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It has been nearly two weeks since the Troup baseball team claimed its first-ever state championship, but the accolades are still pouring in for the Tigers. Over the weekend, rising junior Davis Moncus was named the MVP for the AAA state championship series against Cherokee Bluff.

“[Coach Tanner Glisson] gave me a call and told me to send him a photo for a graphic for me winning MVP, and it kind of shocked me at first,” Moncus said. “Once it sunk in I realized how amazing it was.”

Moncus had a hit in game one, but it was game three where his impact was most felt. The hard-throwing right-hander pitched a complete game, allowing seven hits and three earned runs while generating a hit and two walks on offense.

“I knew I hadn’t been at my best on the mound in the playoffs, but I was really dialed in going into that game,” Moncus said. “I kept telling myself I had to persevere in that game, it didn’t matter how many guys I walked, how many hits I let up, I just had to flush it and keep pitching.”

There was some stout competition for MVP. Rising senior Carson Walker went 5-for-8 with two RBIs and Jake Perry pitched a complete game shutout in game one. 

It was Moncus’ ability to generate offense, pitch in a crucial game three and play great defense in the outfield in the first two games that made him stand out. 

Moncus also showed a great ability to withstand adversity. In the first inning of game three, Moncus threw over 40 pitches and allowed three runs. Troup head coach Tanner Glisson stuck with Moncus through the early struggles and was rewarded with a dominant performance from there. 

“He really could have pulled me, but him leaving me in gave me all the confidence I needed,” Moncus said. “That really showed you how much he trusts me.”

When Moncus was struggling with his control in game three against Cherokee Bluff, he went to the newly hired Troup High athletic trainer, Maggie Denmon. She drained a blister on his finger, and this allowed him to settle in and find a comfortable grip on the ball.

“I couldn’t really throw my change up, couldn’t really throw some of the pitches I wanted to, so having Maggie there helped me a lot,” he said. 

In between the stellar games one and three for the Tigers was an awful showing in game two.  The entire Tiger team struggled in that game, including Moncus. Troup ended up getting mercy ruled 15-0, and quite frankly, the team was embarrassed. This led to some frustrations in the dugout, but the Tigers reset and refocused and came out in game three with a purpose.

“We had, I wouldn’t call it a scuffle, but a little bit of an argument after the game because we were all mad about how it went,” he said. “We flushed it that night and came back out the next day ready to play.”

The word around Moncus in Troup County has been strong since his middle school days, but now, he is getting more traction around the state and beyond. With his junior year on the horizon, the recruiting trail is just starting to heat up.

While it will be until 2026 that the Tiger faithful get to see their MVP take the diamond again, Moncus is a true two-sport athlete and will be taking the field for Troup under the Friday nights in fall. There is barely any downtime for Moncus as he transitioned straight from baseball into football, but he would have it no other way.