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TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (0-3) vs. TRINITY CHRISTIAN TROLLS (1-3)
Saturday, February 28 | 10:00 a.m. / 12:00 p.m. / 2:00 p.m.
McNairy Central HS | Selmer, Tenn.
Game Notes
This Week
The non-conference portion of the baseball season continues this week against a familiar foe, as the Trojans take on CCAC rivals Trinity Christian in a four-game series beginning Friday night. The Trojans and Trolls will journey south to find warm weather, battling in Selmer, Tenn. beginning with a doubleheader Friday at 5:00 p.m. The series wraps up Saturday morning, with another doubleheader starting at 10:00 a.m.
Last Time Out
Trinity kicked off the 2015 season two weeks ago, with a tripleheader against the Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) Trojans in Sauget, Ill. TIU dropped all three games, as the offense struggled to drive in runs, and the pitching gave up first-inning scores in two of the three contests.
The Trojans were shut out in the season opener, after Hannibal-LaGranged took an early lead with two runs in the top of the first. TIU had their best offensive game in game two, scoring four runs, but giving up five in the first two innings. HLGU took an early advantage again in the nightcap, with three first-inning runs on their way to a sweep on the day.
Freshman Impact
Multiple first-year players have gotten off to a good start after the opening weekend. Outfielder Colt Foerch leads the Trojans so far, with a .500 batting average and a .545 on-base percentage. The Deerfield, Ill. native has a team-high five hits, and is the lone Trojan to pick up a hit in each game of the season-opening tripleheader.
Infielder Joshua Burgos hit .375, going 3-for-8 against HLGU, while also throwing an inning of relief in game two. The Juncos, P.R. native pitched a perfect sixth inning in the middle game, then went 2-for-3 in game three.
Catcher Edward Piotrowski had one of the best single-game performances in game three, going 2-for-3 with a double and triple while scoring a run. Piotrowski finished with a .222 average by the end of the day.
Top Returners
Trinity returns five of the six hitters last season with at least 100 at-bats, including the two players who finished with above-.300 averages in 2014, Cameron Stanley and Adam Vignola. In all, the Trojans will lose just three players who compiled eight or more starts last season, bringing back a solid foundation of returners alonside seven new freshman and two transfer students.
Family Business
Head coach Paul Grotelueschen begins his second season in charge of the Trojan baseball program, after two seasons as the TIU pitching coach. Coach Grotelueschen came to Deerfield after 23 years of service in the United States Air Force. Before his military career, Grotelueschen played professional overseas, and then coached his teams to a pair of championships in both the Netherlands and Italy.
Joining Grotelueschen on the TIU coaching staff is his son, Paul Grotelueschen, Jr., in his first season as assistant coach. Paul Jr. played four seasons at Trinity International as a pitcher from 2010-13. Two current Trojans are also memebers of the Grotelueschen family: senior infielder Andrew, and junior outfielder Jonathan.
Double-Duty
Three TIU baseball players spent part of their winter pre-seasons playing for the first-year TIU Men's Volleyball program. Seniors Austin Galley, Andrew Grotelueschen, and Cameron Stanley made up to nine appearances for the Trojan volleyball squad this season, before the start of the baseball campaign. Stanley recorded an average of 1.13 digs per set during his brief time with the team.
Last Time vs. Trinity Christian
• The Trojans last met Trinity Christian in the season finale last year, when TIU suffered a doubleheader sweep on May 1, 2014. The games were played in Wheaton, Ill. due to an unplayable field at TIU.
• The Trojans tied the game in the bottom of the 3rd on a Cameron Stanley triple, driving in Jeff Lindberg, but the Trolls reclaimed the lead with a run in the fourth, then tacked on three more in the seventh for a 5-1 win in game one.
• TCC scored in each of the first four innings of game two, before a two-RBI single from Stanley highlighted a three-run fifth inning. That would be all the offense for the Trojans, however, in a 10-3 loss.
Trojan Pitching Staff
• Freshman Joshua Crist currently holds the team's low ERA among starters, at 4.50 after his first appearance. Crist threw four innings in game three against Hannibal-LaGrange, allowing a pair of earned runs and a .294 average.
• Devin Duncan (2.2 IP, 3.38 ERA) and Joshua Burgos (1.0 IP, 0.00 ERA) had strong performances out of the bullpen, giving up just one earned run in three combined appearances.
Heavy Hitters
• The Trojans currently have four players hitting at least .300, led by Colt Foerch's .500 average, which ranks the freshman 20th in the NAIA.
• Jon Debowey has a team-high .600 slugging percentage, after hitting the team's first home run of the year. Debowey holds a .300 average, with 1 RBI and two runs scored.
