Bears Host East Tennessee State To Close Out Regular Season

Saturday, May 2

Macon, Ga.

1 p.m.

Mercer University

East Tennessee State

Bears Host East Tennessee State To Close Out Regular Season

5/1/2026 8:00:00 AM | Softball

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – The Mercer softball team will put the wraps on the regular season portion of its 2026 schedule on Saturday and Sunday when the Bears suit up to take on East Tennessee State in a weekend series at Sikes Field. The squads are scheduled to open up the set with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and close out the series on Sunday with a single game at 1 p.m.

Fans unable to make the trip to Middle Georgia can still follow all of the action for free via live statistics links provided by the MU athletics department. Sunday's first pitch will be preceded by a ceremony honoring the program's two seniors, Avery Barton and Katheryn Rearley.

ABOUT THE SERIES
Dates: Saturday, May 2 / Sunday, May 3 Time: 1 p.m. DH / 1 p.m. Location: Macon, Ga. I Sikes Field TV: None Live Statistics: MercerBears.com/Live Twitter Updates: @MercerUSoftball

ADMISSION
Admission to all Mercer softball home games is free.

LAST TIME OUT
Visiting Mercer registered season highs in both the hits and runs columns, tacked up multiple runs in three different frames, and then held off a last-gasp rally by Western Carolina in the seventh inning to secure a series-clinching 16-11 triumph over the Catamounts on Saturday morning. The Bears got multiple hits from three different players, including freshman Rachel Sysum's 5-for-5 hitting line, and logged six extra-base hits, including a quartet of home runs.

ABOUT MERCER
The Bears (19-27, 7-11 SoCon) already boast the program's most home wins since the 2017 season, and will be seeking their third series win of the season (Bryant, Wofford) this weekend at Sikes Field. The Bears have registered a solid .284 batting average across 26 previous home games this season and have tacked up 1.3 home runs and 5.3 runs per game at Sikes Field as well. Mercer's pitching staff has churned out 16 wins and a 4.57 team earned run average in Macon, including six victories by junior Grace McKillop.

SCOUTING EAST TENNESSEE STATE
The Buccaneers (19-27, 6-12 SoCon) split a pair of 1-run home contests with Gardner-Webb on Tuesday, and will roll into Macon having four of their last six outings. East Tennessee State's pitching staff has yielded just 7.9 hits per game (3^rd SoCon) this season and will tote the league's third-best team earned run average into the weekend as well. The Buccaneers have won at least one game of three Southern Conference series this year, including a weekend road sweep of Furman in late March. Senior Abigail Taylor will carry a team-best .326 batting average into the weekend, while sophomore Payton Moore shows the best power numbers with a .308 clip that accompanies 17 extra-base hits (10 HR) and 25 RBI. Eden Muncy (3-6, 2.80 ERA) and Taylor Suchy (4-10, 5.00) have both logged at least 71 innings of work from the circle.

MERCER/EAST TENNESSEE STATE SERIES
Mercer leads the 20-year-old series, 32-22, and has captured three of the last four matchups with East Tennessee State heading into the weekend. The Bears took the first two games of last year's regular season series in Johnson City, Tenn., and ousted the Bucs from the 2025 Southern Conference Tournament with an 11-3 shellacking. MU is 13-6 all-time against the Bucs in Macon, but ETSU took the last two games of a weekend series on its last trip to Macon in 2024.

ON DECK
Mercer will begin its postseason road on Wednesday when it heads to Chattanooga, Tenn., for the 2026 Southern Conference Tournament. Pairings and game times will be announced late Sunday evening.

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*.