Mercer Prepares OrthoGeorgia Park For Season Opener Against Troy

Friday, February 13

Macon, Ga.

6 p.m.

Mercer University

Troy

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Mercer Prepares OrthoGeorgia Park For Season Opener Against Troy

2/12/2026 9:00:00 AM | Baseball

2026 BSB vs. Troy Game Notes

By: Rylee Bamberger, Rylee.m.bamberger@live.mercer.edu

MACON – The best time of year has finally arrived. The 2026 collegiate baseball season begins with the Mercer Bears defending their home turf against the Troy Trojans.

Mercer vs. Troy | Friday, February 13-Sunday, February 15 | 6:00/2:00/1:00 PM EST

Claude Smith Field at OrthoGeorgia Park | Macon, Ga.

Last Meeting: Saturday, April 9, 2005 | Troy won 18-1

All-Time Series: 12-13 | 7-5 at home | 4-7 on the road | Streak: L3

Links: X | Instagram | Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets

Expected Pitchers:
Friday: RHP Garrett Lambert (0-0, -.-- ERA) vs. RHP Tommy Egan (0-0, -.-- ERA)
Saturday: RHP Miguel Hugas (0-0, -.-- ERA) vs. RHP Noah Thigpen (0-0, -.-- ERA)
Sunday: TBA vs. LHP Benjamin Stubbs (0-0, -.-- ERA)

Notables:

The Bears were voted to finish second in the Southern Conference by the league's coaches for the fifth time out of the past six seasons. Six Bears received Preseason All-SoCon honors with ace Garrett Lambert and reliever Collin Ewaldsen headlining the group as members of the First Team
Mercer retained 15 pitchers from a staff that produced the second-best team ERA in the SoCon last season with Jess Ackerman, Lambert, Ewaldsen, Braydon Kersey and Andrew Garnett headlining the returners.
For the first time since March 10, 2024, Garrett Lambert will take the mound. After a long recovery process from an injury suffered in 2024, the former Preseason SoCon Freshman of the Year gets to show the Mercer faithful, and the world, what the youngster can really do.
A match-up over a decade in the making, the Bears have not played Troy since April 9, 2005. The two programs were formerly conference rivals in the ASUN, however the two have not met since the Trojans joined the Sun Belt Conference after the conclusion of the 2025 season.

Taking a Look at the Trojans:

After finishing 2025 with a 39-21 record and just missing a trip to an NCAA Regional, the Trojans hit the transfer portal hard. Troy brought in the 19th-best transfer class (No. 2 of all mid-majors) according to 64Analytics while also retaining key returners Blake Cavill, Jimmy Janicki, Steven Meier, Sean Darnell and Houston Markham.
Cavill was named the unanimous SBC Preseason Player of the Year and an NCBWA Third Team Preseason All-American after having one of the best individual seasons in the country. The Sydney, Australia, native hit .320 with an SBC-best .516 on-base percentage while racking up 24 extra-base hits and 50 RBI. Cavill enters the 2026 season amidst a 65-game reached based streak, the longest active on-base streak in the country.
Southpaw reliever Hayden Smith was named to the NCBWA Preseason Stopper of the Year Watchlist after a dominant sophomore season at Kentucky. Last year, Smith posted a 3.48 ERA while holding opponents scoreless in 12 of his 14 appearances.