Mercer to Face Florida A&M in Series Rubber Match

Tuesday, March 27

Tallahassee, Fla.

4 p.m.

Mercer University

Florida A&M

Photo by: Christopher Ian Smith

Mercer to Face Florida A&M in Series Rubber Match

3/26/2018 5:03:00 PM | Baseball

Live Stats

Bears, Rattlers split pair of games in Macon in February

By: Gerrit W. Van Genderen

MACON, Ga. – Mercer will head to the Sunshine State on Tuesday to face Florida A&M in a season series rubber match at 4 p.m. at Moore-Kittles Field in Tallahassee, Fla.

The Bears (19-6) and Rattlers (11-16) split a pair of midweek games at OrthoGeorgia Park on Feb. 20-21. It will be the start of a six-game road slate for Mercer, which as only played six road games in total so far this season.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
Teams: Mercer (19-6) at Florida A&M (11-16)
Date/Time: Tuesday, March 27 | 4 p.m.
Location: Tallahassee, Fla. | Moore-Kittles Field
Live Stats: www.MercerBears.com/livestats
Projected Starters: RHP Zach Graveno (1-1, 5.94 ERA) vs. TBA

Batting Practice

Mercer is 6-1 in midweek contests.
Craig Gibson (489-337) is 11 wins away from career victory No. 500.
Mercer is the only team in the nation with 12 players to have hit at least one home run.
Mercer ranks in the top 10 nationally in nine statistical categories.
- Strikeouts per nine innings (first, 12.2)
- Hit by pitch (second, 52)
- Scoring (third, 9.1)
- Runs (fourth, 227)
- On base percentage (fifth, .424)
- Hits (fifth, 274)
- Home runs (sixth, 38)
- Slugging percentage (seventh, .508)
- Home runs per game (seventh, 1.52)

Series History
Mercer and Florida A&M will meet for the third and final time this season, both seeking a season series-clinching victory. It will be the 117th all-time meeting of the two programs.

Series: Mercer, 85-30-1
First Meeting: 1986 | Mercer 9-0
Last Meeting: Feb. 21, 2018 | Florida A&M 15-7 in Macon, Ga.
Streak: Florida A&M, 1

Scouting Florida A&M
Florida A&M has lost three straight – a weekend sweep at North Florida – heading into Tuesday's contest. The Rattlers are 4-3 in the MEAC but are 11-16 overall. The team is hitting a collective .286 at the plate and is led by Jordan Curtis (.352).

Last Time vs. Florida A&M
Mercer mustered only six hits in a 15-7 defeat to the Rattlers at OrthoGeorgia Park on Feb. 21. A day after notching 13 hits and rallying for a walk-off win in extra innings, Mercer struggled early and often while dropping its second game of the season.

Mercer led, 7-6, heading into the top of the seventh inning, but nine Florida A&M runs over the seventh and eighth frames put the game out of reach.

K's for Days
The Bears are first nationally with 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings. Mercer's 302 strikeouts in 223.1 innings pitched have been highlighted by a pair of 23-strikeout performances on Feb. 23 and March 5. Only two teams nationally have thrown 23 strikeouts in a game this season (Harvard), with Mercer being the only team to do it twice.

Zach Graveno, Mercer's projected starter for Tuesday, has 18 strikeouts in 16.2 innings pitched.

Lightning Rod
Senior right fielder Trey Truitt has been a catalyst for a Mercer offense averaging 9.1 runs per game this season. He is batting .407 and leads the Southern Conference in slugging percentage (.802), total bases (69), runs scored (32) and home runs (9).

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.