Six Bears Receive Preseason All-Conference Nods, Mercer Picked Second In Coaches’ Poll

MACON – With opening day right around the corner, the Southern Conference announced that six members of Mercer's baseball team were voted to its preseason conference squads by the league's coaches Thursday afternoon while the Bears were projected to finish second in the coaches' poll.

Redshirt freshman Garrett Lambert and sophomore reliever Collin Ewaldsen headlined the Bears' preseason recognition as members of the All-SoCon Preseason First Team.

Lambert has not appeared in a game since March 10, 2024 due to injury. The 2024 D1Baseball and Perfect Game SoCon Preseason Freshman of the Year continues to add to his list of accolades and is currently ranked as the No. 1 SoCon prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft class by D1Baseball.

Ewaldsen received SoCon All-Freshman team recognition after a tremendous first year in 2025. As a freshman, Ewaldsen appeared in 24 games out of the bullpen and notched four saves while maintaining a 4.68 ERA across 25 innings. The Baxley, Georgia, native struck out 30 opposing hitters and went on a streak of 10-straight appearances without allowing a run from March 26 until April 30.

Jess Ackerman and Braydon Kersey round out the remained of the Bears' pitching staff to receive preseason nods as members of the SoCon's Preseason Second Team.

Ackerman, a senior from Cumming, Georgia, has been nothing short of spectacular since taking the mound for the Bears. The 6-foot-3 southpaw has appeared in 61 games in the orange and black with 166 innings under his belt. Ackerman has led Mercer in strikeouts the previous two seasons and is fresh off a junior campaign where he posted a 4.73 ERA with 84 strikeouts over 18 appearances.

Kersey, a two-way player from Alpharetta, Georgia, appeared primarily out of the pen for the Bears his freshman season. The 2025 Perfect Game SoCon Preseason Freshman Player of the Year turned in a 5.52 ERA across 22 appearances (six starts) with 35 strikeouts in 45.2 innings.

Senior infielders Titan Kamaka and Brant Baughcum became the only hitters on Mercer to receive preseason nods.

Kamaka, a member of the 2025 SoCon All-Defensive Team, started in 52 games for the Bears last season and maintained a .291 batting average over 203 at-bats. The Florida State transfer tallied 94 total bases, recorded 59 hits, drove in 39 runs, legged 11 doubles and mashed eight home runs in his first season in Macon.

Baughcum started all 60 games at the hot corner for Mercer in 2025. The Buford, Georgia, native slashed .320/.415/.502 as a junior and his 225 at-bats were the third-most on the squad (ninth-most in SoCon). Baughcum finished second on the team with 72 hits, third with 15 doubles, 113 total bases, and 46 RBIs and tied for fourth with eight home runs. Baughcum finished his junior season with a .102 strikeout percentage and was listed as the 86th-hardest batter to strike out across all of Division I baseball.

The Bears finished one point shy of conference rival Samford for the top spot in the Preseason Coaches' Poll with three first-place votes. Mercer opens the 2026 season at home with a weekend series against Troy on February 13-15. Tickets are available at mercerbears.com/tickets.

Preseason Poll (first place votes in parentheses)
Samford (4) – 45
Mercer (3) - 44
ETSU (1) – 38
The Citadel – 30
Western Carolina – 24
UNC Greensboro - 16
VMI - 14
Wofford - 13

Preseason Player of the Year: Grayson Fitzwater, 1B, VMI (Sr., Suffolk, VA / Nansemond River HS)
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Mason Blasche, RHP, Samford (So., Hoover, AL / Hoover HS)

Preseason All-SoCon First Team
SP – Mason Blasche, Samford
SP – Michael Harpster, ETSU
SP – Garrett Lambert, Mercer
SP – Davis Wright, Western Carolina
RP – Derek McCarley, ETSU
RP – Champ Davis, Wofford
RP – Collin Ewaldsen, Mercer
C – Cade Carr, Samford
1B – Grayson Fitzwater, VMI
2B – Jeffrey Ince, Samford
SS – Trent Turner, Western Carolina
3B – Parker McDonald, Samford
OF – Jake Souders, Samford
OF – Bradley Garner, VMI
OF – Jamie Palmese, ETSU
DH – Trey Spees, Western Carolina

Preseason All-SoCon Second Team
SP – Will Holmes, The Citadel
SP – Noah Chapman, UNCG
SP – Andrew Stanley, The Citadel
SP – Jess Ackerman, Mercer
RP – Braydon Kersey, Mercer
RP – Owen Austin, Western Carolina
RP – Ryan White, Western Carolina
C – Phillips Daniels, The Citadel
1B – James Layman, Wofford
1B – Tristan Curless, ETSU
2B – Tanner Hardin, Wofford
SS – Titan Kamaka, Mercer
3B – Brant Baughcum, Mercer
OF – Owen Prince, VMI
OF – Axel Melendez, ETSU
OF – TJ Anderson, The Citadel
DH – Trey Higgins, Samford

Six Bears Receive Preseason All-Conference Nods, Mercer Picked Second In Coaches’ Poll

Players Mentioned

Jess Ackerman

Brant Baughcum

Collin Ewaldsen

Titan Kamaka

Braydon Kersey

Garrett Lambert

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