Bears Travel To Kennesaw Wednesday For First Road Test

Wednesday, February 19

Marietta, Ga.

4 p.m.

Mercer University

Kennesaw State

Bears Travel To Kennesaw Wednesday For First Road Test

2/18/2025 10:29:00 AM | Baseball

By: Donovan Schultz, donovan.schultz@live.mercer.edu

MACON – The Bears hit the road for the first time this year on Wednesday, traveling to Kennesaw to battle in-state rival Kennesaw State. Mercer looks to continue building positive momentum following an Opening Weekend series victory over Milwaukee at OrthoGeorgia Park. After a tough loss on Friday night, the Bears bounced back with emphatic victories on Saturday and Sunday, dominating on both sides of the ball to take the series. Junior right-hander Bryce Hawkins will get the start on the mound for the Bears for his first appearance of the 2025 campaign. Wednesday's contest marks the first of two meetings between the Owls and Bears this season and the 51st all-time meeting between the in-state rivals.

Mercer at Kennesaw State | Wednesday, February 19 | 4 PM ET

Site | Location

S. Walter Kelly Sr. Memorial Field | Marietta, Ga.*

Links

Live Stats | TV: N/A

Expected Pitching Match-Up: MER RHP Bryce Hawkins (0-0, 8.64 ERA - 2024) vs. KSU TBA

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*Due to construction at Sillwell Stadium, Kennesaw State is playing their 2025 home games at S. Walter Kelly Sr. Memorial Field in Marietta.

Weekend Review
After being limited to three runs on Friday, the Bears offense exploded for 22 runs over the final two games of the series against Milwaukee, highlighted by six home runs. For the weekend, the Bears clubbed eight home runs, ranking eighth in the country as of Monday, and were one of five teams that played three games over the weekend to hit eight or more home runs. Parker Lester was one of 20 players nationally to hit three or more homers on the weekend, while Ty Dalley and Bradley Frye also hit multiple dingers for the Bears.

The Mercer pitching staff made a strong first impression on Opening Weekend, posting a 4.33 ERA across three games. Bears pitchers punched out 36 Panthers while allowing only eight free passes, including a 10 strikeout, zero walk performance on Sunday.

The Bears saw seven freshmen make their collegiate debuts on Opening Weekend. Braydon Kersey got the Opening Day start at DH before starting game two on the mound, striking out five in four innings pitched. Fellow freshman Kai Decker started at DH in games two and three of the series and also saw his first career pitching appearance in the ninth inning on Sunday. Craig Kalkbrenner and Collin Ewaldsen also impressed on the mound in their first taste of college baseball, with both posting zeroes.

Scouting Kennesaw State
Kennesaw State heads into a double midweek slate this week after hosting Rutgers to begin the 2025 campaign. The Owls took Friday's contest by a score of 5-3 before falling on Saturday and Sunday by scores of 3-1 and 7-2. The Owls were limited to 22 hits on the weekend, hitting .232 as a team. Donovan Cash and Chris Cole led the way offensively with three hits each. The Kennesaw State pitching staff showed well against the Scarlet Knights, posting a 3.67 ERA in the series. The Owls host eighth-ranked Georgia on Tuesday before welcoming Mercer on Wednesday.

The 2025 campaign is Kennesaw State's first as a member of Conference USA, joining the conference after spending 19 seasons in the Atlantic Sun. The Owls were picked to finish sixth in the CUSA preseason poll, while relief pitcher Bo Rhudy was named to the preseason all-conference team. Kennesaw State went 32-24 in 2024, including a 19-10 record in ASUN play. The Owls reached the ASUN Tournament championship game in 2024, where they lost to Stetson to fall just short of an NCAA Tournament berth

Looking Ahead
Mercer returns to OrthoGeorgia Park this weekend for a three-game set with Kent State starting on Friday. Tickets can be purchased by visiting Mercerbears.com/Tickets.