Bears Host Samford In SoCon-Opening Series This Weekend

MACON – The Mercer softball team will continue its six-game home stand on Saturday and Sunday when the Bears bunker down to take on Southern Conference nemesis Samford in a weekend series at Sikes Field. The squads will open up the set with a 1 p.m. Saturday doubleheader and wrap up the weekend with a single dip on Sunday at 1 p.m. 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: Saturday, March 21 Time: 1 p.m. ET DH 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
Home-standing Mercer hit 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position to fuel a 6-2 setback in the twinbil opener, but belted a trio of home runs on the way to a series clinching 8-0 rout of visiting Bryant in the nightcap of the doubleheader on March 14 at Sikes Field. The Bears logged a combined 16 hits across the twinbill, including five of the extra-base variety, to move to 12-5 at home this season.

ABOUT MERCER
The Bears (12-13) boast a Southern Conference-best 27 home runs (60^th NCAA) already this season, while also ranking third among the league's eight teams with a .467 slugging percentage as well. More than a third (57 of 170) of Mercer's hits this season have been of the extra-base variety, including 11 in last weekend's series win over visiting Bryant. The Bears have hit at least one home run in 14 contests in 2026, including six multiple-homer performances. Senior Avery Barton ranks among the nation's top-50 sluggers with nine round-trippers already, while junior Olivia Lenzen will carry the torch for the Bears into the weekend with a .400 batting average that complements a pair of homers and seven RBI. Junior Grace McKillop shows a team-best four wins in the circle for MU, while Grace Roark has worked a staff-high 35-1/3 innings pitched across seven starts.

SCOUTING SAMFORD
The Bulldogs (9-20, 0-0 SoCon) will ride a seven-game skid into Middle Georgia this weekend, but boasts the nation's 42^nd-best fielding percentage (.973), as well as a Southern Conference-best three shutouts in 2026. Samford is 0-8 in true road games this season, but five of those contests have come against teams ranked inside the Top 20. SoCon Preseason Player of the Year Olivie Shaw is hitting a team-best .311 with a dozen extra-base hits (3 HR) and 23 RBI, while Katie Campbell ranks second among SoCon leaders with eight homers. Makinley Turner (4-5, 3.20 ERA) has gotten a bulk of the work (50.1 IP) for the Bulldogs in the circle, but has not made an appearance since a start against Oregon on March 1.

MERCER/SAMFORD SERIES
Samford leads the all-time series, 57-36-1, but Mercer has won two-straight games against the Bulldogs for the first time since the 2021 campaign, including a 13-5 win in the 2025 Southern Conference Tournament. The Bears held a sixth-inning lead in each of the first two games of last year's series in Birmingham, Ala., but ultimately had to settle for a 12-5 victory in the finale that salvaged the set.

ON DECK
The Bears will hit the road again on Wednesday when they make the short trip to Athens to take on Southeastern Conference rival and 13^th-ranked Georgia (21-7) at Jack Turner Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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*.

Bears Host Samford In SoCon-Opening Series This Weekend

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Avery Barton

Olivia Lenzen

Grace McKillop

Grace Roark

Footer