MOBILE, Ala.  – The University of South Alabama baseball team will open Sun Belt Conference play with the defending league champion this weekend when it hosts Troy in a three-game set at Stanky Field.

The series will kick off at 6:30 p.m. Friday night, followed by a 6:30 p.m. start in game two Saturday, and will conclude Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
All three games of this weekend’s series will be broadcast on WNSP 105.5 FM in Mobile, and can be accessed nationwide at www.wnsp.com. Live streaming for all South Alabama home games is available through the all-access section at www.usajaguars.com. Live stats will also be available at www.usajaguars.com. There will also be updates via twitter at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports.

South Alabama (4-12) holds a 33-25 all-time series lead over the Trojans after Troy won both series last season. The Jaguars are 22-9 all-time at home against Troy, and will be in search of their first series win over the Trojans since 2009.

Left-hander Phillip Byrd (1-0) will make his second start of the season in the series opener Friday night, and will square off with Troy right-hander Tyler Ray – the SBC preseason Pitcher of the Year. Byrd enters the game with a 2.55 ERA, and has 20 strikeouts and just four walks in 17 2/3 innings pitched this season. The Hurley, Miss., native struck out a career-high seven batters in 5 1/3 innings pitched to earn his first win of the season on March 6 against Southern Mississippi.

Jarron Cito (1-1) will make his fifth start of the season in Saturday’s contest, while Troy left-hander Jimmy Hodgskin (1-1) is scheduled to make his fifth start of the year. Cito has 18 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings pitched, and has allowed two earned runs or less in half of his starts this season.

Anthony Izzio (2-0) is scheduled to start the series finale for the Jags, and will face off with Troy right-hander Cass Abercrombie (1-0). Izzio has logged a quality start in all four games in which he has started this year, and leads USA in ERA (1.32) and innings pitched (27.1), and is tied with Byrd for the team lead in strikeouts (20). He has allowed just one earned and pitched at least seven innings in his last two starts.

Whitt Dorsey leads USA with a .318 batting average through 16 games, while also leading the team with three stolen bases. Jordan Patterson leads the Jags in hits (18), home runs (2), RBI (15), total bases (29) and slugging percentage (.460).

Troy (8-7) enters the weekend 2-3 in its last five games after dropping two of three games against Monmouth last weekend, and splitting a pair of midweek games. The Trojans carry a .256 team batting average and 3.80 team ERA into the series, and are led offensively by Tyler Hannah who holds the team lead in batting average (.385), runs scored (17) and on-base percentage (.560). Danny Collins leads the Trojans in hits (22), doubles (7) and total bases (34), while Boone Shear leads the team in home runs (3) and RBI (21).

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).



Game Notes