Troy Vs. Little Rock Predictions & Preview: 2026 NCAA Baseball Tournament Super Regional
Image credit: Jimmy Janicki (Benjamin Rush/Four Seam Images)
The 2026 NCAA baseball tournament super regional round is set to get underway on Friday, June 5.
To get ready, Baseball America presents our team-by-team previews, including winner predictions for all eight matchups. You can find all of our super regional previews here.
Troy Trojans
Key Player To Know
Jimmy Janicki further cemented himself on the national radar with one of the best offensive seasons by any catcher in the country. The sophomore is hitting .349/.422/.663 with 19 home runs, 23 doubles and 29 walks against just 40 strikeouts. Janicki pairs significant strength and power at the plate with a high-powered throwing arm behind it. His breakout campaign has elevated him to No. 27 on Baseball America’s ranking of college players for the 2027 draft class.
Standout Stat
Senior lefty Zach Crotchfelt has emerged as a critical weapon out of the bullpen, allowing just one earned run over his last 15 innings entering super regional play. For the season, Crotchfelt owns a 3.62 ERA with 72 strikeouts and 22 walks in 59.2 innings. His ability to absorb meaningful innings and extinguish rallies gives Troy an important safety net in a format where bullpen performance often determines who advances.
Why They Could Win
This is uncharted territory for Troy, which is making its first-ever super regional appearance and doing so as a host. The Trojans have enough offensive firepower behind Janicki to stay competitive in high-scoring games and enough arm talent to create problems on the mound. While command can occasionally be inconsistent, the stuff is loud and capable of missing bats in bunches. Add in a trusted late-game option in Crotchfelt, and Troy has more than enough talent to turn a historic season into an Omaha berth.
Why They Could Lose
Pitching volatility has been a persistent issue for Troy. None of the Trojans’ weekend starters enter the super regional round with an ERA below 5.00, creating little margin for error against quality opponents. Troy has enough offensive firepower to overcome those shortcomings on some weekends, but that formula places significant pressure on the lineup to consistently produce. If the bats cool off, the Trojans could find themselves struggling to keep pace.
| Pos | Player | AVG | OBP | SLG | AB | HR | RBI | |
| C | Jimmy Janicki | .349 | .422 | .663 | 261 | 19 | 85 | |
| 1B | Blake Cavill | .283 | .442 | .502 | 233 | 13 | 48 | |
| 2B | Sean Darnell | .256 | .379 | .366 | 227 | 4 | 44 | |
| 3B | Josh Pyne | .290 | .371 | .486 | 259 | 9 | 35 | |
| SS | Aaron Piasecki | .349 | .459 | .536 | 261 | 9 | 45 | |
| OF | Drew Nelson | .300 | .385 | .455 | 233 | 6 | 45 | |
| OF | Steven Meier | .309 | .454 | .525 | 204 | 9 | 43 | |
| OF | Houston Markham | .308 | .348 | .462 | 104 | 3 | 12 | |
| DH | Jabe Boroff | .259 | .385 | .624 | 85 | 9 | 26 | |
| Pos | Player | W | L | IP | ERA | WHIP | BB/9 | SO/9 |
| SP | Benjamin Stubbs | 4 | 3 | 84.1 | 5.12 | 1.49 | 4.0 | 8.3 |
| SP | Hayden Smith | 4 | 0 | 45.0 | 3.00 | 1.24 | 3.8 | 5.2 |
| SP | Tommy Egan | 5 | 5 | 79.2 | 5.65 | 1.46 | 3.4 | 10.3 |
| RP | Zach Crotchfelt | 7 | 2 | 59.2 | 3.62 | 1.39 | 3.3 | 10.9 |
Little Rock Trojans
Key Player To Know
Brannon Westmoreland isn’t the type of pitcher who overwhelms hitters with gaudy strikeout totals, but the 6-foot-6 junior has consistently found ways to get outs all season. Little Rock’s ace enters super regional play with a 3.12 ERA across 98 innings, providing valuable length atop the rotation. Westmoreland’s ability to keep his team in games and absorb innings will be critical if the Trojans are to continue their run.
Standout Stat
Little Rock entered the NCAA Tournament ranked third nationally with a 13.9% offensive strikeout rate. The Trojans consistently put the ball in play, forcing defenses to make plays and pitchers to record outs without the benefit of swing-and-miss. That contact-oriented approach has been a major part of Little Rock’s offensive success and gives it a reliable way to create pressure.
Why They Could Win
Little Rock is disciplined, well coached and comfortable winning games in a variety of ways. The Trojans put the ball in play and do a good job keeping runners off base on the mound. While they don’t rely heavily on strikeouts, they consistently force opponents to earn their offense. There’s also something to be said for momentum. Little Rock has already authored one of the best stories of the postseason, and teams playing with that kind of confidence can be dangerous this time of year.
Why They Could Lose
Simply judging by national rankings across many of the sport’s most important team statistics, Little Rock is a significant underdog at this stage of the tournament. The Trojans’ offense has been effective, but it hasn’t always translated into a high volume of runs, leaving relatively little margin for error. On the mound, they do a good job limiting traffic, but since they aren’t a major swing-and-miss staff, they allow opponents opportunities to drive the baseball. Against the caliber of competition remaining, those opportunities become increasingly dangerous.
| Pos | Player | AVG | OBP | SLG | AB | HR | RBI | |
| C | Trey Hill | .241 | .341 | .398 | 108 | 4 | 15 | |
| 1B | Angel Cano | .293 | .364 | .504 | 242 | 12 | 31 | |
| 2B | Cooper Chaplain | .224 | .325 | .402 | 174 | 7 | 33 | |
| 3B | Nolan Freund | .329 | .376 | .474 | 228 | 8 | 44 | |
| SS | Jerdy Lopez | .284 | .374 | .347 | 236 | 0 | ||
| OF | Blake Simpson | .354 | .421 | .520 | 127 | 3 | 28 | |
| OF | Kade Smith | .329 | .420 | .476 | 246 | 5 | 45 | |
| OF | Ty Rhoades | .278 | .330 | .416 | 209 | 3 | 38 | |
| DH | Nico Baumbach | .337 | .404 | .485 | 169 | 4 | 30 | |
| Pos | Player | W | L | IP | ERA | WHIP | BB/9 | SO/9 |
| SP | Brannon Westmoreland | 6 | 2 | 98.0 | 3.12 | 1.20 | 2.0 | 7.4 |
| SP | Brigden Parker | 3 | 3 | 73.1 | 5.03 | 1.45 | 4.3 | 7.4 |
| SP | Nic Bronzini | 2 | 2 | 52.2 | 4.61 | 1.44 | 4.1 | 9.9 |
| RP | Tag Andrews | 5 | 2 | 44.2 | 3.02 | 1.16 | 4.2 | 8.9 |
