Mercer Lands Four On ABCA/Rawlings Southeast All-Region Teams
6/9/2026 4:35:00 PM | Baseball
MACON – The Mercer baseball team had four representatives on the 2026 ABCA/Rawlings Southeast All-Region Teams with three First Teamers now eligible for All-America honors, the American Baseball Coaches Association announced on Tuesday. Chris Katz, Eli Stephens and Braydon Kersey were the Bears' three First Teamers with Logan Shepherd landing on the Second Team.
Katz added another accolade to one of the most historic seasons in Mercer baseball history. The senior transfer from Raleigh, North Carolina, slashed .386/.510/.791 with 85 hits, 82 runs scored, 74 RBI, 23 home runs, 18 doubles, 174 total bases and a 1.301 OPS. Katz was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year and represented the Bears on the All-SoCon First Team as well as the SoCon All-Tournament team while rewriting Mercer history. Katz holds the single-season school record for runs scored, is tied for the second-most home runs in a single season, second in school history in total bases, tied for fifth with 51 walks drawn and is tied for seventh in runs batted in.
Stephens and Kersey ended their sophomore campaigns as All-SoCon First Teamers as well ABCA/Rawlings All-Region First Teamers. Stephens finished the year with the third-best average on the team (.374), 20 home runs and a 1.225 OPS. Kersey was fourth on the squad with a .325 batting average and second on the team with 21 home runs and 67 RBI.
Shepherd made the move to Macon ahead of the 2026 season from Tacoma CC and had an impressive debut year with the Bears. The Olympia, Washington, native slashed .310/.449/.611 with 32 extra-base hits and 54 RBI as the Bears' primary lead-off hitter. Shepherd mashed 18 home runs, scored 70 runs, ripped 13 doubles and drew 47 walks.
You can view all of the 2026 ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Teams here.
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Katz added another accolade to one of the most historic seasons in Mercer baseball history. The senior transfer from Raleigh, North Carolina, slashed .386/.510/.791 with 85 hits, 82 runs scored, 74 RBI, 23 home runs, 18 doubles, 174 total bases and a 1.301 OPS. Katz was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year and represented the Bears on the All-SoCon First Team as well as the SoCon All-Tournament team while rewriting Mercer history. Katz holds the single-season school record for runs scored, is tied for the second-most home runs in a single season, second in school history in total bases, tied for fifth with 51 walks drawn and is tied for seventh in runs batted in.
Stephens and Kersey ended their sophomore campaigns as All-SoCon First Teamers as well ABCA/Rawlings All-Region First Teamers. Stephens finished the year with the third-best average on the team (.374), 20 home runs and a 1.225 OPS. Kersey was fourth on the squad with a .325 batting average and second on the team with 21 home runs and 67 RBI.
Shepherd made the move to Macon ahead of the 2026 season from Tacoma CC and had an impressive debut year with the Bears. The Olympia, Washington, native slashed .310/.449/.611 with 32 extra-base hits and 54 RBI as the Bears' primary lead-off hitter. Shepherd mashed 18 home runs, scored 70 runs, ripped 13 doubles and drew 47 walks.
You can view all of the 2026 ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Teams here.
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Players Mentioned
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