Nation’s Best: Mercer Leads Strikeouts per Nine Innings

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Nation’s Best: Mercer Leads Strikeouts per Nine Innings

7/20/2018 11:56:00 AM | Baseball

Bears averaged record-breaking 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings

By: Gerrit W. Van Genderen

MACON, Ga. – Mercer etched its name into the NCAA Division I record books this past season, as it led the nation in strikeouts thrown per nine innings at a staggering average of 10.9.

The Bears' 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings were the most by a team dating back to at least 2006 (NCAA record book only includes K/9 numbers from 2006-present). In total, 16 Mercer pitchers tossed a collective 633 strikeouts in 521 innings. The 633 strikeouts were a program single-season record, breaking the former record of 522 set the year prior (2017).

Mercer finished the regular season as the nation's leader in total strikeouts thrown, before eventually finishing third behind Florida State and Stetson (635).

Austin Cox and Robert Broom – both of whom were selected in the 2018 MLB First-Year Player Draft – led the way with 124 and 111 strikeouts, respectively. The two strikeout totals ranked as the second and seventh most by an individual pitcher in program history.

Mercer threw 23 strikeouts in a single game twice this past season against UNC Asheville (Feb. 23) and Holy Cross (March 5). The 23 strikeouts were the most by a NCAA Division I team in a single game this season; Harvard was the only other team to do so.

Mercer's Strikeouts Thrown (633)

Austin Cox, 124 (second most in program history)
Robert Broom, 111 (seventh most in program history)
Christian Vann, 83
Chase Burks, 70
Nick Spear, 60
Sawyer Gipson-Long, 48
Kevin Coulter, 44
Zach Graveno, 36
Carter Varga, 16
Caleb Mitchell, 12
Ben Brock, 9
Tanner Hall, 7
Andrew Kane, 5
Austin Lord, 3
Taylor Lobus, 3
Kyle Bialousz, 2

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