are going to hit it and their going to hit it hard. I had to make adjustments and learn how to pitch down in the zone.”

Mabray finished the 2016 season with a 7-7 record with a 3.05 ERA for the Trojans. Like Smartt and Denison, Mabray used the early portion of the schedule to find his footing.

“I pitched an inning against UAB. We were down in the game and I came in and kind of got my feet wet,” Mabray said. “The next week I got a start against Jacksonville State and it went well. I think that gave me confidence. It let me know that I can do this. I got comfortable with where I am at.”

One of Mabray’s highlights came March 22 against in-state rival Alabama A&M. The game against the Bulldogs wound up being a showcase for Charles Henderson as Denison went 4-5 with three RBIs, Smartt finished with 1-4 with two RBIs and Mabray pitched 2.1 innings and picked up the win.

“It felt like the old days,” Mabray said. “I expect nothing less out of those two. I was fortunate enough to have a good outing and come away with a win. It felt great, just like old times.”

Just because the collegiate season is finished doesn’t mean Mabray is done playing baseball. He now will head north and compete in the New England League for the Upper Valley Nighthawks with teammate and friend Denison.

Mabray will use that time to hone a couple of his pitches and build endurance for next season.

“The main thing I need to work on is making my changeup and slider better,” Mabray said. “They were OK, but if I continue to have success I am going to have to throw those pitchers better.

“I am going to the New England League and that is going to be really competitive,” Mabray said. “Really good players are going to be there. I think that will help me a lot just by getting more experience.”

Denison will use the time to keep playing the game he loves during the summer months.

“If I could play it year round it would be fine with me,” Mabray said. “It’s going to be exciting. It’s a great opportunity.”