MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Following a late-game rally to defeat seventh-seeded James Madison on Thursday, sixth-seeded App State sets its sights on a rematch with the third-seeded Troy Trojans, whom the Mountaineers came within an out of beating just two days ago before Troy was able to pull off an extra-inning win.
First pitch on Friday is set for 4 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
App State (28-24, 16-13) was able to stave off elimination Thursday, holding on to defeat James Madison 8-7.
Luke Drumheller ripped a go-ahead double off the first base bag in the bottom of the eighth inning, and
Hayden Cross followed with a two-run home run. After App State gave up two runs in the top of the ninth,
Skylar Brooks got the final two outs with two runners aboard, helped by a leaping catch in left field by
CJ Boyd to end it. Boyd finished with a three-hit game, while Drumheller notched four hits and tied the program record for games played with 225.
The Mountaineers capped off their best regular season since joining the Sun Belt, recording their 16
th conference win on Saturday to secure a spot in the double-elimination bracket. The Mountaineers' 28 wins overall this season are their most since 2013. App State won six of its10 conference series this season, while also knocking off No. 8 Coastal Carolina for its highest ranked win since 2013.
App State is led at the plate by Boyd, who has hit 10 home runs in his last 13 games, is batting .353 on the campaign and is currently in the midst of a 16-game hitting streak. Boyd and
Xander Hamilton were named to first-team All-Sun Belt selections on Monday. Meanwhile,
Xavier Moronta is on an 18-game hitting streak and is batting .335 on the year. Drumheller and Cross are also batting above .300, while Boyd and
Golston Gillespie are tied for the team lead with 15 home runs apiece.
Andrew Terrell's 15 stolen bases are also the most by a Mountaineer since 2013.
Right-hander
Bradley Wilson is scheduled to make the start Friday for the Mountaineers.
SCOUTING THE TROJANS
Troy (39-19, 18-12) suffered a walk-off loss to second-seeded Southern Miss on Thursday night, falling 7-6 in the ninth. Troy trailed 6-3 going to the eighth but plated three runs in the top of the frame to tie the score. It was a role reversal for the Trojans, who scored two in the ninth to force extra innings against the Mountaineers on Wednesday before winning on a walk-off double in the 10th.
At the plate, the Trojans are led by Sun Belt Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year Shane Lewis, who has belted a program-record 27 home runs on the season, the second most by any player in the country this season. William Sullivan is also batting .315 on the year with 16 long balls, while Ethan Kavanagh leads the squad with a .321 average. The Trojans began the season 11-0 in non-conference play and since have won seven of their 10 Sun Belt series on the year. Troy also recorded a notable non-conference win a few weeks ago, taking down SEC foe Auburn on the road on April 25.
SERIES HISTORY
App State and Troy have faced off 25 times, all since the Mountaineers joined the Sun Belt in 2015. The Trojans took two of three in the regular season, just last weekend, winning the opener 3-2 behind a three-run second inning, while coming from behind to win the second game 7-5, scoring the go-ahead runs in the eighth inning. It marked the first time all season that the Mountaineers lost a game when leading after seven innings. The Black and Gold took the series finale, 12-8, helped by a first-inning grand slam from
Golston Gillespie. Following Wednesday's tournament victory, the Trojans lead the all-time series 19-6.
APP AT THE SBC
App State has now won a game at the Sun Belt tournament in each of the past three seasons after not qualifying for the Sun Belt tournament in its first four seasons in the league. The Mountaineers made history with a 1-0 shutout of Texas State in 2021 to earn their first Sun Belt Tournament win.
Eli Ellington recorded the final nine outs to secure the save of the contest, one of three different pitchers to toss three innings that day for the Mountaineers. App State followed that up with a victory over Little Rock last season in the opening round of the tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals, where it lost to Georgia Southern. App State's lone conference tournament championship came as a SoCon member in 1984. It has won six regular season titles, most recently in 2012, when the Mountaineers won a program-record 41 games and advanced to the Charlottesville, Va. regional.
Double Elimination Format (Play In)
5/21/19 Louisiana (#8) L, 6-2
Pool Play Format
5/25/21 Texas State (West #6) W, 1-0
5/27/21 Louisiana (West #1) L, 7-2
Single Elimination Format
5/24/22 Little Rock (#8) W, 10-3
5/27/22 Georgia Southern (#2) L, 7-1
Double Elimination Format
5/24/23 Troy (#3) L, 10-9 (10 inn)
5/25/23 James Madison (#7) W, 8-7
BASHIN' BOYD
CJ Boyd was named a first-team all-conference outfielder in the Sun Belt on Monday and continued his home run barrage with a two-run shot in the fifth inning against Troy on Wednesday. Boyd has now homered 10 times in his last 13 games, tying
Golston Gillespie for the team lead with 15 home runs, the most hit in a single season since 2012. In Sun Belt play, Boyd finished in the top-10 in the league in hits (2nd - 46), slugging (4th – .782), OPS (3
rd – 1.213), home runs (T-3
rd – 12) batting average (4
th – .387) doubles (T-7
th – 11), and RBI (10th – 33). He was named the Sun Belt Player of the Week following an outstanding weekend against Arkansas State. Boyd hit four home runs in the series, going for 7-for-14 (.500) at the plate, while also doubling, scoring seven runs, and driving in seven more.
Following a three-hit game on Thursday, Boyd has hit safely in 16 consecutive games, going 35-for-79 (.443) over that span, raising his average by 72 points, to .353. The ECU transfer is also among Sun Belt leaders in slugging percentage at .690 and boasts an OPS of 1.082. With 15 home runs, 15 doubles and 10 stolen bases, Boyd became the first Mountaineer since Wes Hobson (2010) to boast double-digit homers, doubles, and steals in the same season.
X MARKS THE SPOT
Xaveir Moronta has been a valuable addition for the Mountaineers this season since transferring in from Santa Fe College (Fla.). The outfielder is riding a 18-game hitting streak, going 28-for-71 (.394) over that span, while batting .342 with 12 doubles in Sun Belt play. On the season, the Miramar, Fla., native is slashing .335/.443/.450 with 32 walks compared to 27 strikeouts. He has reached base in 45 of 52 games played this season. He joins
Luke Drumheller and
Golston Gillespie as the only Mountaineers to start in every contest.
THE SAINT RETURNS
Austin St. Laurent notched three hits, including a double, in Thursday's victory over JMU. It marked St. Laurent's best performance since returning from injury last Thursday against Troy. St. Laurent was pulled from the Mountaineers' game at Georgia Southern on April 15 and missed a month of play after undergoing mid-season surgery. After primarily starting at first base last season and center field this season, St. Laurent has played mostly shortstop since being reinserted into the lineup. Overall this season, St. Laurent is slashing .292/.391/.396 in 37 games. The Elon, N.C., native is the reigning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year.
BEAT THE DRUM
Fifth-year senior
Luke Drumheller has recently heated up at the plate, going 9-for-14 (.643) with three doubles, two home runs, and seven RBIs over his last three games. Drumheller is one of the most experienced players in college baseball and has started 208 consecutive games, the most by a Mountaineer in program history. Wednesday, Drumheller tied Hector Crespo's program record, playing in his 225
th game in a Mountaineer uniform. Drumheller is 23
rd among active Division 1 players for career games played. The Charlotte, N.C., native is slashing .306/.409/.440 in 52 games, including 17 multi-hit contests with a four-hit game in the win over JMU on Thursday. He has tallied 264 hits in his career, which is fourth in program history, while his 50 doubles are tied for sixth all-time. Drumheller has hit safely in 42 of 52 games this season. He was a first-team all-conference selection at second base in 2021.
FLASHING LEATHER
App State owns a team fielding percentage of .970 this season, which is tied for sixth best in program history. App State has committed one error or fewer in 40 of its 52 games and committed just two errors over its last seven games. The Mountaineers' best fielding year came in an abbreviated 2020 campaign, when they posted a fielding percentage of .981 when play was halted, and App State followed it up a .976 mark in 2021. Five of the Mountaineers' 15 best fielding seasons came in
Kermit Smith's first six seasons at the helm.
UP NEXT
With a win, the Mountaineers would face second-seeded Southern Miss on Saturday at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN+. A win in that contest would force a rematch with the Golden Eagles at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday for the right to play in the Sun Belt Championship on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
