Mercer Returns Home To Take On Georgia State

MACON – The Mercer softball team will open up a 6-game home stand on Wednesday when the Bears return to Sikes Field to take on in-state rival Georgia State. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and admission is free.

Fans unable to make the trip to Middle Georgia can still follow the game in progress for free via a live statistics link provided by the MU athletics department. The game is also scheduled to be streamed live on ESPN+ with Phil Cox and Joe Kopsho handling the duties in the booth.

Mercer (5-3) has won three of its last four contests, including an 8-3 comeback victory over Illinois on Thursday in its opening game of the Tennessee State-hosted Roar City Invitational. The win over the Illini marked MU's first win over a Power 5 school in more than six years. The Bears stretched their win streak to three games with a 9-6 win over Stony Brook on Friday before dropping an 8-6 decision to the host Tigers later that evening.

Newcomer Sietske Drijvers leads the Bears from the batter's box with a .444 (8-for-18) average through eight outings, including a dramatic go-ahead homer in last week's home win over West Georgia, while Southern Conference Preseason Player of the Year (D1Softball.com) Tori Hedgecock has already tallied six extra-base hits (2 HR), 10 RBI and eight runs scored, while also boasting a 1.538 OPS.

Mercer has been solid from the circle so far this season, tallying a 2.91 team earned run average while also holding opponents to a paltry .258 batting clip. Sophomore Grace Roark (2-1, 3.00 ERA) collected a pair of wins last week, including a complete game outing in the win over Stony Brook on Friday, while junior Hannah Pitts has struck out a team-best 16 batters in three appearances.

SERIES HISTORY

Georgia State leads the all-time series, 55-21, but Mercer has taken five of the last six matchups, including a pair of run-rule victories last season. The Panthers were 35-4 against Mercer from 1986-2002.

SCOUTING GEORGIA STATE

The Panthers (1-9) snapped a season-opening eight-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over Miami (Ohio) in the final game of the South Carolina-hosted Carolina Classic on Saturday, but dropped an 11-1 decision to visiting Michigan on Sunday evening. Georgia State is scheduled to take on in-state nemesis Kennesaw State on Tuesday evening at home before trekking to Macon on Wednesday.

Junior southpaw/infielder Maia Mumpfield has been electric at the plate for GSU so far, compiling a .400 (12-for-30) average to go along with a trio of doubles and as many RBI. Freshman catcher Ryleigh Garrett will lug a team-best three extra-base hits into Tuesday's outing with Kennesaw State, including Georgia State's only homer of the 2025 campaign so far.

Opponents have hit better than .330 off of Georgia State's six-armed pitching staff through 10 outings. Right-hander Emily Hodnett (0-2, 5.25) has already logged a team-best eight appearances (two starts) in the circle for the Panthers and has limited opponents to just a .262 batting clip. Fellow senior Sydney Boulware (1-2, 4.38) boasts the staff's only win from the circle after striking out six and scattering five hits in the triumph over the RedHawks.

UP NEXT FOR THE BEARS

The Bears will host their second of two February tournaments this weekend when they welcome four other teams to Sikes Field for the MUSB Invitational. The Bears will get the 4-day event started on Thursday evening with a 6 p.m. contest against Alabama State (0-10).

STAY CONNECTED

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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 S upportMAF.com or email maf@mercer.edu.

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Players Mentioned

Sietske Drijvers

Tori Hedgecock

Hannah Pitts

Grace Roark

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