“We talked about Salado and how they beat us 20-2,” Troy coach Steve Sebesta said. “We knew we had to stay focused and prepare for not only our next game but each game. We’re a team that doesn’t get too high on wins and too low on losses.”
Since the blowout, Troy (15-9) has been in playoff mode. The Trojans avenged the Salado loss and swept the all-important season series with Rosebud-Lott to earn 25-2A’s third and final playoff berth.
Now the battle-tested Trojans will see how well the district prepared them when they face 26-2A runner-up Trinity (22-5) at 7:30 tonight in Fairfield in a one-game Class 2A bi-district playoff.
The winner advances to meet 27-2A champion Danbury in an area playoff game next week.
Troy has already received a bit of good luck.
With the fortunate flip of the coin, the matchup will be a one-game playoff, just what Sebesta and Troy had hoped for instead of a three-game series Trinity favored.
“We like our chances a little better in a one-game series,” Sebesta said. “We feel like a one-game series better suits our club. Defensively, we’re in a better setup. We’re still confident in a three-game series, but defensively this works better for us.”
Troy will give the ball to ace Jake McMurtry, who is 7-2 with a 2.37 earned-run average. The 6-6 senior right-hander, who twice beat Rosebud-Lott, has pitched more than 42 percent of the Trojans’ innings while holding opponents to a .184 batting average.
Josh Fredrick leads Troy with a .466 batting average, Justin Gregory is at .373 and Jordan Hayes is hitting .358.
While McMurtry and Fredrick are key players who have playoff experience after losing in a three-game series to Rio Vista in 2006, most of the Trojans, such as sophomore regulars Gregory, Dylan Sebek and Trey Collier, will make their postseason debuts.
“It’ll be the first time for those guys but we feel like our district has prepared us for that,” said Sebesta, whose team didn’t schedule a practice game and hasn’t played in 10 days. “We feel like it’s a playoff game every Tuesday and Friday night.”
Trinity enters the playoffs experienced and hungry.
The Tigers lost to eventual champion Rogers in the Region IV finals in 2007 and lost to Hughes Springs in the regional semifinals in ’06.
Trinity will start Jonathan Austin (6-0, 1.62 ERA). If Austin were to get into trouble, Jamie Drake and Jered McKee, who are a combined 11-2, will be available in relief.
Second baseman Micah Hoevelman leads the team with a .437 average, while catcher McKee has a .410 average and 42 RBI. Every Trinity starter bats above .348.
“They’re pretty solid hitting the ball 1-6 and they’re loaded with right-handers on the mound,” Sebesta said. “I still feel like we’re confident enough and ready to play.”
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
