Bucs Up Next

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Mercer will take on ETSU in a three-game Southern Conference Road series in Johnson City, Tenn., beginning with a Friday afternoon clash at 1 p.m. at Thomas Stadium.

The Bears (33-8, 7-2 SoCon) and ETSU (24-13, 6-3) both have swept two SoCon series so far and have lost a series to Wofford. All three games will be aired live on ESPN+.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
Teams: Mercer (33-8, 7-2 SoCon) at ETSU (24-13, 6-3 SoCon)
Location: Johnson City, Tenn. | Thomas Stadium
Friday: April 29 | 1 p.m. | Live Stats | ESPN+
Saturday: April 30 | 2 p.m. | Live Stats | ESPN+
Sunday: May 1 | 1 p.m. | Live Stats | ESPN+

Projected Starters:

Friday: RHP Ryan Lobus (5-2, 2.92 ERA) vs. RHP Zach Kirby (2-1, 3.50 ERA)
Saturday: RHP Josh Farmer (4-1, 5.34 ERA) vs. RHP Hunter (3-2, 2.70 ERA)
Sunday: TBA vs. TBA

Batting Practice

The Bears enter the contest with a 33-8 overall and 7-2 SoCon record.
The 33 wins by Mercer is tied for the second most in the country for Division 1 baseball and lead the conference.
Ryan Lobus expected to start on the mound for Mercer in the series opener. The sophomore righty is 5-2 on the season and has recorded 49 punchouts and yielded just 16 walks.
Mercer has slugged 78 home runs in 41 games during the 2022 season, the fifth-most in the nation. Colby Thomas leads the squad with 17 homers which is the eighth-best in the country.
Mercer leads the SoCon with the lowest ERA of 4.39. Jackson Kelley leads the team with a 0.91 ERA.
Mercer currently leads the conference with 411 strikeouts this season. Mercer is led by Josh Harlow, who has 63 Ks this season. Kelley follows with 62. Mercer has 13 pitchers that have tallied double-digit punchouts on the year.
Mercer leads the conference in multiple categories such as hits, RBI, runs scored, OBP, walks and home runs.
Mercer is one of just three NCAA Division I programs to win at least 35 games in each of the past 11 full seasons, joining LSU and Vanderbilt.

A Look at the Series
Mercer holds a 37-15 advantage over ETSU in their all-time series. The two programs are former ASUN rivals and have played at least three games each season dating back to 2006. Mercer has won three consecutive series against the Bucs dating back to 2015, including a series sweep in Johnson City in 2018.

Series: Mercer, 37-15
Last Meeting: May 1, 2021 (Mercer, 8-4)
Streak: Mercer, W1
Coach Gibson's Record vs. ETSU: 37-14

Scouting ETSU
The Buccaneers enter the series after dropping an 8-6 road affair to Radford in their last time out. Zach Kirby, the projected Friday starter, brings a 2-1 record, has fanned 57 and has a 3.50 ERA in nine appearances on the bump. Tommy Barth leads the ETSU offense with 51 hits and has driven in 29 runs. The Bucs' pitching staff is right behind Mercer in allowing opponents to just hit .257, which ranks second in the SoCon. ETSU leads the league with a team batting average of .304, doubles with 88 and is second in longballs with 62.

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.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Josh Farmer

Ryan Lobus

Footer

Mercer University Athletics