Mercer Heads To North Carolina For The Marucci Classic

Friday, March 6

Raleigh, N.C.

1 p.m.

Mercer University

Michigan State

Mercer Heads To North Carolina For The Marucci Classic

3/5/2026 10:32:00 PM | Softball

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – The Mercer softball team will step back outside of its expansive home schedule on Friday and Saturday when the Bears head to Raleigh, N.C., to take part in the NC State-hosted The Marucci Classic at NSCU's Dail Softball Stadium.

Fans unable to make the trip to the Tar Heel State can still follow all of the action for free via live statistics links provided by the NC State athletics department. MU's games with the Wolfpack on both Friday and Saturday are slated to be broadcast live on ESPN+.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, MARCH 6
Game 1: 1 p.m. ET vs. Michigan State Live Statistics: MercerBears.com/Live Game 2: 6 p.m. ET vs. NC State Live Statistics: MercerBears.com/Live Live Video: ESPN+


SATURDAY, MARCH 7
Game 1: 12:30 p.m. ET vs. Stetson Live Statistics: MercerBears.com/Live Game 2: 3 p.m. ET vs. NC State Live Statistics: MercerBears.com/Live Live Video: ESPN+

LAST TIME OUT
Freshman Cate Raines hit a game-tying RBI single in the fourth to kickstart a three-run rally that helped Mercer take the lead for good as the Bears finished off a 5-4 win over Tennessee State to forge a final-day split on Sunday at the MUSB Invitational II. Mercer finished its rain-shortened tournament with a 2-2 record, including an abbreviated setback to Presbyterian earlier Sunday. Senior Katheryn Rearley struck out five and allowed just a lone earned run in a clutch relief performance in the win over Tennessee State.

ABOUT MERCER
The Bears (10-8) registered nine home wins in the month of February alone and, despite dropping six of their last eight games, still pace the 8-team Southern Conference in both home runs (19) and home runs per game (1.06), while also ranking second among league leaders in slugging percentage (.489). Junior transfer Olivia Lenzen paces the Bears with a .389 batting average (14-for-36) in 17 games played this season, while preseason all-conference selection Grace Jones shows a .345 batting clip to go along with seven extra-base hits and 11 RBI. Newcomer Grace McKillop has recorded a staff-best three wins in the circle for the Orange & Black, while Jones sports a team-best earned run average while holding opponents to a .272 batting average.

SCOUTING THE FIELD
Michigan State (10-10) has split its first 20 games of the 2026 campaign, and has lost five of its last eight games, including a 4-3 setback in the opening game of The Marucci Classic on Thursday evening. Seven of the 10 victories for the Spartans this season have come via shutout. Outfielder Zoie Bernard shows a team-best .386 batting average in 20 starts this season, while Sophia Grillo Grillo and Hannah Hawley lead the Spartans with 15 and 14 RBI, respectively. MSU has compiled a respectable 4.80 team earned run average through 20 games. Right-hander Carsyn Cassady (2-4, 5.20 ERA) has logged a team-high 33-2/3 innings pitched, striking out 27 while walking 26. NC State (15-7) pushed its win streak out to a dozen games with a 4-3 victory over Michigan State on Thursday in the opening game of The Marucci Classic. The Wolfpack rank among NCAA Division I's top 50 teams in five offensive statistical categories, while also boasting an impressive 6.76 runs per game. Six everyday starters for NC State show batting averages at or above the .300 plateau, while two players have already logged 22 or more RBI. NCSU shows a 4.13 team earned run average, with three pitchers – Wynne Gore, Morgen Talley and Rylee Wyman – boasting 33 or more innings pitched in 2026. Stetson (14-7) has dropped four of its last five games heading into the weekend, including two setbacks at the hands of nationally-ranked Oregon in Eugene, Ore., last weekend. The Hatters did register a pair of wins at the Oregon Classic, including a tournament-opening 4-1 defeat of Samford. Stetson is stout, offensively, boasting a .310 team batting average and 6.10 runs per game, and have totaled 122 RBI and a .502 slugging percentage through 21 outings. Three players boast batting averages at or above the .362 mark, including junior Nicole Edmiaston who has hit .492 (31-for-63) in 21 starts to go along with team-bests in both home runs (8) and RBI (31). The Hatters also boast a 3.63 team earned run average, led by sophomore right-hander Ava Braswell who is 8-3 with a 2.57 ERA.

SERIES RECORDS
Michigan State is 4-3 all-time against the Bears, and will ride a three-game series win streak into Saturday's meeting in Raleigh, N.C. Five of the previous seven meetings were decided by just a lone run, including the last contest between the two sides at the Jacksonville Dolphins Invitational. Michigan State plated a run in the top of the eight inning to prevail 2-1 in that game. NC State took both previous meetings with the Bears, including a 1-0 win by the then-No. 25 Wolfpack on March 8, 2007, at the USF adidas Classic in Clearwater, Fla. NC State opened its series with MU with an abbreviated 8-0 win over the Bears at the 2004 Wolfpack-hosted Triangle Classic. Stetson is 55-20 in the 40-year-old series with Mercer, with a bulk of those matchups coming when both teams were a member of the New South Women's Athletic Conference (1986-90), the Trans America Athletic Conference (1994-2001) and the Atlantic Sun Conference (2002-14). The Hatters will ride a three-game series win streak into Saturday's matchup in Raleigh, N.C., and took both ends of a doubleheader in 2023 in the last meeting between the two sides.

ON DECK
Mercer will come back home again, March 13-14, when they host a three-game set with America East foe Bryant (7-6) at Sikes Field. The squads will open the weekend series on Friday at 6 p.m, and close out the set with a noon doubleheader on Saturday. Admission is free.

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*.