Softball Concludes Regular Season At Western Carolina

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – With the Southern Conference Tournament right around the corner, the Mercer University softball team will conclude regular season play in a three-game series at Western Carolina this weekend. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 7 at Catamount Softball Complex.

SERIES HISTORY
Mercer and Western Carolina will meet for the eighth, ninth and 10th times in an all-time series the Bears lead 6-1. Mercer is 4-1 against Western Carolina in head coach James DeFeo's five-year tenure, including a series win last season in Macon, Ga. on the opening weekend of SoCon play. The Bears won the series opener and rubber match, 3-2 and 3-1, while dropping Game 2, 6-5. The series-clinching win was highlighted by a pair of RBI-singles from current Bears Taylor Rodgers and Kaytlin Haney.

SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS
Western Carolina enters its final regular season series with a 31-21 overall record and 7-8 mark in SoCon play and sits in a two-way tie for fourth place in the league standings. Coming off of a 13-day stretch of no play, the Catamounts are 4-6 in their last 10 games including two series losses at Samford and Furman. They are 9-5 at home as well.

Senior right-hander Taylor Sigmon highlights a Western Carolina pitching staff that ranks third in the SoCon in ERA (3.66) and first in strikeouts (357). Sigmon (12-13) owns a 2.57 ERA and leads the league in strikeouts with 186. Opponents are batting only .228 against her in 158.0 innings pitched.

The Catamounts average a shade under five runs per game offensively and are led by senior Crystal Cyr, who ranks first in nearly every offensive category for them, including batting average (.344), hits (54), home runs (15) and RBIs (48).

RECAPPING LAST WEEKEND

Mercer was swept by Furman in its final home series of the season at Sikes Field, falling 2-1, 3-0 and 8-2.
It was Family Weekend/Senior Day at Mercer and seniors Kaytlin Haney and Natalie Shiver, who have contributed to 118 wins in their four-year careers, were honored before the first pitch on Sunday, May 1.
The Bears couldn't get their offense rolling, scoring only three runs despite picking up 20 hits on the weekend and left 16 runners on base. Freshman Shaila Warren and Shiver had one multi-hit game each while sophomore Megan Bilgri tossed 15 innings over three appearances and two starts.

MERCER FACTS & FIGURES

ROARING IN MAY
Mercer is 13-9 in the month of May over the past six seasons, including 0-1 this year and a 7-6 mark in the past two when they've made consecutive runs to their respective conference tournament championship games.

SOCON ROAD WARRIORS
Mercer looks to improve its 5-11 mark on the road this season when taking on Western Carolina in Cullowhee, N.C. The Bears have two SoCon victories on the road this season, one coming in each of the UNCG and Chattanooga series.

CREAM OF THE CROP
Junior Taylor Miller continues to add to one of the best offensive seasons in Mercer history. Her career-best junior campaign includes her leading the SoCon in stolen bases (24) and ranking in the top-three of batting average (.418) and hits (71). Miller is one of only two Mercer players all-time to have 70 hits and 20 stolen bases in a season, joining McKenzie Woody. Both players have done it twice – Miller in 2015 (83 hits, 21 steals) and 2016 and Woody in 2012 (74 hits, 24 steals) and 2013 (80 hits, 23 steals).

CATCH THEM IF YOU CAN
The Bears have dominated the basepaths this season. Mercer has stolen a SoCon-high 73 bases through 51 games played, 19 more than the next closest league team (Samford, 54). Ranking 59th in the nation with 1.43 steals per game, Mercer is highlighted by the duo of Miller and sophomore Meghan Rud, who lead with SoCon with 24 and 20 swipes, respectively. Five other Bears – Shiver (5) sophomore Emma Andrew (4) and freshmen Lindsay Boynton (4), Megan Lane (6) and Shaila Warren (8) – have stolen at least four bases as well.

FITTING THE BILL
After logging 15 innings in three appearances, including two starts, against Furman last weekend, sophomore Megan Bilgri has thrown more than double the number of innings she did as a freshman in 2015. The right-hander has tossed 80.0 innings, following a mark of only 37.2 innings last season. Her 80.0 innings rank second on the team. She's tied for the lead in wins (six), leads the Bears with 24 appearances and has six complete games, two of which were shutouts, as well.

LEADING THE CHARGE
Shiver and sophomore Quirisa Mauga have been two of Mercer's hottest bats since the start of SoCon play on March 25. Shiver is batting .411 with four extra-base hits and a team-high 18 RBIs during the stretch. Mauga, hitting .333 with 17 hits during the 19 games, has nine extra-base hits and 13 RBIs. Both own .589 and .649 slugging percentages during the period.

COUNT ON ME
Junior Taylor Rodgers has continued an impressive run of pinch-hitting chances this season. She's 4-for-6 in such opportunities with seven RBIs and two walks. Thanks to a five-game hitting streak, the utility specialist has additionally raised her season batting average to .325 and her SoCon-play average to .421 (8-for-19).

TO THE MAX
Junior Maxine Rodriguez has emerged as Mercer's top arm in the circle this season. The junior ranks ninth in ERA (3.56) and sixth in opposing batting average (.267) among SoCon pitchers while leading Mercer with six wins. Her bat has heated up too, as her 15 RBIs at the plate since the start of league play rank second on the team.

BATTLE-TESTED FRESHMEN
Mercer's three freshman starters – Warren, Boynton and Lane – have stepped in and succeeded immediately this season. Warren has started all 51 games and is batting .375 in SoCon play to raise her season batting average to .314 entering the final series of the season. Lane and Boynton have started 41 and 32 games, respectively, while Boynton ranks top-three among Bears in home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage and walks. The trio has totaled a combined 93 hits, 11 home runs, 64 RBIs, 18 stolen bases and 67 runs scored.

DEFEO CLOSING IN
Head coach James DeFeo continues to move closer to the all-time wins record at Mercer following the Bears' victory at Chattanooga on Saturday, April 23 – the 144th of his career. He needs only nine wins to surpass Ken Phillips' (1992-2001) mark of 152. DeFeo boasts the best winning percentage (.533) among all six of Mercer's all-time coaches.

AIM FOR FIVE
All of Mercer's 20 wins this season have come when scoring five runs or more. When the Bears reach at least six runs, they boast a 14-4 record as well.