Softball Opens 2017 Season With Mercer Invitational

Friday, February 10

Macon, Ga.

2:30 PM ET

Mercer University

Kent State

Softball Opens 2017 Season With Mercer Invitational

2/9/2017 1:19:00 PM | Softball

Kent State Live Stats Murray State Live Stats Portland State Live Stats Dayton Live Stats Mercer Invitational Schedule

The Bears host Dayton, Portland State, Murray State and Kent State

By: Gerrit Van Genderen

MACON, Ga. – Mercer will play host to four teams this weekend as it kicks off the 2017 softball season with the annual Mercer Invitational tournament, featuring 12 total games Feb. 10-12 at Sikes Field.

The Bears, who play a pair of contests Friday and Saturday, host Dayton, Portland State, Murray State and Kent State. They will face Kent State (2:30 p.m.) and Murray State (4:45 p.m.) Friday before taking on Dayton (2 p.m.) and Portland State (4:15 p.m.) Saturday.

Mercer has boded well in its annual season-opening home tournament, going 6-3 over the last two seasons including a 3-2 mark in 2016 with wins over St. Bonaventure (2) and Central Michigan.

TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK
Date: Friday, Feb. 10 – Sunday, Feb. 12
Location: Macon, Georgia | Sikes Field
Teams (2016 Records): Mercer (23-35, 4-14 SoCon); Dayton (27-21-1, 14-4-1 A10); Portland State (14-35, 7-14 Big Sky); Murray State (24-31, 12-14 Ohio Valley); Kent State (37-22, 16-7 Mid-American)
Admission: Free
TV: N/A
Live Stats: MercerBears.com/LiveStats
Twitter Updates: @MercerUSoftball

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

DATE	TIME	TEAMS (HOME UNDERLINED)	LIVE STATS
Friday, Feb. 10	10 a.m.	Dayton vs. Portland State	http://bit.ly/2kQRCFy
Friday, Feb. 10	12:15 p.m.	Kent State vs. Dayton	http://bit.ly/2kucm4W
*Friday, Feb. 10*	*2:30 p.m.*	*Kent State vs. Mercer*	http://bit.ly/2kQNaqi
*Friday, Feb. 10*	*4:45 p.m.*	*Murray State vs. Mercer*	http://bit.ly/2lqwzWS
Friday, Feb. 10	7 p.m.	Portland State vs. Murray State	http://bit.ly/2kVzmKX
Saturday, Feb. 11	9:30 a.m.	Murray State vs. Dayton	http://bit.ly/2kueZDG
Saturday, Feb. 11	11:45 a.m.	Portland State vs. Kent State	http://bit.ly/2kVpsc5
*Saturday, Feb. 11*	*2 p.m.*	*Portland State vs. Mercer*	http://bit.ly/2kQV7f9
*Saturday, Feb. 11*	*4:15 p.m.*	*Dayton vs. Mercer*	http://bit.ly/2kVIS0p
Saturday, Feb. 11	6:30 p.m.	Murray State vs. Kent State	http://bit.ly/2k603si
Sunday, Feb. 12	11 a.m.	Dayton vs. Portland State	http://bit.ly/2k7z0Sj
Sunday, Feb. 12	1:15 p.m.	Kent State vs. Murray State	http://bit.ly/2kXkHyJ

HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Mercer was picked by Southern Conference coaches to finish in a two-way tie for third place in the league standings this spring. Since its first season in the SoCon in 2015, Mercer has been picked second, fourth and third, respectively, in the preseason poll.

Taylor Miller, Quirisa Mauga, Meghan Rud and Taylor Rodgers earned 2017 Preseason All-SoCon honors. Miller was named to her third straight Preseason First Team and was joined by Mauga, who earned her first-ever conference accolade. Rud was named to the Preseason Second Team for the second straight season while Rodgers earned her first preseason SoCon nod.

SAME NAME, NEW REGIME
After three years as Mercer's co-head coach, Stephanie DeFeo enters the 2017 season as the sole head coach of the program. She has added two first-year assistant coaches – Mike Giannamore and Kathleen Watson-Otani – to her staff and looks to build upon last year's 23-35 record with eight returning position players and four returning pitchers.

SCOUTING KENT STATE
The two-time defending Mid-American Conference regular season champion Golden Flashes are expected to reload in 2017, as they were picked to win the MAC East Division for the first time since 2014. Kent State has won 78 games over the last two seasons, including 37 in 2016.

Five position players and all but 1.2 innings pitched return for Kent State from last year's team, highlighted by NFCA All-Mideast Region selections Maddy Grimm (50 career home runs) and Ronnie Ladines (23 wins and 2.54 ERA in 2016).

Mercer fell to Kent State, 2-0, in the 2004 season opener. It is the programs' only head-to-head meeting.

SCOUTING MURRAY STATE
Mercer and Murray State will face one another for the first time ever Feb. 10, as the Racers are coming off to a 24-31 overall record in the 2016 season. The Racers return a pair of 2016 All-Ohio Valley Conference selections, Jessica Twaddle and Mason Robinson. Twaddle batted .335 and swiped 20 bases while Robinson made 36 starts in circle and posted a 1.99 ERA with 119 strikeouts in 2016.

SCOUTING PORTLAND STATE
The Bears will look to improve to 2-0 all-time against the visiting Vikings of Portland State. Mercer won big in the programs' only previous meeting, a 14-4 contest on March 7, 2015. The Vikings went 14-35 (7-14 Big Sky) in 2016.

Portland State loses three of its top four hitters and pitchers from a year ago, but returns Shae Nelson (.336 batting average; second-best on the team) and Alyssa Burk (team-best 3.57 ERA).

SCOUTING DAYTON
Last year's Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year Manda Cash and 2016 All-A-10 First Team catcher Gabrielle Snyder lead a Dayton team that was picked second in its 2017 preseason conference poll. The Flyers went 27-21-1 overall last season but excelled in conference play, going 14-4-1 en route to a second-place finish. Cash struck out 183 batters with just 40 walks last year while Snyder added a .379 batting average at the plate.

Saturday's contest will be the first-ever between Mercer and Dayton.

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.