Mercer University
Southern
Bears Play Host To Southern For Three-Game Series
3/6/2025 3:18:00 PM | Baseball
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| Southern at Mercer | Friday, March 7Â - Sunday, March 9Â | 6 PM, 2 PM, 1 PM ET | ||
| Site | Location | OrthoGeorgia Park at Claude Smith Field | Macon, Ga. | |
| Links | Friday, 6 p.m. ET: Live Stats | TV: N/A Expected Pitching Match-Up: MER LHP Colton Cosper (1-1, 5.54 ERA) vs. SOU LHP Ranard Grace (1-1, 3.78 ERA)         Saturday, 2 p.m. ET: Live Stats | TV:  N/A Expected Pitching Match-Up: MER LHP Jess Ackerman (1-0, 2.63 ERA) vs. SOU TBA Sunday, 1 p.m. ET:  Live Stats  | TV: N/A Expected Pitching Match-Up: MER RHP Braydon Kersey (0-1, 9.53 ERA) vs. SOU TBA |
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NotablesÂ
> Mercer returns home after taking a midweek win at Alabama State on Wednesday. The Bears defeated the Hornets by a score of 1-0 for their first shutout of the season and first 1-0 victory since May 5, 2019
> Bears pitching allowed just two hits and an HBP on Wednesday, while the Hornets only reached third base one time and second base twice. Mercer pitchers finished the game by retiring the last 11 hitters they faced
> The Mercer pitching staff has been excellent to begin the season, holding a 4.00 ERA with 127 strikeouts, the top mark in the Southern Conference. Opponents have hit just .231 against Bears pitching across the first 13 games of the campaign
> Â Colton Cosper is set to take the ball on Friday after turning in his best outing of the season in his last start. The current SoCon Pitcher of the Week, Cosper tossed five shutout innings against High Point last Friday with seven strikeouts and only three hits allowed
> Bears shortstop Bradley Frye continues to be one of the best hitters in the country so far this season. Frye ranks third in the SoCon with a .456 batting average, while his 26 hits are the most in the SoCon and tied for the third most in the country. On Wednesday, Frye extended his hitting streak to 10 games
> Terry Busse has emerged as a lockdown closer for the Bears, holding a 0.00 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 6.1 innings. Busse has collected three saves, the most in the SoCon
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This weekend marks the first-ever meeting between the Bears and Jaguars. Southern brings a 6-4 record into the week and most recently swept Saint Peter's in a three-game series.
Southern has featured a potent lineup so far this season, hitting .339 as a team. They are led by outfielder Cardell Thibodeaux, who has hit at a .469 clip in his first season with the Jaguars after spending two seasons at Louisiana-Monroe. Thibodeaux leads the Jaguars in most offensive categories, including average, OPS (1.366) and home runs (2). On the other side of the ball, the Southern pitching staff has posted a 6.81 ERA and struck out 70 in 71.1 innings.
The Jaguars went 22-29 in 2024, including an 15-12 record in SWAC play. Southern was picked to finish sixth in the SWAC Preseason Poll and received one first place vote.
