Wednesday, March 13
Kennesaw, Ga.
7 p.m.
Mercer University
at
Kennesaw State
Mercer Heads To Kennesaw State For Midweek Battle
3/12/2024 12:59:00 PM | Softball
MACON – The Mercer softball team will continue its 13-game stretch away from home on Wednesday when the Bears pack up their show and make the short trip northeast to do battle with in-state nemesis Kennesaw State. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at KSU's Bailey Park.
Â
Fans unable to make the trip to Kennesaw can still follow the game for free via a live statistics link provided by the KSU athletics department. The game is also slated to be streamed live by ESPN+.
Â
The Bears (9-11) are fresh off of a 5-0 shutout of Longwood on Saturday that wrapped up their portion of round-robin tournament play at the Clemson-hosted Tiger Invitational. Sophomore Grace Taylor retired the first 16 batters on the way to a 2-hit shutout, while junior Tori Hedgecock hit a solo homer in the bottom of the first inning to give Taylor all of the offense she would need.
Â
Mercer will lug one of the Southern Conference's top offensive and defensive clubs into Wednesday's matchup. MU currently sports the SoCon's third-best batting average (.276) and fourth-best team earned run average (3.85), while also boasting the league's second-best fielding percentage (.965). Hedgecock is ranked fifth among NCAA Division I's top home run hitters (0.45/game), while freshman right-hander Gabby Ellis is second among SoCon players with a 1.52 ERA.
Â
Â
Fans unable to make the trip to Kennesaw can still follow the game for free via a live statistics link provided by the KSU athletics department. The game is also slated to be streamed live by ESPN+.
Â
The Bears (9-11) are fresh off of a 5-0 shutout of Longwood on Saturday that wrapped up their portion of round-robin tournament play at the Clemson-hosted Tiger Invitational. Sophomore Grace Taylor retired the first 16 batters on the way to a 2-hit shutout, while junior Tori Hedgecock hit a solo homer in the bottom of the first inning to give Taylor all of the offense she would need.
Â
Mercer will lug one of the Southern Conference's top offensive and defensive clubs into Wednesday's matchup. MU currently sports the SoCon's third-best batting average (.276) and fourth-best team earned run average (3.85), while also boasting the league's second-best fielding percentage (.965). Hedgecock is ranked fifth among NCAA Division I's top home run hitters (0.45/game), while freshman right-hander Gabby Ellis is second among SoCon players with a 1.52 ERA.
Â
| SERIES HISTORY |
| Kennesaw State leads the all-time series, 24-11, and will ride a three-game series win streak into this week's matchup. |
| SCOUTING THE OWLS |
| The Owls (6-16) will carry a three-game skid into Wednesday's tilt with the Bears, including dropping both ends of a doubleheader with South Dakota State on Sunday at home. KSU is 0-3 against SoCon teams already this season, including a pair of setbacks to East Tennessee State at the Kennesaw State Tournament in mid-February. The Owls were also blanked, 3-0, by UNC Greensboro at the KSU-hosted I-75 Challenge on February 25. Â Kennesaw State's success so far this season has come from its speed on the base paths. The Owls rank 40th among all NCAA Division I squads with 38 stolen bases (43 attempts), and already have three triples to their credit in 2024 as well. In the circle, Kennesaw State's staff has logged 111 strikeouts in 152-2/3 innings pitched through 22 games, while issuing just 46 walks. That strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.41) ranks 61st among NCAA Division I teams. |
| UP NEXT FOR THE BEARS |
| The Bears will close out their nearly month-long road trip on Friday and Saturday when they head to Gainesville, Fla., for matchups with both Indiana and No. 13 Florida. |
| STAY CONNECTED |
| Follow Mercer Softball on Twitter and Instagram and "Like" Mercer Football on Facebook. |
| SUPPORT THE BEARS |
| Fans can help support the Mercer athletics department by making a gift to the Mercer Athletic Foundation. To find out more information about the Mercer Athletic Foundation, visit SupportMAF.com or email maf@mercer.edu. |
Players Mentioned
Mercer v. West Georgia | Baseball Highlight Reel: 4/7/26
Wednesday, April 08
Mercer Men's Lacrosse 2026 | vs. Utah | Full Game Highlights
Saturday, April 04
Mercer Women's Lacrosse 2026 | vs. Presbyterian | Full Game Highlights
Thursday, April 02
Mercer v. Kennesaw State | Baseball Highlight Reel: 3/31/26
Wednesday, April 01
