Mercer Softball Continues Non-Conference Play at Florida St.
4/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer softball team had the weekend off and will walk into tomorrow's 4 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at Florida State with almost a week's rest.
The Bears (21-15, 4-6 A-Sun) played just a pair of games last week, taking one of two at No. 22 Auburn on Wednesday. It was Mercer's first win against a ranked opponent in Mike Raynor's tenure and the team has now won four of its last five games. With solid rest, the Bears shift their focus to six games on the slate this week.
First, it will be another tough non-conference test with the ACC's Florida State. Tuesday's doubleheader was a late addition as a result of the Bears' seven rainouts this season and will be the second time in as many years that the two teams have faced one another.
After Tuesday's tilt, the Bears will resume A-Sun action this weekend with East Tennessee State and USC Upstate headed to Macon on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
LAST TIME OUT
AT AUBURN - April 6 - W, 3-0 (game 1); L, 5-0 (game 2)
AUBURN, Ala. – Mercer softball head coach Mike Raynor picked up his first win against a ranked opponent last Wednesday night by defeating No. 22 Auburn, 3-0, at Jane B. Moore Field.
Raynor, a fifth-year head coach, can now add taking down the No. 22 ranked team in the country to the number of impressive accomplishments in his time at Mercer. Raynor has had success against Auburn, and improved his record to 4-3 against the Tigers since taking over in 2007.
The Bears fell in game two, 5-0 but walked away from the series with a 2-1 overall record against SEC opponents in 2010 (Mercer beat Mississippi St., 6-5 on February 25).
SCOUTING THE SEMINOLES
The Seminoles currently sit in sixth position in the ACC with a 5-7 conference record. FSU is 19-21 overall and lead in the all-time series against the Bears 25-0. Mercer held a brief 1-0 lead over the Seminoles last season when the two teams met the first week of the season in Tallahassee, Fla. FSU rallied and pulled out the narrow, 2-1 victory.
This season, the 'Noles are led by senior Jen Lapicki who is batting .367, with 22 RBI on 40 hits. Closely behind her is a trio of players who have also recorded 40 hits or more in 2011. Senior Robin Ahrberg, sophomore Tiffani Brown and junior Shayla Jackson all maintain batting averages over .300 and have 40 or more hits this year.
Inside the circle, the Seminoles have ridden the arm of Sarah Hamilton to 12 of their 19 wins. Hamilton represents 57 percent of the Seminoles total innings pitched this season, with three other pitchers splitting the remainder of the work. In 30 appearances, Hamilton has thrown 16 complete games with a 1.93 ERA and 193 strikeouts.
QUICK HITS
- Mercer senior pitcher Jenni Holtz is just two strikeouts away from 900 for her career. The fourth-year player from Tracy, Calif., would be just the third player in Atlantic Sun History to reach the 900-strikeout plateau. Already this season, Holtz has become Mercer's all-time leader in wins when she defeated Stetson on April 3.
