Friday, February 7
Macon, Ga.
3:45 PM
Mercer University
vs
Wright State
Photo by: Mitch Robinson
Bears Set to Open Season with Mercer Invitational
2/6/2020 1:51:00 PM | Softball
Mercer kicks off the 2020 season at home for the first of three tournaments.
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer Softball team will begin its 2020 campaign this weekend with five games at Sikes Field as the team hosts the Mercer Invitational.
Mercer welcomes Eastern Kentucky, Dayton, Tennessee Tech, Tulsa and Wright State to Macon for the three-day tournament which features a total of 15 games. All the action will begin at 9 a.m. tomorrow when Tennessee Tech and Tulsa square off.
The Bears will play five games over the weekend with two each on Friday and Saturday and one on Saturday. Mercer will take on Wright State (3:45 p.m.) and Tennessee Tech (6 p.m.) on Friday. The Bears will begin play on Saturday against Tulsa (1:30 p.m.) before taking on Dayton (3:45 p.m.) in its final matchup of the day. Mercer plays only once on the final day of competition, hosting EKU at 1:30 p.m.
TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK
Date: Friday, Feb. 7 – Sunday, Feb. 9
Location:Â Macon, Ga. |Â Sikes Field
Teams: Mercer (0-0), EKU (0-0), Dayton (0-0), Tennessee Tech (0-0), Tulsa (0-0), Wright State (0-0)
Live Stats (Mercer's games): Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5
Video: N/A
Twitter Updates:Â @MercerUSoftball
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
To view a complete schedule click here.
MERCER OUTLOOK
Following a 2019 season that saw the Bears advance deep in the SoCon tournament, they were picked to finish tied for third with Chattanooga in the Southern Conference preseason poll. Six Bears landed on the Preseason All-SoCon team with Danielle Castleberry and Micayla Rood leading the way with first-team honors. Bailey Pattison, Tori Ash, Allie Jones and Abby Walsh were all second-team selections.
Castleberry led the 2019 edition of the Bears with a .376 batting average and tied with Walsh for a team-high 32 runs batted in. Walsh joins Castleberry as the only other returnee to bat over .300 on the 2019 season. The Frisco, Texas native hit .309 with 32 RBI and 16 extra base hits.
In the circle, Mercer returns three of four pitchers from the 2019 campaign. Pattison led the Bears with 11 wins and a 3.91 ERA. Stella Preston, Lauren O'Dell and Sydney Tucker also saw action for Mercer in 2019.
DeFeo and the staff welcome eight freshman – Rachel Baker, Destiny Colgate, Kylie Helm, Riley Hickok, Elisa Rosado, Sophie Sumner, Sarah Taylor and Diamond Williams.
SCOUTING DAYTON
The Flyers were picked fourth in the A-10 preseason poll after making their seventh consecutive tournament appearance in 2019. Junior catcher Abby Ehrenborg led Dayton in a number of statistical categories as a sophomore, including batting average (.358), home runs (13), RBI (49) and total bases (109). Jessica Weaver will be expected to be the Flyers' leader in the circle in 2020 after finishing last season with an 11-10 record and 4.43 ERA.Â
SCOUTING EKU
The Colonels return nine starters and 14 total players from the 2019 season while welcoming four new faces. EKU finished second in the preseason poll voting for the Ohio Valley Conference with 195 points, trailing only Jacksonville State which received 221 points. Mollie Pollack is expected to lead the Colonels in the circle after going 13-7 overall and also recording nine saves, which was third best in the country. Samantha Reynoso went 11-3 with a 3.23 ERA. In the batter's box, Sammi Miller led EKU with a .391 average and had 16 extra base hits.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE TECH
Tennessee Tech welcomes first-year head coach Michelle DePolo who will guide a Golden Eagle team that went 18-27 in 2019. The Golden Eagles were picked seventh of 11 teams in the Ohio Valley Conference's preseason poll. Outfielder Beth McCulley returns for her final campaign in a TTU uniform. She led the squad with a .338 batting average as a junior and was the only player to surpass the .300 mark. Senior Kayla Hughes returns in the circle for the Golden Eagles. She won four games and went the distance in five of her 14 appearances.
SCOUTING TULSA
Tulsa was selected third in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll. The Hurricanes have made four consecutive appearances in an NCAA Regional and finished 2019 with a 37-20 record. Chenise Delce, the American's reigning Rookie of the Year will lead the Hurricanes in the circle. She finished her first collegiate campaign with a 14-5 record and 1.58 ERA. Delce also hit .288, which was third on the team and is the best returning average.
SCOUTING WRIGHT STATE
Wright State went 22-33 in 2019 and 9-15 in conference play. The Raiders were picked fourth in the Horizon League preseason poll. Rebekah Lenos (.313) and Madison Hartman (.311) led Wright State in the batter's box last season and are primed to return for the 2020 campaign. Sophomore pitcher Olivia Otani won a team-high eight games as a freshman while compiling a 4.03 ERA.
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Women's Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerUSoftball (Twitter), /MUSoftball (Facebook) and @MercerUSoftball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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Mercer welcomes Eastern Kentucky, Dayton, Tennessee Tech, Tulsa and Wright State to Macon for the three-day tournament which features a total of 15 games. All the action will begin at 9 a.m. tomorrow when Tennessee Tech and Tulsa square off.
The Bears will play five games over the weekend with two each on Friday and Saturday and one on Saturday. Mercer will take on Wright State (3:45 p.m.) and Tennessee Tech (6 p.m.) on Friday. The Bears will begin play on Saturday against Tulsa (1:30 p.m.) before taking on Dayton (3:45 p.m.) in its final matchup of the day. Mercer plays only once on the final day of competition, hosting EKU at 1:30 p.m.
TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK
Date: Friday, Feb. 7 – Sunday, Feb. 9
Location:Â Macon, Ga. |Â Sikes Field
Teams: Mercer (0-0), EKU (0-0), Dayton (0-0), Tennessee Tech (0-0), Tulsa (0-0), Wright State (0-0)
Live Stats (Mercer's games): Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5
Video: N/A
Twitter Updates:Â @MercerUSoftball
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
To view a complete schedule click here.
MERCER OUTLOOK
Following a 2019 season that saw the Bears advance deep in the SoCon tournament, they were picked to finish tied for third with Chattanooga in the Southern Conference preseason poll. Six Bears landed on the Preseason All-SoCon team with Danielle Castleberry and Micayla Rood leading the way with first-team honors. Bailey Pattison, Tori Ash, Allie Jones and Abby Walsh were all second-team selections.
Castleberry led the 2019 edition of the Bears with a .376 batting average and tied with Walsh for a team-high 32 runs batted in. Walsh joins Castleberry as the only other returnee to bat over .300 on the 2019 season. The Frisco, Texas native hit .309 with 32 RBI and 16 extra base hits.
In the circle, Mercer returns three of four pitchers from the 2019 campaign. Pattison led the Bears with 11 wins and a 3.91 ERA. Stella Preston, Lauren O'Dell and Sydney Tucker also saw action for Mercer in 2019.
DeFeo and the staff welcome eight freshman – Rachel Baker, Destiny Colgate, Kylie Helm, Riley Hickok, Elisa Rosado, Sophie Sumner, Sarah Taylor and Diamond Williams.
SCOUTING DAYTON
The Flyers were picked fourth in the A-10 preseason poll after making their seventh consecutive tournament appearance in 2019. Junior catcher Abby Ehrenborg led Dayton in a number of statistical categories as a sophomore, including batting average (.358), home runs (13), RBI (49) and total bases (109). Jessica Weaver will be expected to be the Flyers' leader in the circle in 2020 after finishing last season with an 11-10 record and 4.43 ERA.Â
SCOUTING EKU
The Colonels return nine starters and 14 total players from the 2019 season while welcoming four new faces. EKU finished second in the preseason poll voting for the Ohio Valley Conference with 195 points, trailing only Jacksonville State which received 221 points. Mollie Pollack is expected to lead the Colonels in the circle after going 13-7 overall and also recording nine saves, which was third best in the country. Samantha Reynoso went 11-3 with a 3.23 ERA. In the batter's box, Sammi Miller led EKU with a .391 average and had 16 extra base hits.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE TECH
Tennessee Tech welcomes first-year head coach Michelle DePolo who will guide a Golden Eagle team that went 18-27 in 2019. The Golden Eagles were picked seventh of 11 teams in the Ohio Valley Conference's preseason poll. Outfielder Beth McCulley returns for her final campaign in a TTU uniform. She led the squad with a .338 batting average as a junior and was the only player to surpass the .300 mark. Senior Kayla Hughes returns in the circle for the Golden Eagles. She won four games and went the distance in five of her 14 appearances.
SCOUTING TULSA
Tulsa was selected third in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll. The Hurricanes have made four consecutive appearances in an NCAA Regional and finished 2019 with a 37-20 record. Chenise Delce, the American's reigning Rookie of the Year will lead the Hurricanes in the circle. She finished her first collegiate campaign with a 14-5 record and 1.58 ERA. Delce also hit .288, which was third on the team and is the best returning average.
SCOUTING WRIGHT STATE
Wright State went 22-33 in 2019 and 9-15 in conference play. The Raiders were picked fourth in the Horizon League preseason poll. Rebekah Lenos (.313) and Madison Hartman (.311) led Wright State in the batter's box last season and are primed to return for the 2020 campaign. Sophomore pitcher Olivia Otani won a team-high eight games as a freshman while compiling a 4.03 ERA.
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Women's Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerUSoftball (Twitter), /MUSoftball (Facebook) and @MercerUSoftball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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