Mercer Set for SoCon Softball Tournament

Thursday, May 13

Greensboro, N.C.

12:30 p.m.

Mercer University

UNCG

Photo by: Mitch Robinson

5/12/2021 9:12:00 PM | Softball

The Bears will face top-seeded UNCG in the opening game on Thursday

By: Stephen Waldman

Macon, Ga. – The fourth-seeded Mercer softball team will begin the 2021 Southern Conference Tournament on Wednesday in the tournament's opening game against host and top-seeded UNCG with first pitch slated for 12:30 p.m. at the UNCG Softball Stadium.

Every game in the 2021 SoCon Tournament will be broadcast on ESPN+.

TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK
Date: Thursday, May 13 – Saturday, May 15
Location: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Stadium
Teams: 1-seed UNCG (31-15, 14-4 SoCon), 2-seed Western Carolina (25-24, 12-5 SoCon), 3-seed Chattanooga (13-23, 8-8 SoCon), 4-seed Mercer (23-21, 8-9 SoCon)
Tournament Central: SoConSports.com
Twitter Updates: @MercerUSoftball

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 13
Game 1: No. 1 UNCG vs. No. 4 Mercer, 12:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch
Game 2: No. 2 Western Carolina vs. No. 3 Chattanooga, 3 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch
Game 3: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 5:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch

Friday, May 14
Game 4: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 12:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch
Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser, 3 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch

Saturday, May 15
Game 6: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 1 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch
Game 7: *IF NECESSARY*, 3 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch

Quick Hits

Mercer is seeking its second SoCon championship game appearance and first since joining the conference in 2015.
Five Bears were recognized by the Southern Conference on its all-conference teams: redshirt senior Danielle Castleberry (First Team), senior Micayla Rood (First Team), sophomore Ashlyn Donner (Second Team), senior Allie Jones (Second Team) and freshman Annie Potter (All-Freshman Team).
Jones has been on a tear since April 2, reaching base safely in a team-best 16 consecutive games while recording a hit in each of the Bears' last nine games.
Rood leads the squad with a .355 batting average (44-for-124), ranking third in the SoCon.
Castleberry leads Mercer in multi-hit games (14) and is tied for the most multi-RBI games (6) with Jones.
In the circle, rookie Madi Joice's 2.99 ERA is the third-lowest in the conference and is the best mark among freshmen.

SCOUTING UNCG
The top-seeded Spartans enter the conference tournament having won 13-of-their-last-14 games. Mercer handed UNCG its only loss since April 14 with a 2-1 win in the series opener against the Spartans on May 1. UNCG has been slugging its way to victory as it ranks sixth nationally in home runs per game (1.78) and have hit a program-record 80 homers after hitting eight in three games against Western Carolina last weekend. In addition to boasting a potent offense, the Spartans have the top pitcher in the conference as Morgan Scott was named the SoCon Pitcher and Freshman of the Year on Wednesday. Scott leads the SoCon in nearly every category, including: ERA (2.11), wins (17), opponent batting average (.203), innings pitched (159.1), strikeouts (177) and batters struck out looking (52).

SCOUTING WESTERN CAROLINA
One of the most surprising team's in the Southern Conference in 2021, Western Carolina enters the SoCon Tournament as the No. 2 seed after being picked last in the preseason poll. The Catamounts took home a couple of major awards from the Southern Conference when the league announced its postseason awards on Wednesday, including junior Bailey Huneycutt being named the Player of the Year and head coach Jim Clift earning Coach of the Year honors. WCU enters the conference tournament with a record of 25-24 after being swept in three games by UNCG last weekend in the battle for the regular season crown. Huneycutt has propelled the Catamounts' offense with her SoCon-leading 14 home runs and .369 average (48-for-130), while she's tied for the best on base percentage in the league at .500. She also ranks second in slugging percentage (.746), hits (48), runs scored (33), total bases (97) and walks. Kailey McNeil has also provided some pop in the lineup for WCU, going 41-for-131 (.313 avg.) at the plate with nine doubles, eight home runs, 32 RBI and 24 runs scored. In the circle, Jayme Eilers has been busy throwing 159.0 innings in 26 starts while making 30 appearances. Eilers boasts a 3.17 ERA and an even 12-12 record on the season while recording 156 of WCU's 234 strikeouts on the year.

SCOUTING CHATTANOOGA
Chattanooga had an eventful journey into the 2021 Southern Conference Tournament as it used late game heroics not once but twice during last weekend's crucial three-game series against Samford. Hayleigh Weissenbach, an All-SoCon First Team selection, hit a walk-off, two-run double in game one with two outs against the Bulldogs. In Sunday's do-or-die series finale, it was Cameren Swafford who came through in the clutch as her two-run home run in the fifth inning completed the Mocs comeback as they defeated Samford, 6-3. Weissenbach (.330 avg.) is one of two Mocs hitting over .300 on the season, along with Emily Coltharp who is hitting at a clip of .318 (34-for-107). Chattanooga's pitching staff is led by Hannah Wood who boasts a 3.40 ERA while owning a 6-8 record. She has thrown a team-high 90.2 innings on the year.

Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Softball, 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.