Gibson on the Cusp of Mercer History
3/29/2023 4:07:00 PM | Baseball
Next win will tie Barry Myers as the winningest coach in program history
MACON, Ga. – Mercer baseball head coach Craig Gibson is one win away from tying Barry Myers as the winningest coach in program history with 648 wins. Gibson will reach this mark in six fewer seasons.
Gibson, a Mercer alumnus, joined Myers' staff as an assistant coach in August 1993 before assuming the role as head coach in 2004. His first win as head coach came in the 2004 season opener against Florida A&M, 9-8.
The Bears posted 16 winning seasons under Gibson, including 12-straight seasons with 35 wins or more. Mercer is one of three NCAA Division I programs to win at least 35 games in each of the past 12 full seasons, joining LSU and Vanderbilt.
Gibson led the Bears to 21 wins over ranked opponents during his tenure. He earned his first ranked win against No. 19 College of Charleston in 2005. Mercer took down two leaders in 2006, defeating No. 1 Florida and No. 1 Clemson. The Bears beat the Gators again in 2014 and 2018 as Florida led the nation in the latter.
In 2007, Mercer posted a two-game series sweep of No. 2 Miami. The Bears downed in-state foe Georgia Tech five times under Gibson, with the Yellow Jackets ranked as high as fifth in 2011. Mercer recorded two weekend sweeps of ranked opponents, trouncing No. 24 FGCU (2013) and No. 8 East Carolina (2017). Other ranked wins include No. 6 Ole Miss (2009), No. 23 Mississippi State (2012), and No. 10 Florida State (2022).
While members of the ASUN Conference, Mercer won the 2010 ASUN Tournament and 2013 ASUN regular season title, securing NCAA Tournament berths in both seasons. After posting a 43-18 overall record and 20-7 record in the ASUN, Gibson was named ASUN Coach of the Year, becoming the first person in league history to be named both Coach of the Year and Player of the Year, which he secured in 1985. Gibson earned his first NCAA Tournament win in 2010 when the Bears defeated Elon, 13-7.
Mercer wasted no time after joining the Southern Conference in 2015, claiming the regular season and tournament titles as a first-year member and entering the NCAA Tournament. Gibson was named SoCon Coach of the Year in 2015 and again in 2017 in the coaches poll. He led the Bears to regular season championship titles in the next two seasons and finished second in the SoCon Tournament in 2016 and 2018. Mercer returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2019 after winning the SoCon Tournament for the second time.
The program demonstrated dominance at OrthoGeorgia Park at Claude Smith Field. Mercer is 215-89 overall at home since the start of the 2012 campaign, including a 24-4 mark in 2014 to rank seventh in the nation with a .857 winning percentage.
Gibson is currently 647-434 in his 20th season as head coach. Myers finished at 648-679-7 in 26 years.
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.Â
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Gibson, a Mercer alumnus, joined Myers' staff as an assistant coach in August 1993 before assuming the role as head coach in 2004. His first win as head coach came in the 2004 season opener against Florida A&M, 9-8.
The Bears posted 16 winning seasons under Gibson, including 12-straight seasons with 35 wins or more. Mercer is one of three NCAA Division I programs to win at least 35 games in each of the past 12 full seasons, joining LSU and Vanderbilt.
Gibson led the Bears to 21 wins over ranked opponents during his tenure. He earned his first ranked win against No. 19 College of Charleston in 2005. Mercer took down two leaders in 2006, defeating No. 1 Florida and No. 1 Clemson. The Bears beat the Gators again in 2014 and 2018 as Florida led the nation in the latter.
In 2007, Mercer posted a two-game series sweep of No. 2 Miami. The Bears downed in-state foe Georgia Tech five times under Gibson, with the Yellow Jackets ranked as high as fifth in 2011. Mercer recorded two weekend sweeps of ranked opponents, trouncing No. 24 FGCU (2013) and No. 8 East Carolina (2017). Other ranked wins include No. 6 Ole Miss (2009), No. 23 Mississippi State (2012), and No. 10 Florida State (2022).
While members of the ASUN Conference, Mercer won the 2010 ASUN Tournament and 2013 ASUN regular season title, securing NCAA Tournament berths in both seasons. After posting a 43-18 overall record and 20-7 record in the ASUN, Gibson was named ASUN Coach of the Year, becoming the first person in league history to be named both Coach of the Year and Player of the Year, which he secured in 1985. Gibson earned his first NCAA Tournament win in 2010 when the Bears defeated Elon, 13-7.
Mercer wasted no time after joining the Southern Conference in 2015, claiming the regular season and tournament titles as a first-year member and entering the NCAA Tournament. Gibson was named SoCon Coach of the Year in 2015 and again in 2017 in the coaches poll. He led the Bears to regular season championship titles in the next two seasons and finished second in the SoCon Tournament in 2016 and 2018. Mercer returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2019 after winning the SoCon Tournament for the second time.
The program demonstrated dominance at OrthoGeorgia Park at Claude Smith Field. Mercer is 215-89 overall at home since the start of the 2012 campaign, including a 24-4 mark in 2014 to rank seventh in the nation with a .857 winning percentage.
Gibson is currently 647-434 in his 20th season as head coach. Myers finished at 648-679-7 in 26 years.
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.Â
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