Bears Host Kennesaw State In Midweek Action

MACON – The Mercer softball team will make a quick stop home on Wednesday evening when it bunkers down to host in-state rival Kennesaw State in a 6 p.m. contest at Sikes Field. Admission is free.

Fans unable to make the trek 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 slated to be streamed live on ESPN+ with Joe Kopsho and Phil Cox calling all of the balls and strikes.

The Bears (19-21) will head into Wednesday looking to put the kibosh on a three-game skid after falling on the wrong end of a weekend sweep on Saturday and Sunday at Wofford. The Bears had seventh-inning leads in Games 2 and 3 of the series, but fell victim to walk-off finishes in both instances.

There has been no place like home for Mercer's pitching staff this season as its six-armed arsenal has registered an impressive 2.35 team earned run average while limiting opponents to a .245 batting average in its 17 home games. The Bears have allowed six or fewer hits in eight of their last 10 outings at Sikes Field, and have limited opponents to just a .211 batting clip over that span as well.

Offensively, the Bears remain explosive despite some hiccups along the way. The Orange & Black has averaged better than seven runs (7.3) per game in its 19 victories in 2025, and still rank among the nation's top teams with 55 doubles, while pacing the Southern Conference with 27 hits by pitch. Senior Tori Hedgecock and junior Hallie Langford both rank among the league's top hitters with .367 batting averages. Hedgecock ranks second among SoCon hitters with 10 homers, while Langford paces the league with 39 runs scored.

SERIES HISTORY

Kennesaw State leads the 34-year-old series, 25-11, and will ride a four-game series win streak into Wednesday's contest in Macon, including a 6-4 comeback victory over the Bears in Kennesaw last year. Mercer's last win over the Owls was a 5-4 triumph in the 2014 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.

SCOUTING KENNESAW STATE

The Owls (10-29) have faltered in 15 of their last 17 games, but did snap an 11-game losing streak with a 1-0 victory over Western Kentucky in the second game of their Atlantic Sun Conference series on Saturday in Kennesaw. KSU is 0-17 away from home this season, including a 0-12 clip in true road games.

Sophomore third baseman Ava Guzowski carries a team-best .288 batting average to complement 13 extra-base hits (4 HR), 15 RBI and a dozen runs scored, while sophomore second baseman Hannah Harvey boasts a .281 batting average with 11 extra-base hits (2 HR), 14 RBI and 16 runs scored. The Owls, like Mercer, also rank among the nation's team leaders with 59 doubles in 2025.

Kenley Hilleary (3-5, 3.47 ERA) and fellow sophomore Emma Friedel (6-10, 3.83) have carried a bulk of the load for the KSU pitching staff this season as both have logged 71 innings pitched or more in the circle. Friedel's staff-best six victories have been fueled by an opponent batting average that has hovered near the .200 plateau.

UP NEXT FOR THE BEARS

Mercer will hit the road again this weekend when it travels to Johnson City, Tenn., for a Saturday/Sunday series at Southern Conference foe East Tennessee State (13-25, 2-7 SoCon). Saturday's series-opening doubleheader has been tagged with a 1 p.m. start, while Sunday's series finale is also scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

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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

Tori Hedgecock

Hallie Langford

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