Softball to Open 2018 Season with Mercer Invitational

Friday, February 9

Macon, Ga.

2:30 P.M.

Mercer University

Buffalo

Softball to Open 2018 Season with Mercer Invitational

2/8/2018 5:35:00 PM | Softball

Tournament Central

Bears will host Appalachian State, Buffalo, Central Michigan and Morehead State

By: David Fox

MACON, Ga. – Mercer will play host to four teams this weekend as the Bears kick off the 2018 softball season with the annual Mercer Invitational tournament, featuring 12 games at Sikes Field. The tournament will run from Feb. 9-11.

The Bears, who play a pair of games on Friday and Saturday, host Appalachian State, Buffalo, Central Michigan and Morehead State. Mercer will face Buffalo (2:30 p.m.) and Appalachian State (5 p.m.) Friday before taking on Buffalo (2 p.m.) and Central Michigan (4:15 p.m.) on Saturday.

The Bears have achieved success in their annual-opening tournament, going 8-5 over the last three seasons including 2-2 in 2017 with wins over Portland State and Dayton.

TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK
Date: Friday, Feb. 9 – Sunday, Feb. 11
Location: Macon, Ga. | Sikes Field
Teams (2017 Records): Mercer (26-31, 9-9 SoCon), Appalachian State (14-34, 2-22 Sun Belt), Buffalo (9-46, 3-21 MAC), Central Michigan (37-15, 18-5 MAC), Morehead State (26-22, 6-12 OVC)
Admission: FREE!!
Live Stats: mercerbears.com/livestats
Twitter Updates: @MercerUSoftball

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
DATE                                     TIME                      TEAMS (HOME UNDERLINED)
Friday, Feb. 9                     10 a.m.                 Central Michigan vs. Morehead State
Friday, Feb. 9                     12:15 p.m.          Morehead State vs. Buffalo
Friday, Feb. 9                     2:30 p.m.             Mercer vs. Buffalo
Friday, Feb. 9                     5 p.m.                   Mercer vs. Appalachian State
Friday, Feb. 9                     7:15 p.m.             Appalachian State vs. Central Michigan
Saturday, Feb. 10              9:30 a.m.             Buffalo vs. Appalachian State
Saturday, Feb. 10              11:45 a.m.           Morehead State vs. Appalachian State
Saturday, Feb. 10             2 p.m.                   Mercer vs. Buffalo
Saturday, Feb. 10             4:15 p.m.             Mercer vs. Central Michigan
Saturday, Feb. 10              6:30 p.m.             Central Michigan vs. Morehead State
Sunday, Feb. 11                 11 a.m.                 Appalachian State vs. Central Michigan
Sunday, Feb. 11                 1:15 p.m.             Buffalo vs. Morehead State

Well Represented
Mercer was selected to finish fifth in the Southern Conference preseason standings, despite receiving one first-place vote. However, the Bears saw five players earn 2018 Preseason All-SoCon honors as Megan Bilgri, Quirisa Mauga and Meghan Rud were named to the First Team All-SoCon and Megan Lane and Abby Walsh were slated to be on the Second Team All-SoCon. In addition, Rud was tabbed as the Co-Preseason SoCon Player of the Year.

Seasoned Vets
The Bears return 74.5 percent of its hitting from 2017, including Rud who led the squad with 75 hits and Mauga who paced the way with eight long balls and 44 RBIs. Mercer also returns 85.3 percent of its home run production from last season. In the circle, Mercer returns 80.8 percent of its wins, highlighted by the return of Bilgri with 13 wins.

Just Over the Mountain
Appalachian State received a new start this season as Shelly Hoerner took over the program on June 23, 2017. Hoerner brings with her Alex Hupp and Shane Showalter to start the 2018 season with a fresh look. The Mountaineers are coming off a 14-34 season, in which they went 2-22 in Sun Belt action.

Appalachian State graduated its only .300-plus hitter from the starting lineup in Natalie Orcutt. The Mountaineers also graduated Cara Parker who led the squad in home runs (8) and RBIs (19). However, Kenzie Longanecker returns in the circle for the Mountaineers, finishing 2017 with a 9-13 overall record and a 2.77 ERA.

Mercer is 1-1 all-time against the Mountaineers with both meetings falling in 2001.

Don't Give Me No Bull
Buffalo is coming off a tough year in which it finished 9-46, including 3-21 in the MAC. The Bulls claimed their first MAC Tournament game over Niagara (2-1), before falling to Ohio in three consecutive tilts. Catrell Robertson returns as the top hitter for Buffalo, batting .304 in 2017 with 34 hits, three homeruns and 12 RBIs. Ally Power returns as the team's ace, concluding 2017 with a 3-15 overall record and a 3.27 ERA.

The Bears are 2-0 against the Bulls, besting Buffalo twice in 2015 by the scores of 8-1 and 9-8. Both contests were played at Sikes Field in Macon, Ga.

Catching up with Central Michigan
Central Michigan is coming off a strong 2017 campaign in which the Chippewas finished 37-15, including 18-5 in the MAC. Central Michigan claimed the 2017 MAC Regular Season title and earned the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. However, the Chippewas were upset by No. 8 Western Michigan (3-1) and No. 3 Northern Illinois (3-0), falling out of the MAC Tournament.

Allison Curtis batted .377 last season with 63 hits and 20 RBIs. Curtis is joined by Maison Kalina (.338), Lacy Tolfree (.329) and Erika Underwood (.305) as the four returnees that batted .300 or higher. The Chippewas graduated Rachael Knapp (22-10, 1.44 ERA), but returned Hanna Warren with an 11-5 overall record and a 2.52 ERA.

Mercer holds a 2-1 advantage over Central Michigan in the all-time series, splitting the two-game showdown in 2016 at Sikes Field. The Bears defeated the Chippewas 5-3 in game one before falling 8-0 in the second tilt.

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.