Mercer Releases 2017 Softball Schedule

2017 SCHEDULE | 2017 PRINTABLE SCHEDULE

MACON, Ga. – Mercer head softball coach Stephanie DeFeo announced her team's complete 2017 schedule Thursday, revealing a 55-game regular season slate highlighted by a trio of home tournaments and 30 home contests altogether at Sikes Field.

To see the full schedule on MercerBears.com, click here.

"This is yet another great schedule for our team," said DeFeo, who enters her first season as Mercer's sole head coach. "The non-conference slate will provide an excellent test and prepare us for Southern Conference play later in the spring. By facing the likes of Auburn, James Madison, Georgia and Ohio State, among others, in the early weeks of our season, we'll have the chance to prove ourselves against some of the country's top programs.

"Hosting three tournaments at Sikes Field and playing in-state schools such as Georgia State, Georgia and Savannah State will also be great opportunities for our program to show what Mercer Softball is all about. We're excited to get going in February."

TRUE TEST
The Bears' schedule features 17 teams that recorded 30 or more wins a season ago, 11 of which were 2016 NCAA Regional participants. Of those 11, two – Auburn and Georgia – reached the College World Series. The schedule includes 30 contests at Sikes Field and 25 road games against teams that won nearly 54 percent of their combined games a year ago.

HOME SWEET HOME
Mercer will play 13 of its first 18 games at Sikes Field, a place where it has compiled a 52-24 record at over the last three seasons. The season will kick off with the Mercer Invitational on Feb. 10-12 when the Bears host Kent State, Murray State, Portland State and Dayton. After five games at the Plainsman Invitational in Auburn, Alabama the following weekend, the Bears return home to host nine straight games. The stretch will include the Black & Orange Challenge – Savannah State, Marist and Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne will visit – on Feb. 24-26, which is bookended by a mid-week games against Georgia State (Feb. 22) and Florida A&M (March 1).

Another favorable run of 10 straight home games will start March 15 when the Bears host Notre Dame in a mid-week battle. They will then welcome Belmont, Eastern Illinois and Eastern Michigan to Macon on March 17-19 for the Mercer Bears Classic, the final home tournament of the season, before diving into SoCon play the following weekend.

PATH TO A SOCON TITLE
The Bears will open their 18-game SoCon slate with a home series against Chattanooga on March 25-26. Mercer will host the Mocs, UNCG (April 8-9) and Western Carolina (April 29-30) in conference action this spring while traveling to ETSU (April 1-2), Furman (April 15-16) and defending champion Samford (April 22-23).

2017 OPPONENT SNAPSHOT (2016 Records)
Kent State (37-22, 16-7 MAC)
Murray State (24-31, 12-14 OVC)
Portland State (14-35, 7-14 Big Sky)
Dayton (27-21-1, 14-5-1 Atlantic 10)
Delaware State (30-18, 16-2 MEAC)
Creighton (25-22, 7-11 Big East)
Evansville (24-26, 12-14 MVC)
Southern Illinois University at Evansville (28-26, 15-11 OVC)
Auburn (58-12, 16-7 SEC) *2016 College World Series Runner-Up*
Georgia State (33-28, 13-10 Sun Belt)
Savannah State (26-23, 12-2 MEAC)
Marist (45-13, 16-4 MAAC) *2016 NCAA Regional Team*
Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne (11-40, 2-16 Summit)
Florida A&M (27-30, 11-4 MEAC) *2016 NCAA Regional Team*
Kansas (31-20, 8-9 Big 12)
Florida International (29-27, 12-12 C-USA)
Bryant (12-36, 9-7 NEC)
James Madison (50-6, 18-1 CAA) *2016 NCAA Super Regional Team*
Boston College (30-23, 12-9 ACC)
Georgia (46-20, 12-12 SEC) *2016 College World Series Team*
UCF (38-22, 12-4 AAC) *2016 NCAA Regional Team*
Ohio State (34-20-1, 13-9-1 Big 10) *2016 NCAA Regional Team*
Notre Dame (43-13, 13-7 ACC) *2016 NCAA Regional Team*
Belmont (19-35, 11-16 OVC)
Eastern Illinois (25-28, 17-8 OVC)
Eastern Michigan (19-32, 9-14 MAC)
Chattanooga (30-29, 7-11 SoCon)
ETSU (20-22, 9-9 SoCon)
UNCG (33-26, 9-9 SoCon)
South Carolina (38-23, 7-17 SEC) *2016 NCAA Regional Team*
Furman (33-28, 10-8 SoCon)
Samford (40-20, 15-3 SoCon) *2016 NCAA Regional Team*
Western Carolina (33-24, 9-9 SoCon)
Alabama State (28-27, 15-3 SWAC) *2016 NCAA Regional Team*

SAME FACES, NEW SEASON
Despite finishing at the bottom of the conference standings with a 23-35 (4-14 SoCon) record in 2016, the Bears showed why there is plenty of optimism for the new year when they made an impressive run to a third-place finish in the SoCon Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The Bears return eight position starters and five seniors, including 2016 SoCon batting champion and All-SoCon First Team selection Taylor Miller. All five pitchers who saw action in the circle last spring, including 2016 SoCon All-Tournament Team right-hander Megan Bilgri, return as well.

FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Softball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerUSoftball (Twitter), Mercer University Softball (Facebook) and @mercerusoftball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.

Players Mentioned

Megan Bilgri

Taylor Miller

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