Softball Opens 2024 Campaign, Hosts 3-Day Tournament

MACON – The Mercer softball team will lift the lid on its 2024 season this weekend when the Bears suit up in the Orange & Black to host the 3-day, 3-team Heart of Georgia Classic at Sikes Field. MU will welcome Drexel and Dayton to Macon to take part in the event.

Admission prices start at $10 for single-day passes, while 2-day passes can be purchased for $15 and weekend passes are $20. Children ages 10 and under, as well as Mercer students, will be admitted free. Fans unable to make the trip to Middle Georgia can still follow all of the action for free via live statistics links provided by the MU athletics department.

Drexel will play the first of three weekend matchups with Dayton on Friday at 1 p.m. to kick off the event, while Mercer will tangle with the Flyers at 3:30 p.m. to open their portion of round-robin tournament play. The Bears are scheduled to take on Drexel on Friday at 6 p.m. to close out the Day 1 schedule.

The Bears, who were projected to finish third in the race for the SoCon's regular season crown in a poll of the league's head coaches, return four starting position players and a wealth of pitching experience off of last year's club that posted 20 victories, including a pair of triumphs in the Southern Conference Tournament. Among the returnees are SoCon Preseason Pitcher of the Year honoree Grace Taylor and fellow 2023 SoCon All-Freshman Team honoree Avery Barton, as well as senior Tori Hedgecock who ranked second among league leaders with 14 home runs.

Dayton, the preseason favorite to capture the Atlantic-10 crown, will bring back five position starters and three pitchers off of last season's 35-win club, including the 2023 A-10 Player of the Year, Emma Schutter, who finished the 2023 campaign with 85 hits (4^th NCAA) and a .467 batting average (5^th). Izzy Kemp and Haven Dwyer, the 1-2 punch in the circle for the Flyers in 2023, both return for another season with UD as well.

Tabbed to finish 11^th in the 12-team race for the Coastal Athletic Association regular season title, Drexel will welcome back seven position starters and all three pitchers from its 2023 squad that registered a 12-37 clip. Seniors Ameryn Humble and Lindsey Hunt, who both appeared on the CAA's Preseason Players to Watch listing, will lead the offensive charge for the Dragons, while 9-game winner Jessica Schable returns to lead DU in the circle.

Softball Opens 2024 Campaign, Hosts 3-Day Tournament

Players Mentioned

Avery Barton

Tori Hedgecock

Grace Taylor

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