Bears Back Home This Weekend, Host MUSB Invitational II

Friday, February 27

Macon, Ga.

3 p.m.

Mercer University

Tennessee State

Bears Back Home This Weekend, Host MUSB Invitational II

2/26/2026 11:13:00 AM | Softball

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – The Mercer softball team will return to the comfy confines of Sikes Field again this weekend when the Bears suit up to host the second installment of the 3-dau. 4-team MUSB Invitational.

Tickets for the event are still available and can be purchased at the gate. A 10-game tournament pass will be on sale for $20, 2-day passes are $15 and a 1-day pass is $10. Fans unable to make the trip to Middle Georgia can still follow all of the action for free via live statistics links provided by the MU athletics department.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27
Game 1: 3 p.m. ET vs. Tennessee State Live Statistics: MercerBears.com/Live Game 2: 5:30 p.m. ET vs. Columbia Live Statistics: MercerBears.com/Live

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28
Game 1: 3 p.m. ET vs. Presbyterian Live Statistics: MercerBears.com/Live Game 2: 5:30 p.m. ET vs. Tennessee State Live Statistics: MercerBears.com/Live

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22
Game 1: 12:30 p.m. ET vs. Presbyterian Live Statistics: MercerBears.com/Live

LAST TIME OUT
Junior Daniella Monaco clubbed a 1-and-2 offering over the left field wall in the first at-bat of the game, but 25th-ranked Ole Miss followed with 16 unanswered runs to hand the Bears an abbreviated 16-1 setback on Sunday evening in the final game of UAB's Green & Gold Classic. It was the third-straight loss – all to nationally-ranked teams – for the Bears (8-5) who got base hits from three different players in Sunday's setback.

ABOUT MERCER
The Bears (8-5) matched a program superlative by capturing eight of their first 10 games this season, including a perfect 5-0 mark at the season-opening Heart of Georgia Classic in Macon, but registered a 0-for-4 clip at last weekend's Green & Gold Classic, including two setbacks to 25^th-ranked Ole Miss and one more to top-ranked Tennessee. Despite the losses, the Orange & Black still boasts one of the nation's top home run (19) totals and leads the 8-team Southern Conference in three other statistical categories, including double plays (7). Senior infielder Avery Barton ranks 27^th among NCAA Division I leaders with six home runs already in 2026, while junior outfielder Daniella Monaco boasts a SoCon-best two triples. Six Bears carry batting averages at or above the .333 mark, including junior catcher Olivia Lenzen who has compiled a team-leading .375 batting clip in 14 starts.

SCOUTING THE FIELD
Tennessee State (0-6) has dropped its first six games of the 2026 campaign, including a pair of losses to East Tennessee State at last weekend's Bucs Tournament in Johnson City, Tenn. Despite sporting just a .165 team batting average, junior Jace Jackson has still managed to put together a TSU-best .429 batting clip with a trio of extra-base hits. The pitching staff for the Tigers shows a 10.74 staff earned run average, while also allowing opponents to hit at a .403 success rate. Columbia (0-9), likewise, remains winless through the early portion of its 2026 schedule, including a trio of 2-run losses at last weekend's Stetson Invitational in DeLand, Fla. The Lions are paced offensively by junior Payton Shimansky who sports a team-high .304 batting average, as well as a CU-best six RBI, while four other players are hitting .250 or better. Opponents are hitting .335 against Columbia's pitching staff which shows a 5.98 team earned run average. Presbyterian (8-6) will ride a two-game winning skein into Macon this weekend after taking both halves of a home doubleheader with North Carolina A&T on Wednesday. The Blue Hose will bring a balanced attack into Macon this weekend, sporting a .287 team batting average through 14 games, while also boasting an impressive 3.21 team earned run average. Presbyterian's staff has been stingy in the hits column, allowing opponents to hit at just a .219 clip. Avery Robinson (3-2, 1.94 ERA) and Peyton Duncan (4-3, 3.50) lead the way in the middle, while Robinson has also compiled a team-best .409 batting average as well.

SERIES RECORDS
The Bears are 5-2 all-time against Tennessee State, but the Tigers snapped a five-game series losing streak with an 8-6 triumph over MU at last season's TSU-hosted Roar Invitational. Friday's matchup at Sikes Field will mark the first-ever meeting between the Bears and Presbyterian on the softball diamond. Mercer is 7-4 all-time against Presbyterian, but split a doubleheader with the Blue Hose last season in Clinton, S.C. The Bears have captured the last three meetings with Presbyterian in Macon, but Saturday's meeting at Sikes Field will mark the first series matchup in Middle Georgia since the 2021 Mercer Bears Classic.

ON DECK
Mercer will close out its early-season tournament schedule, Marcy 6-8, when it treks to Raleigh, N.C., for the NC State-hosted The Marucci Classic. The Bears are scheduled for a pair of games against the Wolfpack on campus, as well as three games at the USA Baseball National Training Complex – two against Michigan State and another against Stetson.

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*.