Friday, May 16
Gainesville, Fla.
4:30 p.m.
Mercer University
at
#3 Florida
Mercer Opens NCAA Tournament Play At No. 3 Florida
5/15/2025 10:22:00 PM | Softball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Red-hot Mercer will make the program's first-ever postseason appearance this weekend when it heads to central Florida for the NCAA Gainesville Regional. The Bears will open up their portion of tournament play on Friday at 4:30 p.m. when they take on No. 3 National Seed Florida at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Fans unable to make the trip to Gainesville can still follow the game in progress for free via a live statistics link provided by the UF athletics department. The game is also scheduled to be streamed live on ESPN+ with Krista Blunk and Aleshia Ocasio calling all of the balls and strikes.
Mercer (38-24) has captured 19 of its last 22 outings heading into the NCAA Gainesville Regional - a streak that dates all the way back to a home win over Kennesaw State on April 9. The Bears are 7-1 on the road across that span, as well as 6-1 at both home and neutral sites. The Bears have posted a .310 batting average with 22 home runs and 142 RBI across that span while scoring 6.9 runs per game.
Defensively, the Bears have compiled a .973 fielding percentage over the last 22 games, committing just 17 errors (1.3/game). From the circle, Mercer has registered a 2.68 ERA across the span while holding opponents to 2.7 runs/game and a .266 batting average.
Fans unable to make the trip to Gainesville can still follow the game in progress for free via a live statistics link provided by the UF athletics department. The game is also scheduled to be streamed live on ESPN+ with Krista Blunk and Aleshia Ocasio calling all of the balls and strikes.
Mercer (38-24) has captured 19 of its last 22 outings heading into the NCAA Gainesville Regional - a streak that dates all the way back to a home win over Kennesaw State on April 9. The Bears are 7-1 on the road across that span, as well as 6-1 at both home and neutral sites. The Bears have posted a .310 batting average with 22 home runs and 142 RBI across that span while scoring 6.9 runs per game.
Defensively, the Bears have compiled a .973 fielding percentage over the last 22 games, committing just 17 errors (1.3/game). From the circle, Mercer has registered a 2.68 ERA across the span while holding opponents to 2.7 runs/game and a .266 batting average.
| SERIES HISTORY |
| Florida has captured all 13 previous meetings with the Bears in a series that dates all the way back to the 2008 season. The Gators have hosted all 13 matchups in the series, including last season's 10-2 (6 inn.) win over the Bears on March 15. Mercer scored two runs in the top of the first inning in that contest to register its first-ever lead in the series with UF. The Bears played then-No. 1 Florida twice during the 2015 campaign to mark the first (and only) time that MU has faced the nation's top-ranked team. |
| SCOUTING FLORIDA |
| The Gators (43-14) have been tabbed as the No. 3 National Seed in the NCAA Tournament and will ride into their home stadium sporting a No. 4 ranking in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 and a No. 8 listing in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Top 25. Florida finished in a tie for fifth in the final Southeastern Conference regular season standings, but dropped their opening game of the SEC Tournament to 11th-seeded Ole Miss. UF boasts one of the nation's most potent offenses, and will lug the nation's 7th-ranked scoring team (7.56 runs/game) into Friday's action at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The Gators have already totaled 406 RBI in 2024 (3rd NCAA), and also carry the nation's fifth-best on-base percentage (.442) and sixth-best home run total (97). Defensively, Florida carries a more-modest 3.00 team earned run average, and have allowed 6.38 hits per 7 innings. Senior outfielder Kendra Falby carries a team-leading .439 batting average to go along with 35 stolen bases and 63 runs scored. The batting order is monstrous after that as freshman outfielder Taylor Shumaker has registered 17 doubles, 18 home runs, 76 RBI and a team-best 64 runs scored, and sophomore infielder Mia Williams shows 19 long balls and 47 RBI. Right-hander Ava Brown (10-3, 2.66 ERA) has logged a team-best 29 appearances in 2025, while also striking out 54 in 94-2/3 innings pitched. Fellow sophomore Keagan Rothrock (12-5, 3.34) has worked a staff-best 102-2/3 innings while also tallying 81 strikeouts. |
| UP NEXT FOR THE BEARS |
| Mercer's Saturday's schedule will depend on its Friday result. A win over the Gators will move the Bears into Saturday's noon winner's bracket contest against the victor of the contest between Florida Atlantic and Georgia Tech. A loss to the Gators will knock MU into Saturday's 2:30 p.m. elimination game. |
| STAY CONNECTED |
| Follow Mercer Softball on Twitter and Instagram and "Like" Mercer Softball 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, email maf@mercer.edu. |
Press Conference Mercer Football (Week 5 vs East Tennessee State)
Tuesday, September 23
Mercer 38, Citadel 0 | Postgame Press Conference (9/20/25)
Saturday, September 20
Mercer v U.T. Martin VB Highlight Reel: 9/20/2025
Saturday, September 20
Mercer v North Dakota VB Highlight Reel: 9/19/2025
Saturday, September 20
