GAINESVILLE, Fla.\u00a0– No. 3 seed Troy punched a ticket to its first NCAA Super Regional on Monday with a 10-2 victory over No. 8 national seed Florida in the Gainesville Regional Final.<\/p>\n
The Trojans rattled off four straight victories over No. 4 seed Rider, No. 2 seed Miami and host Florida twice after losing its opening game to Miami. Troy will face Little Rock, who won the Hattiesburg Regional as the No.4 seed, in next weekend’s Super Regional for a chance to reach the College World Series.<\/p>\n
In Monday’s final against the Gators, the Trojans were in control on the mound from start to finish. Left-hander Hayden Smith<\/a>, who started against Rider on Saturday, gave Troy four strong innings with three hits, one earned run, two walks and two strikeouts.\u00a0<\/p>\n Smith had the lead before even touching the ball as the Trojans scored two in the top of the first against right-hander Cooper Walls, who lasted just one inning. Aaron Piasecki<\/a> led off with a walk, Josh Pyne<\/a> scorched a ground ball through the left side for a single and Blake Cavill<\/a> moved them into scoring position on a groundout before Jimmy Janicki<\/a> shot a two-run double down the right field line.\u00a0<\/p>\n Florida right-hander Caden McDonald, who also DH’d, kept the Gators in the ballgame with 4.1 scoreless innings, but the Trojans jumped on the rest of the Florida bullpen after McDonald induced a groundout to open the sixth.<\/p>\n When Florida turned to Russell Sandefer, the righty lasted just three hitters after walking the bases loaded. Troy capitalized, putting up a five-spot in the inning with lefty Ernesto Lugo-Canchola on the mound. The rally started with a two-run single by Troy native Drew Nelson<\/a> before a bunt single by Sean Darnell<\/a> added another.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Regional’s Most Outstanding Player, Jabe Boroff<\/a>, broke things open with a two-run double down the left field line. In his next at-bat in the eighth, Boroff rocketed a three-run dagger over the left field wall, the only runs that righty Joshua Whritenour would issue in his three innings.<\/p>\n Benjamin Stubbs<\/a>, who started the opener with Miami on Friday, relieved Smith after a leaoff double by Cade Kurland in the fifth. Stubbs allowed the inherited to score on a Kyle Jones single, but issued no other damage.\u00a0<\/p>\n Noah Thigpen<\/a> earned the save with four innings of one run ball. The sophomore righty limited the Gators to three hits – all in the seventh – while putting Florida down 1-2-3 in the sixth, eighth and ninth. Thigpen struck out four batters without issuing a walk.<\/p>\n Notables
2026 NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team \u00a0C: Jimmy Janicki<\/a>, Troy
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\n<\/p>\n
\n\tTroy punched a ticket to its first super regional in program history. The Trojans had only made it to a regional final twice before – 2006 Tuscaloosa and 2013 Tallahassee – but were unable to force the “if necessary game” in either of those regionals.
\n\tAt the time of this writing, Troy is the only team to win its regional after losing the regional opener. Auburn and USC could both still accomplish that feat, as their games are live as of this writing.
\n\tTroy is one of two No. 3 seeds to win their regional, the other being Cal Poly, which won the Los Angeles Regional.\u00a0
\n\tTroy moves to 7-0 in Hayden Smith’s<\/a> starts this season.
\n\tJimmy Janicki’s<\/a> two-run double in the first inning gave him his 84th and 85th RBIs of the season, which ties Brooks Bryan<\/a> (2024) for Troy’s single-season record.
\n\tJanicki’s double was his 23rd of the season, which is the eighth-most in a single season by a Trojan.
\n\tJabe Boroff’s<\/a> three-run homer in the eighth inning was his ninth of the season and fourth of the Gainesville Regional. It traveled 369 feet with an exit velocity of 111 MPH.
\n\tBoroff’s five RBIs were a season high. His three hits matched the season high that he set against the Gators on Sunday.
<\/p>\n
\nMost Outstanding Plywer: Jabe Boroff<\/a>, Troy<\/p>\n
\n1B: Alex Sosa, Miami
\n2B: Cade Kurland, Florida
\n3B: Josh Pyne<\/a>, Troy
\nSS: Brendan Lawson, Florida
\nOF: Kyle Jones, Florida
\nOF: Houston Markham<\/a>, Troy
\nOF: Steven Meier<\/a>, Troy
\nDH: Caden McDonald, Florida\u00a0
\nSP: Russell Sandefer, Florida
\nSP: PJ Craig, Rider
\nRP: Zach Crotchfelt<\/a>, Troy
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