College World Series Preview: Troy Trojans

As the lone mid-major to make it to Omaha, the Troy Trojans have been cast as Cinderella in this season’s performance of the College World Series.

With four teams from the Sun Belt making the tournament, there’s an argument to be made that the conference is on par with other Power 4 leagues. 

After Coastal Carolina finished as runners-up a season ago, 2026 marks the second straight year that a Sun Belt team has reached the sport’s biggest stage.

Southern Miss, Louisiana, and Coastal Carolina might’ve been more popular Sun Belt picks to make this run, but Troy features a dynamic offense and a gritty pitching staff that will make them hard to beat on any given day.

Journey to Omaha

After Troy lost to Southern Miss on the day before Selection Monday, the Trojans had to wait with bated breath to see which side of the bubble they’d fall on. At 32-29, their record didn’t jump off the page as a mid-major, but advanced metrics proved they were a tournament-caliber team.

Thanks to their rigorous non-conference schedule, Troy was one of the last four teams into this year’s NCAA Tournament. They were awarded the three-seed in the Gainesville Regional, matching up with ACC power Miami in the opening game.

After stumbling against the Canes in the first game, most people counted the Trojans out, only for Skylar Meade’s squad to reel off four straight wins to claim an unlikely Regional championship. 

After dispatching fourth-seeded Rider and Miami in a rematch, Troy scored 26 runs over two games against Florida’s vaunted SEC pitching staff. After a 16-11 slugfest to force a deciding game, Troy dominated Florida 10-2 to advance to a Super Regional.

Matched up against upstart Little Rock, Troy was awarded a home Super Regional, where thousands descended on the small Alabama town. 

Expectations for the College World Series

Not many people gave Troy a chance when the bracket was revealed, and basically everyone wrote them off after their opening game loss to Miami. And while the talk of a national championship seems to revolve around the SEC and North Carolina, Troy can still make some noise.

At this stage, any one of the eight teams can pull off a run. Whoever wins the National Championship is a mere five wins away. What Troy did on Florida’s home field cannot be discounted, no matter Florida’s history of inconsistency.

One thing in Troy’s favor is that they will not be facing any of the favorites in the opening game, as they’ve drawn 16th-seeded West Virginia to kick things off. If they’re able to start strong against the Mountaineers, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they’re able to upset either North Carolina or Ole Miss.

Starting off 2-0 would be a dream start for Troy and put them in the driver’s seat on that side of the bracket. While it appears they don’t have the depth to come out of the loser’s bracket, they do have the offensive firepower to pull it off as they did in Gainesville.

While surely some Troy fans are just happy to have made it, Skylar Meade and his players will be focused on capturing a national championship. For them, anything less will be a disappointment, no matter how long the odds.

Players To Watch

C Jimmy Janicki

The Sun Belt Player of the Year is one of the best catchers in the country, period. Over 67 games, the sophomore is slashing .341/.413/.648 with 24 doubles, a triple, 19 home runs, and 85 RBI. He’s coming off a quiet Super Regional, however, after going 1-for-9 in two games against Little Rock.

His biggest contribution of the postseason came against Troy’s stiffest competition. Against Florida, Janicki went 4-for-8 with a double, two home runs, and eight RBI to help spur the Trojans past the Gators. 

The Illinois native is Troy’s most important player, and he will need to be at his best in Omaha.

DH Jabe Boroff

Jabe Boroff entered the Gainesville Regional hitting just .185 on the season over 75 at-bats. After a 0-for-4 night in their opening loss to Miami, his average dipped to .174. Since then, the junior DH is 12-for-22 with 6 home runs and 18 RBI in just six games.

The Gainesville Regional’s Most Outstanding Player has become a legend while boosting his season average all the way to .264. He hit all six postseason home runs in a four-game span, earning him the moniker of “Jabe Ruth.” 

When looking at his overall season numbers, a casual fan is not going to circle his name in the lineup. But the “Great Jambino” is the hottest hitter in the country heading into Omaha, and if Troy is hoping to continue its run, it will need him to continue to provide some Ruthian magic.

SS Aaron Piasecki

While Janicki and Boroff are more of the run-producer and power-hitting type, shortstop Aaron Piasecki is more of the table-setting variety. The outfielder became the primary shortstop on May 9, but has served as the lead-off man for this lineup for most of the season.

Piasecki leads the Trojans with a .346 average while walking (39) more than he strikes out (24). He’s got some pop as well, as evidenced by his 29 extra-base hits. His performance at the top of the order as well as on defense will be essential for Troy to produce in Omaha.

LHP Zach Crotchfelt

The Trojans have a number of strong pitchers, and while they have a number of guys who have closed out games, Zach Crotchfelt is the undeniable relief ace for this squad. Over 16 innings in the postseason, the former Auburn and Texas Tech left-hander has allowed just one run while striking out 16.

On the season, Crotchfelt is 7-2 with a 3.50 ERA over 61.2 innings. He’s an arm that can provide starter innings out of the bullpen or make multiple appearances over the course of several days. The New Jersey native is perhaps Troy’s biggest pitching X-factor.