Wednesday, May 9
Greensboro, N.C.
12:30 P.M.
Mercer University
vs
#7 Western Carolina
Photo by: Dannie Walls Photography
Bears to Open SoCon Tournament with Catamounts
5/8/2018 1:45:00 PM | Softball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer softball team, seeded second, will kick start its 2018 Southern Conference Tournament play with a 12:30 p.m. showdown against No. 7 seed Western Carolina tomorrow at UNCG Softball Stadium in Greensboro, N.C. The Bears enter the tournament with their highest seed since joining the conference and are 32-17 (11-5 SoCon) on the season.
Gameday Outlook
Date: Wednesday, May 9 | 12:30 p.m.
Location: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Stadium
Teams Records: No. 2 Mercer (32-17, 11-5) vs. No. 7 Western Carolina (15-35, 2-15)
Live Stats: mercerbears.com/livestats
Live Video: SoCon Digital Network
Twitter Updates: @MercerUSoftball
Tickets: Purchase here
Game Notes: Mercer
Clipping the Claws
Western Carolina enters the SoCon Tournament with an overall record of 15-35, including 2-15 in league play. One of the Catamounts' two SoCon wins came against Mercer, defeating the Bears 9-1 on April 28 in Cullowhee, N.C. The Bears are 11-5 all-time against Western Carolina and this will mark the first time in program history that the two squads have squared off in the postseason.
Freshman with Poise
Micayla Rood has been a spark in the Mercer offense all season and her incredible freshman campaign was capped off by being named 2018 SoCon Freshman of the Year. Rood becomes the first Mercer freshman to garner the award. The Georgia native is batting .347 on the season, leading the Bears in batting average. Rood has accumulated 34 hits with four going for extra bases and has plated six runs on the season.
Let the Fun Begin
Mercer will kick off its tournament play at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday against the Western Carolina Catamounts. The Bears earned the No. 2 seed after finishing 11- 5, marking the best SoCon finish in program history. The tournament is a double elimination format and is played at the UNCG Softball Stadium in Greensboro, N.C. Mercer reached the league final in 2015 and have only advanced as far as the semifinals since its first season in the league. Mercer is 7-6 all time in the SoCon Tournament.
All-Conference Honors
The Bears were well represented on the 2018 SoCon All-Conference teams. Rood highlighted the Bears' selections by being named 2018 SoCon Freshman of the Year. Mercer placed three members on the First Team All-SoCon in: Megan Lane, Meghan Rud and Micayla Rood. Stella Preston joins them on the Second Team All-SoCon. Meanwhile, three freshmen were named to the SoCon All-Freshman team in: Allie Jones, Micayla Rood and Laurenne Sanchez.
Keys to Fast Start
The Bears post strong numbers when scoring first. Mercer is 23-4 when it scores before its opponent and 9-13 when the opposing squad crosses the plate first. The Bears have also had tight finishes down the stretch and are 7-5 in games decided by 1-2 runs. A number that the Bears intend to improve on is the 5-5 record in neutral-site games. Mercer has not played a neutral-site game since dropping a 4-0 decision to Belmont on March 10 in Kennesaw, Ga.
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Softball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerUSoftball (Twitter), /MercerSoftball (Facebook) and @MercerUSoftball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
Gameday Outlook
Date: Wednesday, May 9 | 12:30 p.m.
Location: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Stadium
Teams Records: No. 2 Mercer (32-17, 11-5) vs. No. 7 Western Carolina (15-35, 2-15)
Live Stats: mercerbears.com/livestats
Live Video: SoCon Digital Network
Twitter Updates: @MercerUSoftball
Tickets: Purchase here
Game Notes: Mercer
Clipping the Claws
Western Carolina enters the SoCon Tournament with an overall record of 15-35, including 2-15 in league play. One of the Catamounts' two SoCon wins came against Mercer, defeating the Bears 9-1 on April 28 in Cullowhee, N.C. The Bears are 11-5 all-time against Western Carolina and this will mark the first time in program history that the two squads have squared off in the postseason.
Freshman with Poise
Micayla Rood has been a spark in the Mercer offense all season and her incredible freshman campaign was capped off by being named 2018 SoCon Freshman of the Year. Rood becomes the first Mercer freshman to garner the award. The Georgia native is batting .347 on the season, leading the Bears in batting average. Rood has accumulated 34 hits with four going for extra bases and has plated six runs on the season.
Let the Fun Begin
Mercer will kick off its tournament play at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday against the Western Carolina Catamounts. The Bears earned the No. 2 seed after finishing 11- 5, marking the best SoCon finish in program history. The tournament is a double elimination format and is played at the UNCG Softball Stadium in Greensboro, N.C. Mercer reached the league final in 2015 and have only advanced as far as the semifinals since its first season in the league. Mercer is 7-6 all time in the SoCon Tournament.
All-Conference Honors
The Bears were well represented on the 2018 SoCon All-Conference teams. Rood highlighted the Bears' selections by being named 2018 SoCon Freshman of the Year. Mercer placed three members on the First Team All-SoCon in: Megan Lane, Meghan Rud and Micayla Rood. Stella Preston joins them on the Second Team All-SoCon. Meanwhile, three freshmen were named to the SoCon All-Freshman team in: Allie Jones, Micayla Rood and Laurenne Sanchez.
Keys to Fast Start
The Bears post strong numbers when scoring first. Mercer is 23-4 when it scores before its opponent and 9-13 when the opposing squad crosses the plate first. The Bears have also had tight finishes down the stretch and are 7-5 in games decided by 1-2 runs. A number that the Bears intend to improve on is the 5-5 record in neutral-site games. Mercer has not played a neutral-site game since dropping a 4-0 decision to Belmont on March 10 in Kennesaw, Ga.
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Softball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerUSoftball (Twitter), /MercerSoftball (Facebook) and @MercerUSoftball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
C/OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballMen’s Basketball Preview | Head Coach Ryan Ridder
Monday, October 27
Women’s Basketball Preview | Head Coach Michelle Clark-Heard
Monday, October 27
Mercer Football Press Conference (Week 9 vs Furman)
Monday, October 27
Mercer 62 | VMI 0 Post Game Press Conference 10.25.25
Sunday, October 26
