Bears Host 3-Game Series With Bryant

Friday, March 13

Macon, Ga.

6 p.m.

Mercer University

Bryant

3/12/2026 12:00:00 PM | Softball

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – The Mercer softball team will open up a six-game home stand on Friday and Saturday when the Bears suit up to host America East foe Bryant in a three-game set at Sikes Field. The sides will open up the series with a 6 p.m. tilt on Friday, and close out the set with a noon doubleheader on Saturday. Admission is free.

Fans unable to make the trek to Middle Georgia can still follow all of the action for free via live statistics links provided by the MU athletics department.

ABOUT THE GAME
Date: Friday, March 13 Time: 6 p.m. ET Location: Macon, Ga. I Sikes Field TV: None Live Statistics: MercerBears.com/Live Twitter Updates: @MercerUSoftball

ADMISSION
Admission is free to all home non-tournament games at Sikes Field during the 2026 season.

LAST TIME OUT
Mercer mustered a combined seven hits and yielded a quintet of multiple-run frames on the way to dropping Saturday afternoon tilts with both Stetson and NC State on the final day of the Wolfpack-hosted The Marucci Classic. The contests closed out the early-season tournament schedule for the Bears.

ABOUT MERCER
The Bears (10-12) have put together a .321 team batting average (8.4 hits/game) in 14 home contests this season, and have scored nearly 6.3 runs an outing in Macon as well. All 10 of MU's victories have come inside the comfy confines of its home stadium, including six-straight home wins to kick off the currant campaign. Four Bears boast batting averages of .333 or better, including newcomer Olivia Lenzen who carries a team-best .356 batting clip, as well as a .463 on-base percentage. Senior Avery Barton leads the Orange & Black with six home runs and 16 RBI already in 2026, while preseason all-conference pick Grace Jones has mustered a .338 batting average with nine-extra-base hits and 13 RBI. Junior Grace McKillop, who played her first two collegiate seasons at Bryant, shows a team-best three victories from the circle heading into the weekend.

SCOUTING BRYANT
The Bulldogs (7-11) will roll into Macon on a six-game skid, including an 0-5 mark at last weekend's Virginia Tech-hosted Hokie Invite that included setbacks to Michigan, Boston College and Virginia Tech. Despite the slow start, Bryant has shown the aptitude to move runners around the base paths as evidenced by 11 sacrifice hits and 26 stolen bases (31 attempts) already in 2026. Two players, catcher Alissa West (.342) and third baseman Bryce Clendenin (.300) carry batting averages at or above the .300 plateau, with Clendenin also boasting a team-high four extra-base hits and eight RBI. From the circle, the Bulldogs have allowed opponents to hit at a .315 clip through 18 games, with two pitchers, Maddy Wachter (2-3, 3.25 ERA) and Brooke Tracy (2-3, 5.20) already logging more than 32 innings pitched.

MERCER/BRYANT SERIES
The Bears and Bulldogs have split four meetings in their 9-year-old series, including two matchups at last season's MUSB Invitational. Bryant registered a 14-5 win over the Orange & Black as part of Saturday's schedule at the round-robin event, with the Bears avenging that setback with a 5-3 triumph on Sunday. The Bulldogs also posted a 7-4 win over MU at the 2020 Black & Orange Challenge. Mercer turned in a 7-0 win over Bryant in the first matchup between the two sides at the 2017 Disney D9 Citrus Classic II in Orlando.

ON DECK
Mercer will open up defense of its 2025 Southern Conference championship, March 21-22, when it hosts a three-game series with league nemesis Samford at Sikes Field. The squads will open up the weekend with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday (March 21), before closing out the weekend with a 1 p.m. single dip on Sunday.

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*.