Troy’s catcher Jabe Boroff—dubbed “Jabe Ruth” by teammates—hit two home runs in the Trojans’ 12–2 win over Little Rock and helped set up a Super Regional where Troy is one victory away from its first-ever trip to Omaha.
Troy’s run toward the College World Series didn’t arrive with fireworks from Omaha—it showed up in Gainesville. Fla. where the Trojans beat Florida 10–2 on Monday. June 1. 2026. at Condron Family Ballpark in the winner-take-all game of the Gainesville Regional. One more win, and the program’s first trip to Omaha becomes real.
The name spreading through the fan noise has been Jabe Boroff’s. His teammates have dubbed him “Jabe Ruth,” and the tournament has made the nickname feel earned. The Trojans’ chances didn’t just rely on one big moment, either. In the NCAA Baseball Championship Gainesville Regional. Boroff powered the Trojans with a home run into the patriotic “bounce house” area in left field.
That kind of scene fits with what’s been happening across the first stretch of this NCAA tournament: major upsets. crowd-favorite moments. and teams that don’t just win—they make the whole place feel like it belongs to them. Troy is among those teams. After hosting meaningful games and upsetting Florida twice to reach the next round, Troy now sits one step from Omaha.
The momentum carried into the Super Regional. Troy pummeled Little Rock 12–2 in Game 1 on Friday, during the program’s first-ever hosting of a Super Regional. Boroff hit two home runs in that game. including an eighth-inning grand slam into the patriotic bounce house in left field. Between those swings, Troy didn’t merely win—it overwhelmed.
Boroff’s rise is what’s been hardest for people to ignore. He was hitting .114 with one home run on May 9. Less than a month later, his numbers jumped to .270 with 11 home runs. He’s hitting like a player who can’t miss, and the tournament stats match the spotlight. He has six home runs in the tournament so far, with 18 RBIs in six games. In Troy’s first Super Regional game Friday, he hit two homers and drove in half the team’s runs.
The story has also been tied to what college baseball still lets fans feel: the sudden emergence of players who were overlooked before the tournament gave them a stage. Boroff is one example. He spent his first two years at Enterprise State before showing up in Troy’s lineup and turning this run into something bigger than a season highlight.
There’s another reason the Boroff moment has landed so hard. and it’s the contrast between where college sports has been heading and what this tournament keeps proving is still possible. The piece of the national conversation that has been loud lately—NIL and the transfer portal—has made college sports feel more transactional. Troy’s run. especially with Boroff at the center. reads differently: it feels like a team growing together on the field. winning with meaning. and keeping fans close.
The week began with Nick Saban sounding the alarm on the state of college athletics. By the time the tournament’s first stretch ended. Troy was hosting a Super Regional for the first time. attendance records were being shattered. and the program’s games went viral for reasons people could actually point to—the atmosphere. the upsets. the moments. and a catcher who went from .114 to .270.
Troy’s path now narrows to one game. After upsetting Florida twice and then winning 10–2 in the winner-take-all matchup at Condron Family Ballpark on Monday. June 1. 2026. the Trojans have reached the brink of their first-ever trip to Omaha. For a tournament that has already delivered unforgettable scenes. Boroff’s home runs—especially the patriotic shots that keep going viral—have turned that brink into something fans can see clearly.
Troy Trojans Jabe Boroff Jabe Ruth NCAA baseball Omaha College World Series Gainesville Regional Condron Family Ballpark Super Regional Florida Little Rock Enterprise State