Super Bowl Update

Story on dothaneagle.com HERE.

Quick phone call to Troy head baseball coach Bobby Pierce yielded some interesting tidbits. The call was about Auburn playing at Troy during the 2013 baseball season. Originally, those two were not going to play. The game is March 26, a Tuesday, at Troy. There is no game scheduled at Auburn.

Pierce said Auburn reached out to Troy for the game.

**Of note, Troy and Alabama may play a game at the new Pensacola Blue Wahoos ballpark next season. Troy has agreed to play there, and the committee is waiting to see if Alabama will commit to it. They want to showcase their first college game at that ballpark before the pro season starts between Troy and Alabama. If Alabama can't play or won't play, they are not sure how they will go forward. Troy is scheduled to play one game next season vs. Alabama, at Alabama on May 8. Not sure if that date would be changed or not.

"The (Pensacola) sports committee had a matchup they would like to see for their first college game on their field," Pierce said. "We have agreed to play there. We're trying to be who we are. If it helps baseball out and helps them out, we are OK with it."

**The Sun Belt Tournament is going back to a double-elimination format for the 2013 Sun Belt Tournament, to be held in Lafayette, La. Pierce said he was fine with that but voted on round robin to help prepare the regional teams for regional play the following week.

**They are deciding if they'll move the Sun Belt Conference Tournament to neutral sites beginning in 2015. The 2014 tournament is in South Alabama.

**Also, it's in the cards to move the tournament to 10 teams when the conference expands to 12 baseball teams in 2014. There will be two divisions which you may have already seen. Each team will play their five division opponents and five of six opponents from the other division for 10 conference series.

**Roster and injury wise, Pierce said "everybody is ahead of schedule for their recovery" and that pitchers Shane McCain and Ryan Sorce, who missed last year because of arm surgeries, will be able to throw some competitively this fall. Signee Ben Tidwell, a left-handed pitcher, will miss the season after Tommy John surgery.

**After setting a league record with 19 home runs, Troy third baseman Danny Collins won the New England Collegiate Baseball League's MVP award.