Mercer Opens 2013 Season at Snowbird Baseball Classic in Sarasota
2/14/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer baseball team opens its highly anticipated 2013 season with three games as part of the Snowbird Baseball Classic starting on Friday evening in Sarasota, Fla.
Mercer officially opens the campaign on Friday against Big 10 member Ohio State at 6 p.m., returning the next day to take on Big East power St. John's on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. before wrapping up its opening weekend with a date against Notre Dame on Sunday morning at 11 a.m.
The 2013 Bears return 21 letterwinners from a season ago, including eight starting position players and 10 pitchers. Preseason First Team All-American Nick Backlund is back along with Atlantic Sun Preseason All-Conference selections Evan Boyd, Chesny Young and Derrick Workman.
Pitching Matchups
Friday
Mercer: LHP David Randall (4-4, 2.51 ERA in 2012)
Ohio State: RHP Jaron Long (6-2, 2.66 ERA in 2012)
Saturday
Mercer: RHP Brandon Barker (5-5, 3.47 ERA in 2012)
St. John's: LHP Ryan Hortsman (First Collegiate Start)
Sunday
Mercer: LHP Forrest Garrett (Transfer from Chipola College)
Notre Dame: RHP David Hearne (First Collegiate Start)
Scouting the Opponents
Led by second year head coach Greg Beals, Ohio State returns eight starting position players and 11 pitchers back from its 2012 squad. The Buckeyes were picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches' poll after going 33-27 overall and 11-13 in Big Ten play last season. Senior Brad Hallberg paces the Ohio State offensive attack after leading the team with a .311 batting average and 15 doubles last season. The Buckeyes employ a very aggressive mindset once they reach base, as they led the Big 10 with 86 stolen bases in 2012.
St. John's had one of the most successful seasons for a northern school in collegiate baseball history in 2012. The Red Storm went 40-23 overall, won the Chapel Hill Regional before falling to Arizona in the Super-Regionals and finished the season ranked No. 15 in the country. St. John's was picked to finish second in the Big East Preseason Coaches' poll despite returning 16 letterwinners from last year's squad. The Red Storm is paced offensively by Big East Preseason All-Conference selection Sean O'Hare, who hit .341 with 15 doubles and 43 RBI in 2012.
Notre Dame is one of the most dangerous teams in the country as touted by experts heading into the 2013 season. The Fighting Irish were picked to finish third in the Big East Preseason Coaches' poll after recording a 31-27 overall record and a 14-13 mark in Big East play a season ago. Notre Dame returns 22 letterwinners from its 2012 squad, including a trio of stars named to the Big East Preseason All-Conference team. Juniors Trey Mancini (.317 avg., 12 HR, 45 RBI), Eric Jagielo (.310 avg., 13 HR, 43 RBI) and Dan Slania (3-0, 2.03 ERA, 13 saves) were all named to the team.
Fast Facts
- Mercer is 6-3 all-time in season openers under 10th year head coach Craig Gibson. The Bears have won two-straight opening day games, including a 22-6 thrashing of Morehead State last season.
- Gibson enters 2013 with an all-time record of 277-233 and is just 23 wins away from becoming the third head coach in Mercer baseball history to amass 300 wins during their time in Macon.
