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“The word team pretty much describes it,” McMurtry said after Troy defeated Trinity 13-6 in a Class 2A bi-district playoff game last week.
Trojans coach Steve Sebesta agrees.
“Our sophomores have really grown together,” he said. “They trust each other and have learned how to rely on each other. There is a big difference in the way they are playing. Our seniors have taken them and led them in the right direction. This is probably the most team chemistry we’ve had here in recent years.”
The sophomores - third baseman Dylan Sebek, catcher Justin Gregory, second baseman Zach Lynch and center fielder Trey Collier - had a combined six hits and five runs in their opening-round playoff victory.
They’ll look to keep the momentum going when Troy (16-9) meets Danbury (18-9) at 7:30 tonight in a one-game area-round matchup.
“We’re pretty confident, but at the same time we don’t want to be too confident,” Sebesta said. “We know it’s the playoffs and every team we meet will be good.”
The winner will advance to next week’s Region IV quarterfinals to face either fourth-ranked and District 25-2A champion Salado - which Troy split its season series with - or Edna.
Senior pitcher McMurtry once again will get the starting nod after Troy won the coin flip to decide whether the teams played one game or a series.
A 6-6 right-hander, McMurtry (8-2) hasn’t been dominant in recent outings but has managed to help the Trojans win.
Against Trinity, McMurtry allowed six runs and walked eight batters while throwing 153 pitches in a complete game.
“I don’t think he’s dominated with the strikeouts like he has (earlier in the season),” Sebesta said. “He gets groundball outs and has kept his strikes down. We’re playing pretty good defense behind him.
“To give ourselves a chance (tonight), we’re going to have to be more aggressive - at the plate, on the basepaths and execute some hit-and-run.”
Good defense, timely hitting and execution helped Troy earn 25-2A’s final playoff spot. Those ingredients are the main reasons Danbury’s Panthers rebounded from a last-place 27-2A finish in 2007 to become champions this year.
“We don’t have the one guy that we say, ‘OK, this guy can do this,’” Danbury coach Steve Davis said. “Good pitching, good defense and timely hitting is what we’re all about.”
In 2005, the Panthers won the district championship with a senior-laden group. In 2006, a Danbury squad with mostly freshmen reached the playoffs. Davis said that last year’s Panthers had big expectations but key injuries and seven one-run losses out of nine district defeats haunted them.
This year, Danbury has found a way to turn those close losses into victories.
“I think the ball’s just bounced our way. We get down, but the kids find ways to battle back,” Davis said.
Junior left-handed pitcher Scott Zimmerle is Danbury’s expected Game 1 starter and also its leading hitter. Matt Dees, who has moved from second base to third, and Dillon Peltier are also top offensive threats.
For the Panthers to advance, they’ll need the timely hits that helped them return to the postseason.
“They’re pretty solid defensively and would have been tough to beat in our district,” Davis said of Troy. “We need to pitch, hit well and string those hits together. I know Trinity had a couple of chances but they couldn’t get that one big hit. We have to capitalize the most we can on our opportunities."
cmeister@temple-telegram.com