First Round of Baseball Player Blogs

We are going to have several members of the baseball team write short blogs during the 2011 season. The first two installments start now.

Great First Weekend

We had a great first weekend, it was definitely a team sweep. Everyone was involved in every win somehow. To be so early in the year, our team chemistry is really amazing, and that is a very important factor in the outcome of games. We are taught to be all in, all the time, and we definitely are coming together as a team and striving to do just that. Big thanks to all the Trojan fans that came out this weekend, ya'll were awesome. -- senior catcher Todd McRae



Opening Weekend Shows Trojans' Mentality

“Hate to lose. Expect to win.” That is a phrase that I was taught as a high school baseball player at Hoover. When all 20+ players on the 2008 state championship team truly came together and played with that mentality, it was something very unforgettable.

For the first time in my career at Troy, I feel surrounded by team mates with all the same mentality.

When we go to Omaha this year, I’m going to look back at the 2010 Sun Belt Tournament and say that is where it all began. Ending the 2010 season with a loss to FIU in the conference tournament last year, after an incredible late run, couldn’t possibly have created a more starving bunch of young men to set a goal and achieve it.

After realizing how close we were last year and seeing what kind of run we could make when we truly expected to win and hated to lose, we know our goal for Omaha is very reachable.

I’ve never been a part of a harder working team than this year. The fact that we know, as a team, that we are going to out-work every opponent we play is going to lead to a very special season. We will go through our ups and downs, just like any other team in the nation, but we will never, at any point in the season, get distracted from our trip to Omaha.

Starting off the season against High Point in front of a great home crowd was a perfect way to start to our 2011 season. As the opening day starter, the 17 runs on a Friday night start was very appreciated too. Thank you Blake Martz for a career night, Tyler Hannah for a great division one debut, and Adam Bryant for well… just your basic “All-American Adam Bryant performance“.

Finishing the four game sweep against a good High Point team was that sense of picking right back up where we left off last May. This upcoming weekend with Southern Miss is one we have had circled on the schedule from the beginning. It will be a great test for us and we look forward it. It is going to be an exciting atmosphere in Troy, Alabama. Cant wait! (Bart Scott style.)

Remember to follow me on twitter @troytrojan12. Also follow coach Mark Smartt (@CoachMarkSmartt), coach Eric House (@CoachHouse20) and coach Brad Phillips (@BPhillips8635). -- junior pitcher Tyler Ray #12

But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded." 2 Chronicles 15:7

Expect to hear from All-American shortstop Adam Bryant and freshman pitcher Jimmy Hodgskin this week as well.