In-State Foes Lie Ahead For Mercer in Midweek

Tuesday, April 3

Savannah, Ga.

5 p.m.

Mercer University

Savannah State

Photo by: Christopher Ian Smith

In-State Foes Lie Ahead For Mercer in Midweek

4/2/2018 3:39:00 PM | Baseball

Live Stats (Tues.)Watch (Wed.)Live Stats (Wed.)Tickets (Wed.)

Bears will face Savannah State, Georgia Southern on consecutive days

By: Gerrit W. Van Genderen

MACON, Ga. – Mercer will put its perfect record against in-state opponents to the test in a pair of midweek nonconference contests at Savannah State and Georgia Southern on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Bears (23-6, 5-1 Southern Conference) are 5-0 against in-state opponents this season, including one win against each of the upcoming foes. Mercer defeated Savannah State, 10-1, on March 7 before besting Georgia Southern a week later (March 14), 11-8. Both games were played at OrthoGeorgia Park.

Wednesday's game against the Eagles in Statesboro will be aired live via True Blue TV.

MIDWEEK LINEUP

Tuesday: Mercer (23-6) at Savannah State (5-17)
- 5 p.m.
- Savannah, Ga. | Tiger Baseball Field
- Live Stats
- Projected starters: RHP Kevin Coulter (0-2, 9.90 ERA) vs. TBA
Wednesday: Mercer (23-6) at Georgia Southern (13-14)
- 6 p.m.
- Statesboro, Ga. | J.I. Clements Stadium
- Live Stats | Watch | Tickets
- Projected starters: RHP Zach Graveno (1-1, 5.06 ERA) vs. RHP Zach Cowart (1-1, 9.00 ERA)

Batting Practice

Mercer is 5-0 against in-state opponents, having defeated Kennesaw State (twice), Savannah State, Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech.
Mercer is 7-1 in midweek contests and has won six straight.
Craig Gibson (493-337) is seven wins away from career victory No. 500.
Mercer leads the nation in total strikeouts (338) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.7).
Mercer is tied for second nationally with 12 players to have hit at least one home run.
Trey Truitt is one of three players nationally with 40-plus hits and 40-plus runs scored (Alex Junior, Tennessee Tech; Matt Sanders, Troy).
Mercer ranks in the top 10 nationally in 10 statistical categories.
- Strikeouts per nine innings (first, 11.7)
- Runs (second, 263)
- Hit by pitch (third, 56)
- Scoring (third, 9.1)
- Hits (331)
- On base percentage (.426)
- Slugging percentage (.506)
- Batting average (.318)
- Home runs (43)
- Home runs per game (1.48)

A Look at Savannah State
The Tigers are 2-8 since falling to Mercer, 10-1, in Macon on March 7. Three consecutive weekend series defeats have the Tigers at 5-17 overall heading into Tuesday's contest. Savannah State is batting .214 overall and has cracked 10-plus runs in a single game only once this season. Mercer has won 16 straight games against Savannah State dating back to April 7, 2010.

Series: Mercer, 29-11
First Meeting: Jan. 31, 1997, Mercer 12-4
Last Meeting: March 7, 2018, Mercer 10-1
Streak: Mercer, 16

A Look at Georgia Southern
The Eagles are 6-4 since facing Mercer in Macon, including series wins over Louisiana and Appalachian State. Georgia Southern additionally hosts fellow Southern Conference member The Citadel on Tuesday before concluding its five-game home stand against Mercer on Wednesday.

Georgia Southern has also struggled offensively, batting .228 as a team through 27 games played. Mason McWhorter leads the team with four home runs and 22 RBI. Junior right-hander Zach Cowart will start for Georgia Southern. He has allowed 15 runs in 14 innings pitched with one start on the season.

Series: Georgia Southern, 109-44-1
Last Meeting: March 14, 2018, Mercer 11-8
Series: Mercer, 1

Last Time Out
David Posas delivered a go-ahead, bases-clearing triple in the top of the ninth inning as Mercer scored seven runs over the final two innings to defeat ETSU, 8-4, and sweep the weekend series Saturday at Thomas Stadium.

Mercer trailed, 4-3, with two outs in the ninth when Trey Truitt came through with a game-tying RBI single that scored Alex Hanson from second base. Jackson Ware walked in the following at bat to load the bases for Posas, who unloaded the three-run triple into the left-center gap.

Boom Goes the Dynamite
Mercer's offense has been a force to reckon with this season, as it ranks in the top 10 nationally of nine statistical categories. The Bears are hitting .318 as a unit and average 9.1 runs per game. Eight Bears have 20-plus RBI while 12 players have tallied at least one home run.

Mercer has also scored 10 or more runs 13 times this season, including a 33-run outburst against Holy Cross on March 5.

K's for Days
The Bears are first nationally with 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings and 338 total strikeouts through 29 games played. Mercer's pitching staff has tallied 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.

Old Stomping Grounds
Senior Jackson Ware will face his hometown Eagles for the last time in his collegiate career Wednesday. The Statesboro, Ga., native enters the week batting .330 with 27 runs and 25 RBI and was named the Southern Conference Player of the Week on Monday for his performance in Mercer's four wins last week. Ware batted .526 (10-for-19) with three multi-hit performances along with nine RBI, five runs scored and one home run in wins at Florida A&M and ETSU (series sweep).

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.