By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

When the USA Today revealed its preseason high-school baseball rankings, IMG Academy was at the top of the heap.

IMG Academy, which is located in Bradenton, Fla., has some of the top high-school players in the country, which is why its ranked first in the USA Today poll.

The Troup Tigers will get to see first-hand how formidable an opponent IMG Academy is.

Troup is participating in the Perfect Game Showdown in Hoover, Ala., and its opening opponent will be IMG Academy.

Those two teams will square off at 8:30 p.m. today at the Hoover Met Complex.

Troup completes pool play with a game against Coffee County on Friday at 3 p.m.

After pool play, Troup will play two more games in a tournament that wraps up on Saturday.

The tournament features elite teams from across the country, including an IMG squad that is loaded.

Brennan Malone, according to Perfect Game, is the number-two ranked high-school pitcher in the country.

Kendall Williams hit .350 last season while posting a 1.81 earned run average on the mound, and shortstop Rece Hinds is one of the country’s top players at his position.

Coffee County, Troup’s second opponent, doesn’t have the pedigree of IMG Academy, but it is a talented team.

Seniors first baseman Brayden Amerson and senior center fielder Brady Courson lead Coffee County.

Troup brings a 2-4 record into the tournament after falling to Auburn on Monday.

Senior pitcher Colby Williams, who has signed with Kennesaw State, could get the call for today’s game against IMG Academy.

When Williams isn’t pitching, he’s the shortstop and the leadoff hitter.

Fellow senior Jackson Knox, who has signed with Marion Military Institute, will also pitcher for the Tigers in the tournament.

Cade Garner, Daniel Martin, Carson Garner, Colton Webb and Tre Mosley have also pitched for the Tigers this season.

They could all end up on the mound in Hoover.

Senior catcher Cooper Doughman, who has signed with Chattahoochee Valley Community College, will likely be behind the plate for all four tournament games.

Other stalwarts in the lineup for the Tigers include Caleb McCurry, Colton Webb, Trace Meadows, Cade Garner, Brett Haynes and Grayson Garner.

After the Perfect Game tournament, Troup has games against Central-Phenix City and Woodward Academy next week before opening Region 5-AAAA play on March 18 against Central-Carroll.

Troup has won outright or shared the region championship for three consecutive seasons.