Four Bears Earn Preseason All-SoCon Accolades
2/11/2021 1:38:00 PM | Baseball
Mercer picked to finish second in preseason coaches and media polls
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Four Mercer baseball student-athletes were named to the 2021 Preseason All-Southern Conference Teams by the league's coaches, the Southern Conference announced on Thursday afternoon.
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Mercer placed RJ Yeager, Angelo DiSpigna, Colby Thomas and Brandon Michie on the preseason All-SoCon Second Team. Mercers The Bear's four selections are the third-most of any conference teams.
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Yeager garnered Preseason All-Conference honors at shortstop for the third straight season. He was named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American during his first season with Mercer and earned Academic All-SoCon Team in both the 2019 and 2020 seasons. During the 2020 season, he hit .263 while starting all 16 games for the Bears. Yeager tallied 11 RBIs throughout the shortened season and had four extra base hits with one home run.
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DiSpignia earned Preseason All-SoCon first base honors for the second straight season. He appeared in all 16 games for the Bears and batted .328 (21-for-64) on the season, which was third best on the team. He had nine extra base hits, two of which were home runs. He recorded a season-high three hits in each of the games at Florida A&M. DiSpigna scored a team-high 16 runs on the season for the Bears.
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Thomas was named a Preseason All-SoCon outfielder for the first time in his career. Over Mercer's first 16 games, Thomas hit .333 (23-for-69) and led the team in doubles (9), home runs (5) and RBI (18) on the season. He had an on-base percentage of .403 and a slugging percentage of .681.In his first game as a Bear, Thomas showed off his power by belting his first career home run. In the Bears' midweek matchup at Florida State, Thomas hit two home runs for his first multi home run game.
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Michie was also named the Preseason All-SoCon outfielder for the first time in his career. Michie led the Bears with a .339 batting average and .443 on-base percentage in 2020 and finished second on the team with three home runs. Michie also drove in the third-most runs on the team with 11 RBIs. Michie was named to the 2020 Academic All-SoCon Team.
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Mercer was picked to finish second in the SoCon behind Samford by league's coaches and media. The Bears earned one first-place vote and 43 total votes in the coaches' poll (Samford 48) and picked up three first-place votes and tallied 73 points in the media poll. The Bears have won three SoCon regular season titles and two tournament title since joining the conference in 2015.
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2021 Preseason All-Southern Conference
Preseason Player of the Year
Brooks Carlson, Jr., 2B, Samford
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Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Hayes Heinecke, Jr., Wofford
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First Team
SPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sam Strickland, Jr., Samford
SPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Hayes Heinecke, Jr., Wofford
RPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Zach Franklin, Jr., Western Carolina
CÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Luke Robinson, Sr., Western Carolina
1BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sonny Dichiara, So., Samford
2BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Brooks Carlson, Jr., Samford
SSÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Matty Brown, Jr., Wofford
3BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jake Lyle, Sr., ETSU
OFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Will Knight, R-So., VMI
OFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Justice Bigbie, Jr., Western Carolina
OFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Colin Davis, Sr., Wofford
DHÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jake Madole, Sr., ETSU
DHÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Lawson Hill, Sr., Wofford
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Second Team
SPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Austin Koehn, R-So., UNCG
SPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Zach Hester, Sr., Samford
RPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Matt Mercer, Sr., ETSU
CÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kaden Dreier, So., Samford
1BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Angelo DiSpigna, So., Mercer
1BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â John Dempsey, Jr., Wofford
2BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Tyler Corbitt, So., The Citadel
SSÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â RJ Yeager, Jr., Mercer
3BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Zack Budzik, R-So., UNCG
OFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Colby Thomas, Fr., Mercer
OFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Brandon Michie, R-Sr., Mercer
OFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Greg Hardison, R-Jr., UNCG
OFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ayrton Schafer, Sr., Samford
DHÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Tyler McManus, Jr., Samford
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2021 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
 2021 Preseason Southern Conference Media Poll
Purchase 2021 Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2021 Mercer baseball season are now on sale and can be purchased online by clicking here.  The Bears' 30-game home schedule includes Southern Conference series with Western Carolina, Wofford, UNCG, ETSU and the Citadel. The Bears will host North Alabama, Southern Illinois, Florida A&M, Xavier, Georgia State, Georgia Southern and Kennesaw State in non-conference games.Â
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In addition to purchasing season tickets by clicking here, Bears fans can call the Mercer Ticket Office at (478) 301-5470 during the hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The deadline to purchase season tickets is Friday, Feb. 12.
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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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Mercer placed RJ Yeager, Angelo DiSpigna, Colby Thomas and Brandon Michie on the preseason All-SoCon Second Team. Mercers The Bear's four selections are the third-most of any conference teams.
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Yeager garnered Preseason All-Conference honors at shortstop for the third straight season. He was named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American during his first season with Mercer and earned Academic All-SoCon Team in both the 2019 and 2020 seasons. During the 2020 season, he hit .263 while starting all 16 games for the Bears. Yeager tallied 11 RBIs throughout the shortened season and had four extra base hits with one home run.
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DiSpignia earned Preseason All-SoCon first base honors for the second straight season. He appeared in all 16 games for the Bears and batted .328 (21-for-64) on the season, which was third best on the team. He had nine extra base hits, two of which were home runs. He recorded a season-high three hits in each of the games at Florida A&M. DiSpigna scored a team-high 16 runs on the season for the Bears.
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Thomas was named a Preseason All-SoCon outfielder for the first time in his career. Over Mercer's first 16 games, Thomas hit .333 (23-for-69) and led the team in doubles (9), home runs (5) and RBI (18) on the season. He had an on-base percentage of .403 and a slugging percentage of .681.In his first game as a Bear, Thomas showed off his power by belting his first career home run. In the Bears' midweek matchup at Florida State, Thomas hit two home runs for his first multi home run game.
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Michie was also named the Preseason All-SoCon outfielder for the first time in his career. Michie led the Bears with a .339 batting average and .443 on-base percentage in 2020 and finished second on the team with three home runs. Michie also drove in the third-most runs on the team with 11 RBIs. Michie was named to the 2020 Academic All-SoCon Team.
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Mercer was picked to finish second in the SoCon behind Samford by league's coaches and media. The Bears earned one first-place vote and 43 total votes in the coaches' poll (Samford 48) and picked up three first-place votes and tallied 73 points in the media poll. The Bears have won three SoCon regular season titles and two tournament title since joining the conference in 2015.
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2021 Preseason All-Southern Conference
Preseason Player of the Year
Brooks Carlson, Jr., 2B, Samford
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Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Hayes Heinecke, Jr., Wofford
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First Team
SPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sam Strickland, Jr., Samford
SPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Hayes Heinecke, Jr., Wofford
RPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Zach Franklin, Jr., Western Carolina
CÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Luke Robinson, Sr., Western Carolina
1BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sonny Dichiara, So., Samford
2BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Brooks Carlson, Jr., Samford
SSÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Matty Brown, Jr., Wofford
3BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jake Lyle, Sr., ETSU
OFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Will Knight, R-So., VMI
OFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Justice Bigbie, Jr., Western Carolina
OFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Colin Davis, Sr., Wofford
DHÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jake Madole, Sr., ETSU
DHÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Lawson Hill, Sr., Wofford
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Second Team
SPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Austin Koehn, R-So., UNCG
SPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Zach Hester, Sr., Samford
RPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Matt Mercer, Sr., ETSU
CÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kaden Dreier, So., Samford
1BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Angelo DiSpigna, So., Mercer
1BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â John Dempsey, Jr., Wofford
2BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Tyler Corbitt, So., The Citadel
SSÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â RJ Yeager, Jr., Mercer
3BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Zack Budzik, R-So., UNCG
OFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Colby Thomas, Fr., Mercer
OFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Brandon Michie, R-Sr., Mercer
OFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Greg Hardison, R-Jr., UNCG
OFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ayrton Schafer, Sr., Samford
DHÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Tyler McManus, Jr., Samford
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2021 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
| Place | Team (1st-place votes) | Points |
| 1. | Samford (6) | 48 |
| 2. | Mercer (1) | 43 |
| 3. | UNCG (1) | 32 |
| Wofford   | 32 | |
| 5. | ETSU | 23 |
| Western Carolina | 23 | |
| 7. | The Citadel | 13 |
| 8. | VMI | 10 |
 2021 Preseason Southern Conference Media Poll
| Place | Team (1st-place votes) | Points |
| 1. | Samford (7) | 83 |
| 2. | Mercer (3) | 73 |
| 3. | Wofford (1) | 65 |
| 4. | UNCG | 54 |
| 5. | ETSU | 46 |
| 6. | Western Carolina | 32 |
| 7. | The Citadel | 30 |
| 8. | VMI | 13 |
Purchase 2021 Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2021 Mercer baseball season are now on sale and can be purchased online by clicking here.  The Bears' 30-game home schedule includes Southern Conference series with Western Carolina, Wofford, UNCG, ETSU and the Citadel. The Bears will host North Alabama, Southern Illinois, Florida A&M, Xavier, Georgia State, Georgia Southern and Kennesaw State in non-conference games.Â
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In addition to purchasing season tickets by clicking here, Bears fans can call the Mercer Ticket Office at (478) 301-5470 during the hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The deadline to purchase season tickets is Friday, Feb. 12.
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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
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