Bears Open Up Six-Game Trip At UNC Greensboro

MACON – The Mercer softball team will open up a six-game Southern Conference road trip this weekend when the Bears load the bus and head to western North Carolina to battle league-leading UNC Greensboro in a Saturday/Sunday series at the UNCG Softball Stadium.

The squads will open up the weekend set with a 1 p.m. twinbill on Saturday before closing out the series with a 1 p.m. single dip on Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. Fans unable to make the trip can follow all of the action for free via live statistics links provided by the UNCG athletics department. The entire series is scheduled to be broadcast live on ESPN+ as well.

ABOUT THE SERIES
Dates: Saturday, April 18 / Sunday, April 19 Time: 1 p.m. DH / 1 p.m. Location: Greensboro, N.C. I UNCG Softball Stadium TV: ESPN+ Live Statistics: MercerBears.com/Live Twitter Updates: @MercerUSoftball

ADMISSION
Admission to all UNC Greensboro softball home games is free.

LAST TIME OUT
Mercer used a hit, three free passes and an error on the game's final play to plate a trio of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and walk off Furman, 5-4, in Sunday's series finale at Sikes Field. The victory salvaged the weekend set for the Bears who dropped both ends of Saturday's series-opening doubleheader in Macon.

ABOUT MERCER
The Bears (17-23, 5-7 SoCon) will carry one of the Southern Conference's top power-hitting squads into the weekend. Mercer ranks third among the league's eight softball-playing schools with 41 home runs already this season, while also sporting a .424 team slugging percentage. Junior Olivia Lenzen (1.193 OPS) and senior Avery Barton (.978) lead the power parade for the Orange & Black, with Lenzen also pacing the squad with a .389 batting average as well. Junior Grace McKillop has held opponents to just a .281 batting clip across her last six appearances and 14-2/3 innings of work and paces the Bears with six wins from the circle in 2026.

SCOUTING UNC GREENSBORO
The Spartans (31-15, 10-2 SoCon) have captured 16 of their last 19 outings, including a 14-1 win over visiting Longwood on Wednesday evening in which UNCG collected eight walks and a quartet of extra-base hits. UNC Greensboro boasts NCAA Division I's 10^th-best team earned run average (2.32) which has been fueled by the exploits of junior Brooklyn Shroyer (15-5, 1.83 ERA) who has struck out 140 batters and held opponents to a miniscule .171 batting clip amid a staff-high 118-2/3 innings pitched. The Spartans are just as lethal on the offensive end of things as well where six players are hitting at or above the .301 mark, including senior Kaylyn Belfield who sports a .373 average with 39 runs scored. Nya South (13 HR) and Laney Deane (12) have combined to hit more than half of UNCG's home run total (48) in 2026.

MERCER/UNC GREENSBORO SERIES
UNC Greensboro leads the 26-year-old series with Mercer, 23-12, but the Bears have taken the last two matchups with the Spartans, including a 7-3 decision amid their run to the 2025 Southern Conference Tournament title. MU is just 2-10 all-time in Greensboro, and will look to break a six-game series road skid this weekend.

ON DECK
The Bears will close out the road portion of their 2026 regular season slate, April 25-26, when they trek to Cullowhee, N.C., to battle Southern Conference rival Western Carolina in a weekend series at the Catamount Softball Complex.

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 Open Up Six-Game Trip At UNC Greensboro

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Players Mentioned

Avery Barton

Olivia Lenzen

Grace McKillop

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