No. 1 Mercer to Face No. 9 VMI in SoCon Championship Opener

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Top-seeded Mercer will open its quest for a second Southern Conference Championship title against No. 9 VMI at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at Fluor Field.

VMI (23-32) defeated No. 8 The Citadel, 8-0, in the opening game of the SoCon Championship presented by Holston Gases Tuesday afternoon to claim a spot in the double-elimination rounds of the tournament. Wednesday's contest will mark the first time Mercer (38-15) and the Keydets have met in postseason play.

The Bears enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed for the third straight year after winning another conference regular season title with a 17-6 league record. Mercer is 7-2 all-time at the SoCon Championship.

Rick Cameron will have the call on the airwaves via the flagship station 97.3 FM The Bull Icons and on the iHeartRadio app. The game will also stream live for free on the SoCon Digital Network.

SOCON CHAMPIONSHIP LINEUP
Teams: Mercer (38-15, 17-6 SoCon) vs. VMI (23-32, 7-17 SoCon)
Location: Greenville, S.C. | Fluor Field
Wednesday: May 24 | 12:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Video | Radio
Twitter Updates: @MercerBaseball
Projected Starters: LHP Austin Cox (3-2, 4.96) vs. TBA
SoCon Championship Central: www.SoConSports.com

Quick Hits

Mercer enters the 2017 SoCon Championship presented by Holston Gases as the No. 1 seed for the third straight year. The Bears clinched the regular season title with a series win at Wofford May 14.
Mercer is 7-2 all-time at the SoCon Championship and has reached the final day of the tournament both years. The Bears won the title in 2015.
Mercer has never dropped to the elimination side of a SoCon Championship bracket.
Two wins this week would earn Mercer its second-ever 40-win season (43, 2013).
Senior shortstop Ryan Hagan was named the SoCon Co-Player of the Year in the coaches' poll Monday. Mercer has had at least a share of the POTY award all three years it has been a conference member.
Head coach Craig Gibson was named the SoCon Coach of the Year for the second time in three years. He led Mercer to its eighth straight season of at least 35 wins.
Mercer led the league in All-SoCon First Team selections (RP Robert Broom, SS Ryan Hagan, 2B Danny Edgeworth, DH JT Thomas). Alex Crotty also earned SoCon All-Freshman Team honors.

Scouting VMI
The No. 9-seeded Keydets are 15-30 all-time in 17 appearances at the SoCon Championship. VMI ousted the No. 8 Bulldogs and SoCon Pitcher of the Year JP Sears with a 8-0 win Tuesday afternoon. It was the Keydets' first tournament win over The Citadel in the last three years. Outfielder Tyler Tharp, an All-SoCon First Team selection (coaches & media), owned a .351 batting average and 16 home runs entering the tournament.

Series History
Mercer swept VMI on the road this season during a 12-game SoCon win streak that helped the Bears clinch their third straight regular season title. The Bears are 12-4-1 against VMI all-time and have never met in the postseason.

Hagan in Charge
Senior shortstop Ryan Hagan became Mercer's third consecutive SoCon Player of the Year when he claimed co-honors with Western Carolina's Bryson Bowman in the 2017 coaches' poll. Hagan joins former two-time SoCon Player of the Year Kyle Lewis as Bears to earn the honor.

A scorching SoCon slate earned Hagan the award as he batted .389 in 23 league games while belting all seven of his home runs and added 18 RBIs and 26 runs. It was a serious turnaround for the shortstop; while he maintained his impressive defensive presence, Hagan batted only .221 in 30 nonconference contests. The Sugar Hill, Georgia native's .419 on-base percentage also created trouble for opponents as he drew 41 walks and swiped 24 bases, both top marks in the SoCon.

Right At Home
Mercer owns a 7-2 record in two years at the SoCon Championship and has never been in the elimination-side of the bracket. The Bears swept the competition with a 4-0 record en route to claiming the 2015 SoCon Championship and the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Last year did not end as planned -- Western Carolina defeated Mercer twice Sunday to win the title -- but the Bears did win three straight games up until that point.

Big Game Mentality
Trey Truitt, Jackson Ware and Charlie Madden have dominated offensively at the last two SoCon Championships, providing fireworks in Mercer's nine tournament games. Truitt is batting .500 in 30 at bats with five home runs, 12 RBIs and eight runs. He tied the SoCon Championship single-game record of three home runs last year in Mercer's 13-1 (seven innings) win over The Citadel.

Jackson Ware is batting .428 with eight runs scored and 15 total hits over the two years. Madden is not far behind; the veteran catcher owns four extra-base hits in tournament play with 11 RBIs while batting .406.

Weapons of Choice: A Broom and a Spear
Robert Broom has been the SoCon's most electric relief pitcher this season, working his way to an 8-1 record and 2.05 ERA. Batters are hitting only .188 against the First Team (coaches & media) side-winder while he has notched 75 strikeouts in 57.0 innings. His work earned him a spot on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List.

Nick Spear has emerged as a worthy No. 2 option out of Mercer's bullpen this year, serving as the staff's closer. The sophomore is 6-2 with eight saves and has pumped out 50 strikeouts in 35.2 innings. Opposing batters are hitting .186 against him in 27 appearances.

We Got Your Back
Although Broom and Spear have played a big role Mercer's bullpen has been formidable this season, Mercer's bullpen has been impressive overall as a unit. With a 3.96 ERA, the bullpen has struck out 283 batters in 245.2 innings. The 'pen owns a 24-5 record overall and has led the Orange and Black to a 26-0 record when leading after the seventh inning.

Follow The Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Baseball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBaseball (Twitter), /MercerBaseball (Facebook) and @Mercer.Baseball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.

No. 1 Mercer to Face No. 9 VMI in SoCon Championship Opener

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Players Mentioned

Robert Broom

Austin Cox

Alex Crotty

Danny Edgeworth

Ryan Hagan

Kyle Lewis

Charlie Madden

Nick Spear

JT Thomas

Trey Truitt

Jackson Ware

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