Avella experienced a breakout series at defending Sun Belt champion Troy. The left-handed swinging third baseman manned the cleanup spot in the Hawks’ lineup during a series victory over the Trojans, who are the coaches’ pick to win a second straight Sun Belt title. He batted .417 (5-for-12) to go along with a .533 on-base percentage over the three-game set. Like any good cleanup hitter, Avella wielded a big bat responsible for two home runs, a double, four RBI, and a 1.000 slugging percentage. The New Jersey native did not strike out once in 15 plate appearances over the weekend. Manning the hot corner, Avella logged nine assists and was charged with one error. Avella began to heat up during the last two innings of the series opener. With Monmouth facing a 5-1 deficit in the eighth, the third-year Hawk sent an 0-2 pitch down the line for a double and later scored to cut Troy’s lead to 5-3. Avella delivered again in the ninth with the Hawks down to their final out. His RBI single tied the game at 5-5 before Troy came back for a walk-off win a half-inning later. Avella reached base twice (single, BB) twice and scored a pair of runs in the middle game of the series, a 7-5 win for Monmouth. He blasted two home runs and walked twice during the rubber match. Powering the Hawks to a 5-1 win, he yanked a 1-2 pitch over the rightfield fence for a two-run bomb in the fourth inning and added solo shot to center in the ninth.