Baseball Returns Home to Face Radford

MACON, Ga. – For the first time since 2016, the Mercer baseball team will face the Highlanders of Radford University. The Bears and Highlanders will square off in a three game series at OrthoGeorgia Park at Claude Smith Field starting Friday at 4 p.m.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
Teams: Mercer (5-0) vs. Radford (3-1)
Location: Macon, Ga. | OrthoGeorgia Park
Friday: Feb. 21 | 4 p.m. | Live Stats
Saturday: Feb. 22| 2 p.m. | Live Stats
Sunday: Feb. 23 | 1 p.m. | Live Stats
Tickets: tickets.mercer.edu

Projected Rotations:

Friday: LHP Tanner Hall vs. RHP Ryan Sande
Saturday: RHP Jackson Kelley vs. RHP Brandon Donovan
Sunday: RHP Taylor Lobus vs. RHP Ryan Bywaters

Batting Practice

Mercer holds a perfect 3-0 record against Radford. The only season these two programs have meet before was during the 2016 season.
Freshman Colby Thomas was named one of the Top 150 Freshmen Division I Baseball. He is one of two players from the list in the SoCon.
The Bears bullpen has been lights out this season. In five games this season, Mercer bullpen have pitched 24 innings on the season and have recorded 36 strikeouts. They have limited opponents to 20 hits, while holding them to six runs.
Mercer is 1 of 48 programs in the nation that have a perfect record on the season.
The Bears hold an 8.7 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which is the fourth beset in the nation. The Bears hold the top spot in the Southern Conference.
Hunter Phillips ranks eighth in the nation in strikeouts this season. The Bears reliever has recorded 12 strikeouts this season in 4.1 innings pitched this season.
Mercer is one of just four NCAA Division I programs to win at least 35 games in each of the past 10 seasons, joining LSU, Florida State and Vanderbilt.
Since the start of the 2014 season, Mercer is 120-61 at OrthoGeorgia Park. The most wins at home during that stretch was 24 in 2014.
The Bears were picked to finish third in the Southern Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Mercer tallied one first place vote and 51 points.
Le Bassett was the only Bear to earn First Team Preseason All-SoCon honors. He earned his spot as a DH. Angelo DiSpigna, RJ Yeager and Collin Price were named to the second team.

Series History

Series: Mercer leads, 3-0
First Meeting: Feb. 19, 2016, W 10-7
Last Meeting: Feb. 21, 2016, W 9-2
Streak: Mercer, W3

Scouting Radford
A new era of Highlander baseball started this year as they are under the direction of first year head coach Karl Kuhn. This is the first time since 2007 Radford has a new coach. Radford enters the contest against the Bears with a 3-1 overall record. They are coming off a 4-2 loss to Liberty on Wednesday night. Radford was picked to finish in third in the Big South this season. They received one first-place vote and 79 points. Radford was picked behind Campbell and High Point.

At the plate, the Highlanders are hitting .257 as a team with 11 extra base hits. Colby Higgerson leads the team with .450 batting average (9-of-20). He is one of two players hitting over .400 on the season, with Straton Podaras who his hitting .412. Will Harless leads the team in home runs (2) and RBI (8).

On the mound, the pitching staff has an team ERA of 2.83 on the season in 35 innings pitched. Brandon Donovan is 1-0 for the Highlands with 6.2 innings pitched on opening weekend. He has an ERA of 2.70 with 11 strikeouts. The pitching staff is holding opponents to a .248 batting average.

Entering the season, the Highlanders were receiving votes in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's preseason poll. Redshirt sophomore Bruce Hudson was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Watch List for the 2020 season.

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.

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Players Mentioned

Le Bassett

Angelo DiSpigna

Tanner Hall

Jackson Kelley

Taylor Lobus

Hunter Phillips

Collin Price

Colby Thomas

RJ Yeager

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