This weekend, the No. 14-ranked Troy Trojans (37-16, 18-9) earned a 2-1 Sun Belt Conference series win over the Arkansas State Red Wolves (24-26, 12-15) on the road. 

The series win marks Troy’s ninth conference series win and the Trojans remain the only team in the country to have won all of its conference series – and weekend series – matchups during the 2025 season. 

Troy opened the series with a thrilling 9-8 win over Arkansas State on May 9 in extra innings. The Trojans trailed 8-4 going into the seventh inning when Troy rallied to score four runs to tie things up. The two sides closed out regulation tied 8-8 and went into extra innings. 

After two scoreless innings, the score was still tied 8-8 going into the 12th inning. In the top of the 12th, Troy’s Jakob Wax blasted a solo home run to put Troy ahead 9-8 with what would end up as the winning run. In the bottom of the 12th, Troy pitcher Jay Dill struck out three straight batters to secure the Trojans take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Dillon Kuehl and Jimmy Janicki were the only Trojans to collect multiple hits, each tallying two hits. Janicki also drove in two runs and scored one run, while Kuehl drove in one and scored two runs. Houston Markham drove in two runs and both Brooks Bryan and Steven Meier each hit a double. 

Dill (4-1) was the winning pitcher, striking out a career-high 11 batters and giving up just one hit and no runs in five innings on the mound. Blake Cavill earned eight putouts with no fielding errors on defense. 

Troy secured the series win with an 8-7 win in game two on May 10. The two sides battled back-and-forth for the first four innings with the score tied 4-4 going into the bottom of the fifth. The Red Wolves then jumped ahead 7-4 in the bottom of the fifth when Arkansas State blasted a three-run home run to take the lead. 

In the top of the seventh, Troy answered with a solo home run from Brooks Bryan that narrowed the score to 7-5. Troy’s Shane Lewis then belted what would end up the game-winning three-run homer in the top of the eighth to put the Trojans up 8-7. 

Cavill went 3-for-4 at the plate with a homer, two RBIs and two runs, while Bryan went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, an RBI and three runs. 

Jacob Roettgen (2-1) got the win on the mound, striking out two batters and giving up no hits or runs in two and 2/3 innings pitched. Adam Falinski struck out a pair of batters and gave up three hits and three earned runs in three innings on the mound. Colby Frieda earned his first save of the year, striking out two batters and giving up one hit and no runs in one and 1/3 innings pitched. Cavill earned eight putouts with no errors.

“It’s been on full display. We’ve had to have it,” Troy Coach Skylar Meade said of Troy’s fight in the series. “Arkansas State and Coach (Mike) Silva have given us everything you can ask for. These games have been highly contested. Exciting baseball if you’re just a fan. If you tune in I’d imagine you wouldn’t want to change the station – it’s been pretty incredible what you’re seeing. 

“But what a moment for Shane (Lewis). There’s a lot of things that happen over the course of a game. A lot of things that go unheralded, but I think the story is Shane’s pinch-hit, three run homer. What a big moment that he certainly deserves, and to do it in a spot when the team needed it most was just awesome.”

Game three was another tight contest with the Red Wolves avoiding the sweep with a 7-6 win. Troy trailed 7-4 going into the ninth inning and Bryan belted a 2-run homer to bring the Trojans within one run but that was as close as Troy would get with ASU hanging on for the game three win.

Sean Darnell went 2-for-4 with a run, while Peyton Watts went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run. Bryan drove in two runs and Kuehl scored two runs. Luke Lyon (2-2) took the loss on the mound, striking out three batters and giving up nine hits and four earned runs in two and 2/3 innings pitched. Cavill earned 10 putouts and a double play with no errors.

Troy heads into the final weekend of the regular season with a chance to finish as the only team in the country to win every conference and weekend series of the season. The Trojans will host Southern Miss in a conference series May 15-17. Troy will head into next week’s Sun Belt Tournament in Montgomery as no less than a three seed but a sweep over Southern Miss would secure a two seed in the tournament.