Mercer Returns Home to Host Notre Dame

Wednesday, March 15

Macon, Ga.

6 PM ET

Mercer University

Notre Dame

3/14/2017 4:35:00 PM | Softball

Watch Live Stats

Bears and Fighting Irish meet for first time since 1994

By: Patrick T. Walsh

MACON, Ga. – Mercer returns home to Sikes Field in Macon Wednesday night as the Bears will play host to Notre Dame at 6 p.m. in a televised matchup.

GAMEDAY OUTLOOK
Date: Wednesday, March 14
Location: Macon, Ga. | Sikes Field
Teams: Mercer (12-15) vs. Notre Dame (11-10)
TV: ASN | Watch ESPN (blackout restrictions apply)
TV Talent: Todd Wilson (play-by-play); Al Kessler (analyst)
Live Stats: MercerBears.com/LiveStats
Twitter Updates: @MercerUSoftball

QUICK HITS
• Mercer hosts Notre Dame in a single game on Wednesday evening at Sikes Field in Macon.
• Mercer is looking to snap a three-game losing streak as the Fighting Irish come to town.
• Mercer is 0-2 all-time against Notre Dame but the two teams have not played since 1994.
• The Bears are coming off a weekend at the UCF Wilson/DeMarini Tournament as the Bears faced Delaware State, No. 16 Georgia, Ohio State and host UCF (twice).
• Notre Dame enters the week with an 11-10 record (1-4 away) and will play at Georgia State on Tuesday before traveling to Macon for Wednesday's contest. The Irish enter the week 2-2 against teams from Georgia this year and with a 1-0 mark against the Southern Conference after defeating Chattanooga, 9-1 (5), on March 5 in a neutral site game in Kissimmee, Florida.
• Notre Dame played three games at Georgia Tech last weekend with all three games going to extra innings. The Irish dropped the first two games but prevented a sweep with an 8-6, 8-inning win on March 12.

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE
Speed kills. After leading the Southern Conference in stolen bases for a second straight year in 2016 (76 swipes in 89 attempts), Mercer is on pace to surpass last year's total. The Bears are 63 for 69 in stolen base attempts, ranking 13th nationally with 2.33 steals per game. Meghan Rud (21), Taylor Miller (17) and Megan Lane (8) are the top three stolen base threats in the conference as Rud's individual total is more than all but two SoCon teams.

GETTING YOUR HACKS IN
Mercer's .291 team batting average is the second-best mark in the SoCon. Four Bears – Rud (.404), Miller (.422) and Lane (.356) are all ranked in the top 15 in the SoCon in batting average.

Mercer owns the SoCon's top two individual runs scored totals in Rud (27) and Miller (22)
Mauga and Walsh are 1-3 in the league with 23 and 20 RBIs
Mauga is second the league in doubles (8)
Rud sits tied atop the SoCon in triples (2) alongside Chattanooga's Hayleigh Weissenbach
Walsh is in a three-way tie for second in the SoCon in home runs (5)

GUESS WHO'S BACK?
2017 Preseason All-SoCon First Team selection Taylor Miller started her season with a 10-game hit streak and already has six total games with at least two hits. She's reached base in 18 consecutive games, maintaining her steady approach in the Bears' lineup.

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.