With one of the toughest schedules in Trojan baseball history and an attitude that makes the impossible possible, the Trevecca Trojan baseball team began the 2003 season. Led by Head Coach Jeff Forehand in his third season as the Trojan skipper, Trevecca blasted out of the gates with one of the best starts in school history.
Beginning the season at the Capital City Classic in Montgomery, Alabama, the Trojans faced four top 20 NAIA teams--and beat three of them. In the Trojans' season opener, they defeated No. 8 Lambuth University, then beat No. 13 St. Thomas College and No. 5 Faulkner University. After losses to NCAA D-1 opponents Austin Peay and Vanderbilt University, the Trojans swept a four-game series from Campbellsville University and upset cross-town rival Lipscomb University (NCAA D-I) to cap an 11-4 start to the season entering TranSouth Conference play.
After losing two of three from eventual conference regular season champs Lee University, the Trojans went on a five-game winning streak, including two wins against conference foe Freed-Hardeman University. Trevecca went on to take two more wins over No. 5 Cumberland University and No. 12 Spalding University. Trevecca would play eleven games against NAIA Top 25 teams and came away with eight wins. Sophomore Todd Dunlap earned TranSouth Conference Pitcher of the Week honors midway through the season. Trevecca junior Luke Howell earned TranSouth Conference Player of the Week Award for his play leading into the final week of the regular season.
Trevecca finished fourth in the TranSouth Conference regular season standings (11-10) and 35-20 overall. The 11-10 conference record is the best conference record since the 1994 Trojans went 14-10 in the Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference. The 35 overall wins is the most wins since the 1989 team finished 40-17. Only three Trevecca teams have had more wins than the 2003 team.
As the fourth-seed in the TSAC tournament, the Trojans took a first-round loss at the hands of tournament host Union University in a four-hour, eleven-inning marathon of a game. Trevecca bounced back, however, and mounted an amazing run in the loser's bracket, defeating Freed-Hardeman University, Berry College, and No. 8 Lee University. In the semi-finals game of the conference tournament, Trevecca, having been held scoreless only three times in the regular season, was shutout in a close 2-0 loss to Martin Methodist College to end the Trojans' conference run and season with a third-place conference finish and overall record of 35-20.
For their post season play, three Trojans made the All-TranSouth Conference Team. Junior DH Kyle Felts was named to the All-TranSouth First Team while senior Randall Harbert and junior Keith Black both earned Second Team All-TranSouth honors.
After starting his Trevecca career with a 15-40 season three years ago, Head Coach Jeff Forehand has turned the Trojan Baseball Program around with a two-year record of 67-49. Forehand has led Trevecca to back-to-back third-place finishes in the TranSouth Conference Tournament.
