baseball

Marlins scratch ‘Florida,’ add ‘Miami’ for 2012

By:
Published Nov 16, in Behind the Jersey, Columns, Sports

19 years of baseball, 19 years of proud traditions and 19 years of excellence are just a few ways the Marlins organization can be described. Once known as the Florida Marlins, the “Fightin’ Fish” have relocated to the former site of the beloved Orange Bowl in downtown Miami and shaved off the “Florida” from the title, uniform and logos alike. The Miami Marlins will make their debut in their brand new stadium, fresh uniforms, stylish colors, outspoken manager and new outlook in the 2012 season.
On Nov. 11, owner Jeffrey Loria unveiled the new colors and uniforms for the Miami-bound club. What was once a mediocre teal, black and white squad had now freshened up their look with the addition of red-orange and yellow to an “M” rather than the “F” of years past. The Marlin will remain, but with a fresh new look. The same could be said for the uniforms as well. They will display the word “MIAMI” on the front of both their home and away jerseys, which is a rarity among most professional teams in sports. What first appeared to me as idiotic colors have now grown on me as I find myself coming to like the display of the new “M.” It just takes time to adjust to the change of scenery and look.
The Marlins will also enjoy the luxury of having their own ballpark. For the first 19 years of their existence, the club has had to share their park with the Miami Dolphins and even Miami Hurricanes. Their concerns, ideas and interests always took a backseat to those of the other squads. Now, they can run things the way they would like and hopefully bring in some fan base to the busier and more convenient area of downtown Miami. The retractable roof park will be great for avoiding the long rain delays that haunted nearly every game of their season and be a great addition to the “beautiful Miami skyline” as Loria proclaimed. FINALLY!
Due to the relocation and changes surrounding the club, the park among other things will look to spark a lot more interest and therefore money into the club. If that is the case, the Marlins will look to be shoppers on the market for high name free agents such as Albert Pujols, Mark Buerhle and Jose Reyes. Also, what once was an empty crowd of 15,000 in the 70,000+ seating Sun Life Stadium, the Marlins hope to haul in over 30,000 a night in their 37,000+ vicinity.
Every sports fan should be happy for this club. No longer will they live in the shadows of the Dolphins and be second to any demands of fans and/or events. For a team that has prided themselves in building from the ground up and garnered two World Championships in their first 11 seasons of existence, they deserve to indulge in a few high name free agents of their own. In fact, they have been the lowest in payroll among the league in 15 of 19 seasons. Also, for a team that works their tail off night in and night out to finish over .500 nearly every season, they should have some fans in the seats and some national coverage on them as well.  This is the time of the Miami Marlins. Like the Tampa Bay Rays from a few seasons ago, the Marlins have a chance to show off their new look in 2012, as well as the homecoming of sorts for newly acquired manager Ozzie Guillen.
Most critics will say that the Marlins cannot expect to turn things around overnight with all the hype surrounding their new this or new that. If you think closely, the Marlins have not treaded far from success in years past. They have finished either second or third in their division five times over their 19-year existence. That is saying a lot when they have played alongside the great pitchers of the Atlanta Braves and the recent domination of the Philadelphia Phillies. They seem to find themselves right at or above 80 wins nearly every year.
In order to solidify their lineup that already contains All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez, 22-year-old slugger Mike Stanton and youngsters Gaby Sanchez and Logan Morrison, the Marlins will need to add some speed to the top of their lineup and hopefully another on-base man. When looking at their starting rotation that has young slingers such as Anibal Sanchez and Josh Johnson, the club will need to add possibly a crafty lefty and/or an experienced right-hander to even think of contending with the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies in 2012.
With the recent rumors of the Marlins talking to Reyes, Buerhle and Pujols, it seems as if they are trying to fill those exact voids. Reyes would add a spark to the top of the lineup, get on base and steal, steal, steal. Mark Buerhle would add a crafty left-handed veteran that would fit great with the division and new manager Ozzie Guillen. Buerhle played in Chicago with Guillen and would be critical when the left-handed sluggers in the form of Utley and Howard come to town out of Philly. Finally, Pujols would add the MVP threat on the field and at the plate that any team would want. Imagine leading off with Reyes, having Hanley Ramirez, Albert Pujols and Mike Stanton hitting back-to-back in the middle of the lineup and the crafty lefty of Mark Buerhle on the mound for a young, improving defense and bullpen. That would be a scary team to face, no matter who you are.
While many say the pitching staff of the Marlins has yet to hit its stride in means of competing with the rest of the National League, I argue that one or two dominating pitchers in the rotation and a few solid guns in the bullpen could lead any team to World Series title. Look at the Cardinals of this year and the Giants of the year before. The Cardinals were without Adam Wainwright and the Giants depended highly on Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum to accompany their solid offenses in their quest for a world championship.
When others ask if the offense is ready for a big opportunity like this, I tell them this: Hanley Ramirez is not going to have another down season like a year ago. He is going to come out strong and be the All-Star we remember him to be. Also, Mike Stanton’s numbers continue to get better and better. He is soon to be hitting .280, 50 homers and over 120 RBIs. His walks will continue to increase as his numbers do as well. The league is scared of him. If you put a Jose Reyes and/or Albert Pujols in a lineup that does not have many weak spots when healthy, you have an offense close to, if not better, than that of the Cardinals or Rangers from this season.
Finally, with a bullpen extremely taxed from a year ago due the key injury to starter Josh Johnson and an array of other injuries, the Marlins hope to re-sign Javier Vasquez (if he does not choose to retire) and possibly add a few bullpen arms to help the workload on guys such as Leo Nuñez, Clay Hensley, Edward Mujica and Michael Dunn.
All in all, if the new-look Marlins find a few arms and a couple of bats with the raise in payroll this offseason, they could find themselves in contention with the rest of the NL East and league to follow up the line of firsts and inaugurations that will accompany the Miami Marlins in 2012.

Behind the Jersey: Rangers-Cardinals’ Fall Classic tops the list

By:
Published Nov 2, in Behind the Jersey, Columns, Sports

This year’s Fall Classic between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals may have been arguably the most unlikely and exciting World Series of all time. In its 107-year history, there could only be a handful that could even come close. What made it so enthralling? Could it be the clutch pinch-hit RBI singles, the one-run heartbreakers, the come-from-behind thrillers, the walk-off homer in Game Six, the three one-run games, the no-name heroes or the unlikely Game Seven? The list could go on forever.
The Texas Rangers flew past the surging Rays and silenced ace Justin Verlander and the Tigers to make it to their second-consecutive World Series. After losing both to the Giants a year ago and their ace in Cliff Lee in the offseason, the Rangers were an unlikely team to predict as AL Champions. On the other hand, the Cardinals were even less likely when they saw themselves 10 and a half games out of the Wildcard spot on Aug. 27. They fought their way back and found themselves lined up to face off against the favored Phillies in the first round.
With both of these teams facing the giants of the game, they found themselves battling with high-energy offenses and impressive bullpens. In fact, Chris Carpenter was the only starter out of the two squads to pitch deep into any ballgame going into the Fall Classic.
With both teams hitting their way past everyone else and silencing all the “nay-sayers” of the world, the World Series lined up to be quite the offensive thrill.
I will dissect the meaning behind each game and why they will be engraved in histories on paper and in highlight reels for the rest of time.

Game 1:
Rangers 2, Cardinals 3
Right off the bat Game One was a tight race to the finish that saw the Cardinals prevail with a game-winning pinch-hit RBI single by Allen Craig in the bottom of the sixth. Chris Carpenter pitched a dominant six innings. Cardinals protected home-field advantage and won Game One to take a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2:
Rangers 2, Cardinals 1
With the game deadlocked at 0-0 in the seventh, Busch Stadium and the Cardinals bench erupted when déjà vu settled in after Allen Craig once again delivered an RBI single off of reliever Alexi Ogando. With the Texas bats quiet and the 1-0 lead in the game and the series, the Cardinals looked to take control of the series in the top ninth with just three outs remaining. Ian Kinsler would single, steal a base and advance to third on Elvis Andrus’ single. Due to a missed catch by Albert Pujols on the relay throw from CF, Andrus advanced to second. With no outs on the inning, big boppers Josh Hamilton and Michael Young would both pick up sacrifice flies to take the lead for good. The Rangers tied the series 1-1 with their late ninth-inning rally.

Game 3:
Cardinals 16, Rangers 7
After solid pitching from all starters and bullpens in the first two games, all the bats came to life in Game Three. With both teams combining for six total homers, “The Machine” Albert Pujols made up for his crucial error from Game Two with three homeruns and six RBIs in the game. He tied Reggie Jackson and Babe Ruth as the only other people to ever accomplish that feat in World Series history. The Cardinals took a 2-1 series lead with two games remaining in Texas.

Game 4:
Cardinals 0, Rangers 4
Hoping for better pitching, the Rangers got just that as they shut out the Cardinals on a gem performance from young lefty Derek Holland. Holland pitched eight and a third innings of two-hit baseball. Josh Hamilton hit an RBI double in the first and Mike Napoli padded the lead with a three-run shot in the sixth. The Rangers tied the series 2-2 at home with one more game in Texas.

Game 5:
Cardinals 2, Rangers 4
The two teams returned to their nail-biting ways when they entered the bottom of the eighth deadlocked at 2-2. With right-hander Mike Napoli at the plate, Tony LaRussa stuck with left-hander Mark Rzepczynski. Napoli would fittingly smoke the eventual game-winner into the gap for a two-run double. With the victory, the Rangers were one win away from their first title in franchise history. They took a 3-2 series lead heading back to St. Louis.

Game 6:
Rangers 9, Cardinals 10 F/11
Game Six of the 2011 World Series will be remembered as possibly the greatest baseball game ever played. The game was tied 2-2 after two, 3-3 after three and 4-4 after six. The Rangers pulled away with three runs in the seventh. They entered the eighth with a 7-4 lead and needing just six outs to win their first title. The Cardinals could just muster one run in the eighth and were three outs from elimination.  The excitement was just now getting started. With two outs and two strikes on the count, third baseman David Freese laced a game-tying triple over the head of right-fielder Nelson Cruz. Deadlocked at 7-7 in the 10th, former MVP Josh Hamilton drilled a two-run shot into the seats all-but-sealing the deal for the Rangers. Trailing 9-8 and once again down to their last out and strike, veteran Lance Berkman hit an RBI single to pull even for the fifth time in the game. Fittingly so, the hometown hero David Freese belted a full count, walk-off solo homerun in the bottom of the 11th to guarantee one more game. The Cardinals trailed by two or more runs in the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th innings. They scored six runs in the final four innings. They were down to their last strike and out twice. The win set up an all-decisive and rare Game Seven.

Game 7:
Rangers 2, Cardinals 6
Cardinals returned games One and Five starter Chris Carpenter on just three days rest to take the mound. Rangers sent out lefty Matt Harrison. With injuries to Matt Holliday, Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli, both teams limped their offense into Game Seven. Both teams scored right off the bat in the first inning as they were tied 2-2 after two. The Cardinals added one in the third off of Allen Craig’s third homerun of the series, two in the fifth and one in the seventh to take a commanding 6-2 lead. Carpenter pitched another six solid innings and the Cardinals won their 11th title in team history. David Freese had another two RBIs to add to his record 21 in the postseason. He won the World Series Most Valuable Player.

In all the World Series I have seen or have been told of, this one matches them all. I cannot pinpoint another that had the overall excitement and fireworks throughout. Sure there have been other walk-offs such as the Kirby Puckett’s homer (1991), Edgar Renteria’s single to center (1997) and Luis Gonzalez’s blooper (2001), but these two teams just had a different fight and feel to them. Those other moments will never be forgotten and sit near the top of the list as well, but this one is fresh and incredible nonetheless.

***BREAKING NEWS***
It should be noted that just a few days after hoisting up his third World Series trophy, manager Tony LaRussa has decided to retire on his own will. LaRussa is one of only two managers to win a World Series in both leagues. He coached for 33 years.

Headscratchers, not-so-shockers of 2011 MLB

By:
Published Sep 21, in Behind the Jersey, Columns, Sports

As the playoffs near for Major League Baseball and more or less all of the division leaders are set in stone, with about 10 games left in the season, I give you a run through the surprising and not-so-surprising happenings of the 2011 baseball season.
What met our expectations:
Yankees-Red Sox rivalry kept us on edge and scratching our heads: After starting the season 0-6, the Red Sox met with the red-hot Yankees as they fittingly took two of three games from the Bronx Bombers. The Red sox went on to sweep the next two series from the Yanks as they were 8-1 against them in their first nine meetings. With just three games left between the two, the Red Sox have won 11 of 15 games and four of five series. With that being said, the Yanks lead the division and are moments away from clinching the division.
Milwaukee’s offseason pitching acquisitions would have them lined up for the playoffs: With the offseason injuries to nearly the entire Cardinals pitching rotation and the pitching additions of Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, the Brewers were the frontrunners for the NL Central. With that being said, the bats eventually came to life after a shaky start and the pitching has held their own as the Brewers find themselves leading the Central by 6.5 games.
The Phillies would have the best record in the league: After once again picking up Cliff Lee in an offseason stunner, there was no doubt as to who the best team in the league would be. With nearly a guaranteed spot deep in the playoffs due to their “Big Four”, the Phillies have shown up and played the way they were expected. They are on their way to another 100-plus win season (98-52).
Marlin’s outfield prodigy Mike Stanton would crank 30-plus homers: At just the age of 21, Stanton has proven that sooner or later he is going to be in the running for the MVP in years to come. With 22 homers in just 100 games in 2010, Stanton has hammered over 30 this season, while bumping his average close to .270. In an offense desperately needing a power hitter and not having many guys to get on base, Stanton still manages to have nearly 90 RBIs on the season as well. In just a few years, Stanton’s strikeouts will go down, his average will go up (near .280 or.290) and he will surpass 40 home runs and 100 RBIs. The MVP for the California native will be his at the age of just 23 or 24.
Adrian Gonzalez would have monster numbers with Red Sox (.336 avg, 26 HR, 111 RBIs): Although his home run total slowed down near the end of the season, Adrian Gonzalez was a monstrous impact for the Red Sox offense and got on base at will. His RBI total was over 110 and he is finally getting the national recognition that he never received when he was with the San Diego Padres.
What we didn’t expect:
Orioles, Nationals and Pirates showed fight: Although none one of them are going to see the playoffs this season, these three clubs are used to being laughed at and humiliated as the division dwellers of the past. “Of the past” is the main phrase. They are now improving under new management and seem to have found the solution to more victories. The Orioles and Pirates will escape with fewer than 100 losses as the Nationals hovered near .500 for most of the season. In fact, for early parts of the season, the Pirates and Orioles found themselves in first place of their divisions.
No hitter, no hitter, no hitter: Every team of the early season was getting no hit or close to it. Francisco Liriano and Ervin Santana, who are normally extremely wild and having high pitch counts, threw no-hitters. Not-to-mention, Justin Verlander had no hitters into the eighth or ninth inning of nearly every outing. When are hitters going to learn to bunt the ball down the line and run out a few here and there like the Angels instinctively did versus Verlander?
Rangers showing last year wasn’t a fluke: The Rangers came out and proved to the world that them making it to the World Series a year ago is something everyone should keep an eye on. They are looking to repeat this season. With a rotation that stayed strong even after the departure of Cliff Lee and a lineup that kept hitting after the controversy of Michael Young’s offseason, they don’t care what’s going on. They are going to win no matter what.
Arizona would outduel the defending champs in the West to make the playoffs: In what might be the biggest surprise of the season, the Arizona Diamondbacks under new manager Kirk Gibson have shocked the defending champion Giants and the rest of the world to make the playoffs. After seasons of being the dwellers of the West, the D-backs have put all the pieces together to be successful. With lots of young talent, it is doubtful they will go far, but they have been overlooked in the past before.
Dan Uggla having a hitting streak over 30 games: After coming over to the Braves in a trade from the Marlins, Dan Uggla kept his batting average low and his home runs high. What no one expected was for Dan Uggla (hitting under .200 at the time) to break off a 30-plus-game hitting streak in mid-season. With infield hits here and bang bang plays there, Uggla’s streak wasn’t the most impressive in recent years, but all the same unlikely.
Jose Bautista to follow up his 2010 year of 50-plus homers with another 40-plus: After such an out-of-nowhere season in 2010, Jose Bautista proved he could deliver an encore performance as he led the MLB in on-base percentage and slugging. He hit over .300 and had more than 40 home runs for the second consecutive year. With all the swirls that this is so shocking and “out of left field” as some would say, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear rumors of steroids in years to come if Bautista’s performance continues.
Ryan Vogelsong to lead nearly every pitching category for the Giants: with such a powerful pitching staff in San Francisco, it is truly a shock to see a no-namer like Ryan Vogelsong leading the pack on their staff. The 6-foot-4 righty started the season off with a bang and slowly cooled off. With that said, he stands at 11-7 with a miniscule 2.68 ERA at the end of the season. That includes 26 games started.

My World Series prediction:
Detroit Tigers beating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
Although the Phillies have the best pitching on the planet and one of the best lineups one through nine, the Tigers have ace Justin Verlander that cannot be stopped. Also, they have a lineup that can eat up some of the Phillies pitchers if given the opportunity. If they can survive some tough matches in the AL playoffs, the Tigers are my choice to upset the powerhouse Phillies.

Baseball takes down Tech again

Sweep of Lipscomb helps team get hot going into final month

By:
Published Apr 27, in Sports

 

(Alex Lockwood / Cluster Staff) Russell Moses provided key relief in Mercer's big 6-3 win over Georgia Tech.

It took them a while to break .500 in conference play, but Mercer’s baseball team seems to have broken through against A-Sun opponents after a three-game series sweep against Lipscomb this past weekend. Despite the big wins and their overall record that approaches nearly 30 wins on the season, the Bears still find themselves in a log jam to get into the postseason tournament. As of Sunday, Mercer looked to be the eighth seed if the regular season had ended.

There’s good news, though, for head coach Craig Gibson and his talented squad. The schedule seems to soften a bit with away games against Winthrop, USC-Upstate and Georgia before their final home stand against Georgia State and ETSU.

Mercer 8, Savannah State 4

The Bears snapped a three-game losing streak against the Tigers in a single game of non-conference action, with reliever Jacob Matthews picking up the victory. Both teams generated most of their offense early in the game, and Mercer’s three-run inning in the bottom of the fifth would seal the fate of the contest. A wild pitch, sacrifice fly from John Moreland and an RBI double from freshman second baseman DJ Johnson would give Mercer the 6-3 going into the sixth inning.

Thomas Carroll would post another home run on the board early in the game but the key player of this game was Johnson, who pitched the final three innings to pick up the save while going 3-for-4 with an RBI from the plate.

North Florida 7, Mercer 5

The Bears fell to the Ospreys for their fourth consecutive conference loss in the first of a three-game series in Jacksonville. Mercer started out strong with a home run from Jacob Tanis in the top of the first. His 41st career shot gave Mercer the early 2-0 lead, but a pair of hits in the bottom half of the inning doomed the orange and black and gave UNF a 3-2 lead.

Mercer starter Brandon Love would settle in until the fifth inning when he would give up a solo home run, but the Bears’ offense remained nonexistent until the eighth inning when Austin Barrett would put a three-run homer over the fence in left-center field. UNF’s stout pitching late in the game would hold Mercer’s offense at bay to give the Ospreys their 11th conference win of the year.

Mercer 11, North Florida 6

It was a home run derby for the Bears as they broke their conference losing streak with a five-run win during the first game of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader. The fireworks started in the first inning when Jacob Tanis, John Moreland and Billy Burns all took round-trips to give MU the 5-0 lead. UNF’s own five-run outburst in the second inning would reel Mercer’s lead back in, but in the fifth inning Tanis and Joe Winker would crush the leather once again to give MU a commanding lead.

Pitcher J.T. Odom would pick up the win in seven innings of relief, the longest of his career. Jacob Tanis would lead the Bears on the day, with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate along with four RBI and two HRs.

North Florida 5, Mercer 0

It took two thirds of the season for it to come, but the Bears’ offense was finally shut out by an opposing team. UNF freshman pitcher Tyler Moore threw a gem in his complete game shutout, giving up eight hits but no runs over the course of the nine innings. The Ospreys broke up the tied ballgame in the fifth inning with a pair of RBI hits and two errors to give UNF the 2-0 lead. They would add two more runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to give Justice French his first loss of the season.

Mercer 6, #9 Ga. Tech 3

Lightning usually doesn’t strike the same place twice, unless you happen to be a good baseball team. Hosting the nationally ranked Yellow Jackets at home, Mercer picked up a huge win against the ACC team to give them their second win over a ranked opponent this year. A two-RBI double from John Moreland pushed Mercer’s lead to 3-0 early in the first inning while starter Matt McCall allowed only three hits in his three predetermined innings.

Reliever David Teasley worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning to preserve Mercer’s lead as a pair of doubles in the fifth inning would extend that lead to 6-2. Stellar pitching down the stretch from the arms of Russell Moses, J.T. Odom and DJ Johnson would preserve Mercer’s biggest home win of the 2011 campaign.

Mercer 10, Lipscomb 2

Craig Gibson got plenty of mileage out of junior Brandon Love’s arm as he went seven innings against the Bison, limiting the side to five hits and only one earned run. The offense, in turn, came through to support Love with plenty of force, including round-trippers for John Moreland, Thomas Carroll and Billy Burns. Reliever J.T. Odom’s late-game appearance marked his 96th outing of his career, moving him into 96th all-time in A-Sun history.

Mercer 6, Lipscomb 4

The bases were loaded in the top of the ninth with no outs, but J.T. Odom worked flawlessly with his side-armed delivery to give the Bears their second straight conference win against the Bison. Mercer’s three-run effort in the sixth inning would put them out in front late in the game, but Lipscomb came roaring back with a two-run home run in the top of the seventh.

MU’s pitching staff prevailed, though, as DJ Johnson would earn his first win of the season after pitching 2.1 innings late while teammates John Moreland (2-3, 1 RBI) and Billy Burns (2-4, 1 RBI) would help lead the batting order on the day.

Mercer 12, Lipscomb 2

Senior Justice French had another strong outing as third baseman Jacob Tanis blasted two more home runs into the stratosphere, giving MU the series sweep. Tanis’s grand slam in the seventh put the game out of reach as the junior continues to break school records and move up the A-Sun’s all-time list of home run hitters. Six runs in the first three innings made it a short day for LU starter Chris Nunn, but it was the dominant performance from French (6.2 IP, 8 H, 1 ER) that gave Mercer the win in their 43rd game of the season.

 

Baseball collects big win over Georgia Tech, drops three against Jacksonville

Offense hot versus Camels, cold versus Dolphins

By:
Published Apr 13, in Sports

(photo courtesy of Mercer Bears.com ) Freshman second baseman DJ Johnson broke out of a recent slump, fueling Mercer’s powerful offense with a 4-for-5 effort in a 16-5 rout of Campbell in the opening game of the series in Buies Creek. The Bears now hold a 22-13 record with one month left in play.

The Bears are still within the thick of the conference standings in 7th at 8-9, boasting the 4th best overall record of 22-13, but if MU hopes to repeat its title run in 2011 they’ll have to gain ground in the conferences standings this month as they travel to UNF, USC Upstate and Kennesaw State while hosting Lipscomb and ETSU.

Mercer 4, #6 Georgia Tech 2
In a rematch of last year’s NCAA regionals, Georgia Tech looked primed for yet another victory as they scored in the bottom of the first off of an RBI double to right-center, courtesy of Yellow Jacket Matt Skole. Mercer pitcher Justice French would allow another run in the fourth inning, exiting the game by only giving up two earned runs on six hits in 3.2 innings.
The Bears started their offensive effort in the fifth inning when Derrick Workman’s RBI single would cut the lead in half. A bunt from Billy Burns in the seventh would score the ever speedy Evan Boyd to tie, and in the top of the eighth Boyd would score two with a double to right field to seal the game. Relief pitcher Russell Moses would keep Tech at bay for the rest of the contest, throwing 5.1 shutout innings to give Mercer the big victory.
“Just a great win for our program over a great team and I am so proud of how tough our guys played tonight,” said head coach Craig Gibson following the win. “Justice [French] and Russell [Moses] are two great seniors that pitched well for us tonight and Evan Boyd picked us up late with a big two-out hit. I hope we can carry this momentum forward for the rest of the season. We want to play on this field one more time this season because the way Georgia Tech is going they are on track to host another NCAA regional,” he added.

Mercer 16, Campbell 5
Traveling to Buies Creek is never an easy road trip, but Mercer looked to dominate in the Friday night contest in a game of offense. Freshman DJ Johnson broke out of a recent slump to four hits as five Bears recorded a multi-hit game. Billy Burns, Jacob Tanis, John Moreland, Travis Benn, Thomas Carroll and Blaine Matthews would all collect two RBI on the night as the Mercer offense looked unstoppable. Pitcher Brandon Love (4-0) would pick up another win after throwing six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits.

Mercer 12, Campbell 3
The Bears used the long ball to come back to beat the Camels after falling behind 1-0 in the first inning. Blast-offs courtesy of Thomas Carroll, Jacob Tanis and Austin Barrett helped MU extend their lead over Campbell in the late goings of the contest, posting yet another conference win. Reliever David Teasley would take over for starter Matt McCall in the fifth inning, pitching the remaining of the game without giving up a run to take the win.

Mercer 9, Campbell 5
Finishing off the Camels in the three-game series, a trio of runs in the ninth inning gave Mercer the cushion needed to win against the pesky Camels. Campbell tied the game at 4-4 in the third inning when they started to figure out MU starter Justice French, but a solo home run from Thomas Carroll in sixth once again gave the Bears the lead. Derrick Workman capped Mercer’s offensive drive in the ninth with his own solo home run as Jacob Matthews would take the win on two innings of scoreless relief.

Georgia State 9, Mercer 4
Errors can be costly, as Mercer found out against the Panthers in a midweek game in Atlanta. Mercer would score first with a 2-0 lead from an RBI single off the bat of Jacob Tanis and RBI groundout from Thomas Carroll, but a Georgia State home run combined with a passed ball gave the Panthers a 4-2 lead midway.
The Panthers would only extend their lead for the remainder of the night as the orange and black’s offense was kept relatively quiet in the non-conference loss.

Mercer 14, Ga. Southern 1
Bouncing back from the loss at Panthersville, freshman pitcher Brandon Barker threw five innings of scoreless baseball in front of a large crowd at JI Clements Stadium to position the Bears for the win. Ending the Eagles’ seven-game winning streak, Mercer’s scoring started in the second inning when Joe Winker hit a bases-loaded RBI single to score two. Following a DJ Johnson single as well as a Billy Burns double, Mercer lead rose to 6-0 at the end of the second inning.
Mercer cruised to victory with a 13-0 advantage after six innings, giving Barker his third win of the year in a rout.
“We just came out with a good energy tonight and elevated our level of play after a disappointing effort last night at Georgia State,” Gibson said in the postgame interview on MercerBears.com. “It is always important to get these big mid-week games,” he added.

Jacksonville 7, Mercer 6
Fielding again bit the Bears in the behind as six unearned runs for Jacksonville proved costly in the one-run victory for the Dolphins. A pair of errors in the fifth would bring up JU’s Dan Gulbransen to crush a grand slam to tie the game at 6-6. JU would again score in the seventh when Jonathan Murphy reached base after striking out (due to a passed ball), later scoring on an RBI single to give the Dolphins the late win. Unfortunately, senior John Moreland’s two home runs and three RBI were for naught as the Bears dropped to 0-6 in one-run games this season.

Jacksonville 9, Mercer 6
Chicks dig the long ball at JU as the dolphins crushed fifteen hits and three home runs on the way to cruising to victory. Knocking starter Matt McCall out of the game after only four innings, the damage was complete early as JU’s Kevin Lehane (3-4, 1 RBI) would lead the way from the plate. Mercer’s Travis Benn and Austin Barrett would respond with their own home runs, but the effort was too little too late in the Saturday contest.

Jacksonville 6, Mercer 5
Frustration summed up the series for the Bears as they lost yet another one-run game in extra innings. Despite having the winning run on third in the bottom of the ninth, Mercer failed to capitalize against JU’s Chris Anderson, who picked up the victory after three shutout innings. The Bears started out on the right track with a 4-0 lead after five innings, but the Dolphins tied the game in the seventh before scoring the sixth run in the top of the tenth. Thomas Carroll would finish the day 3 for 4 with a triple and an RBI to lead the way for Mercer.

Baseball falters against Stetson, rebounds against FAMU, Sav. State

Orange and Black still in hunt for A-Sun title despite slow start in conference

By:
Published Mar 30, in Sports

(Alex Lockwood / Cluster Staff) A strong pitching performance from the starting rotation has kept the Bears in tight games despite a recent lack of offense.

After a phenomenal opening month to the college baseball season, fans around the A-Sun took notice of the defending conference champs after series wins against Belmont and FGCU. A pair of conference series against #30 Stetson and in-state rival Kennesaw State would soon follow, sandwiched in between two non-conference games against Florida A&M and Savannah State.

But as the saying goes, “All good things must come to an end.” Mercer stumbled in three one-run contests against the Hatters before dropping another conference game to the Owls in a seven-game stretch they would rather forget. Despite the close losses though, the team remains on track to defending their 2010 title with upcoming series on the road with Campbell and North Florida while hosting Jacksonville to kick off April.

Stetson 4, Mercer 3
The Friday night contest came down to the last out as Hatters’ reliever Robbie Powell made quick work of Blaine Matthews and Billy Burns to keep the Mercer baserunner on third from crossing home plate to tie the game. For the spectators in the stands, it was a thriller that began in the first inning with an RBI single from Thomas Carroll’s bat. Stetson would quickly answer in the bottom half of the first adding their own run to tie the affair.
MU starter Matt McCall would hold Stetson to only one more run in the second inning before getting knocked out of the game in the fifth with two base runners. Stetson’s offense came roaring back to life in the sxith inning with a pair of singles to make the game 4-1, however Mercer would fight back with their own version of ‘small ball’ in the seventh to score two runs. Matthew Black and Billy Burns would tally RBIs, but the Bears would come no closer as Powell would record the save in the ninth to give Stetson the victory.

Stetson 3, Mercer 2
For the second night in a row, the Bears lost a heartbreaker after a solid pitching performance from Brandon Love (7.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H). Mercer would take the first two runs of the contest in the third and fourth innings, as Evan Boyd would score after a strikeout throw to first in conjunction with a Derrick Workman triple that put senior John Moreland across the plate.
Despite the Bears’ two run lead, Stetson would bounce back in the fourth, adding a run, before a late game surge in the eighth and ninth innings. A pair of singles knocked in runs late for Stetson, ensuring the Saturday win in another classic between the A-Sun’s oldest rivals. Notably, John Moreland would go 2-4 in the contest with a pair of doubles, leading the way for Mercer.

Stetson 3, Mercer 2
Different day, same result. The late meltdown was a hard pill to swallow for the orange and black as the Hatters scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to send Mercer back to Macon empty handed.  Stetson scored the game’s first run in the third on a wild pitch from Justice French and an error to take a 1-0 lead.
Derrick Workman’s double in the eight followed by an RBI groundout by Billy Burns and Evan Boyd’s run after a wild pitch gave Mercer a 2-1 lead. However, Stetson rebounded in resounding fashion in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI triple from Mark Jones to take the final lead of the night, thus giving the Hatter’s the series sweep.

Mercer 9, FAMU 4
Following the Bears’ longest losing streak of the season, the orange and black took out their frustrations on the Rattlers from Tallahassee in a night of career milestones. Billy Burns would record his 50th stolen base of his career as junior Jacob Tanis would tally his 150th RBI in the first inning.
The contest was over after a five run first inning from Mercer courtesy of a pair of hits from Tanis, Travis Benn as well as an RBI groundout from Derrick Workman. FAMU would score two runs in the first two innings and then two in the eighth, but a strong performance from Brandon Barker (2-0) would give him the win as the pitching staff kept the Rattlers at bay for most of the night despite their 13 hits. Jacob Tanis and Austin Barrett would record homeruns in the game while Benn(2-3, 3 RBI) would be the team’s most productive hitter on the night.

Mercer 12, Sav. St. 4
Traveling to Savannah for another game against the Tigers, Mercer broke through in remarkable fashion to record the school’s first win in Savannah since the series between the Tigers and Bears began in 1997. Savannah State would start the scoring in the first frame, but an RBI double from Austin Barrett would tie the game in the second inning. A pair of hits from Thomas Carroll and Jacob Tanis in the top of the third would seal the game, including Carroll’s 200th hit of his career, putting Mercer on top 4-1.
Austin Barrett’s homerun (his second in two games), would help the Bears club away the Tigers. Late game theatrics from the Bears would include a two-RBI triple courtesy of John Moreland in the sixth and a Nate Moorhouse homerun in the seventh inning as Mercer’s pitcher by committee approach kept the game in check.
“Tonight was a good win for us to break the streak we had against those guys and to continue to get back on track offensively,” said head coach Craig Gibson on MercerBears.com following the contest.

Kenn. St. 5, Mercer 3
While the Bears may have lost, the highlight of the game was a triple play in the first inning, a first for Mercer baseball in the modern era (1948-present). When Mercer starting pitcher Brandon Love found himself in a jam with the bases loaded and no outs, KSU’s Ronnie Freeman grounded out into the triple play to electrify the crowd.
The Bears’ bats responded in the same fashion in the bottom half of the inning with two-run homerun from Jacob Tanis to give Mercer the 2-0 lead. The margin appeared to be enough for Mercer until Love struggled in the middle of the game. After striking out six batters in a row, a pair of hits and a sacrifice fly would give KSU the lead for the game. The loss marked Mercer’s fifth consecutive conference loss in a row.

Mercer 6, Kenn. St. 4
In a rain shortened contest, Mercer did enough to pick up the win to break their conference losing streak, sending the Owls back to Kennesaw after the third and final game of the series was canceled due to weather. Matt McCall would earn the victory for Mercer after pitching 5.1 innings and giving up four runs on seven hits. KSU would score first, but Mercer responded in the fourth with three runs to give Mercer a 5-4 lead. Derrick Workman (3-5, 1 RBI, 1 R) would lead MU’s offense on the night from the leadoff position as the Bears rebounded at Claude Smith Field.

Baseball demolishing competition, wins series against Belmont, FGCU

Bears win by 23 runs over FAMU in a laugher

By:
Published Mar 16, in Sports

(Alex Lockwood / Cluster Staff) While the offensive numbers have been off of the charts, the consisent pitching has helped propel Mercer to a fast start.

In another bid to secure an NCAA tournament berth, the baseball team has remained hot, notching a six game win streak over spring break week including blowouts over Alabama State and FAMU.  Taking two of three against their first conference opponents, Belmont and FGCU, Mercer appears to once again be the class of the Atlantic Sun.

 

Mercer 19, FAMU 6

The Bears jumped the Rattlers for ten runs in the first three innings, quickly putting away their Tallahassee opponents in their home opener.  DH Joe Winker (3-3, HR, 4 RBI) had another huge night at the plate for Mercer as newcomer Bronson Gagner won his first game as a Bear in the non-conference contest.

 

Mercer 5, FAMU 1

In the second game of the double header, Mercer sneaked across a combined five runs in the fifth and sixth inning to win the seven-inning contest.  Russell Moses’ strong pitcher performance (7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 13 Ks) limited the Rattlers with few base runners to help the Bears notch another win. Winker (2 RBI), Evan Boyd and Jason Butts would all collect hits to bat runners in to complete the sweep.

 

“I thought it was a great team effort by our guys tonight in that they played hard and rebounded well from last night,” said head coach Craig Gibson following the series.  “Tonight was FAMU’s home opener and their guys were really into it so it feels good to get two wins against a good club on the road,” he added.

 

Mercer 8, Ala. State 0

Mercer’s Matt McCall was dominating from the mound, allowing only one hit on 92 pitches in his shutout of the season. Reliever J.T. Odom would get the final three outs in the ninth for a save.  Delayed by rain, the Bears’ offense didn’t come alive until late when Evan Boyd started the scoring with a huge triple in the fifth inning. Joe Winker would blast off another home run in the sixth to seal the game.

 

Mercer 9, Ala. State 1

Pitching again proved crucial against Alabama State as Brandon Love threw six innings of shutout baseball.  The offense, potent as ever, would start when Billy Burns would single, advance on a wild pitch, steal third, and then take home on another wild pitch.  It was that kind of night for the visitors as Derrick Workman and Travis Benn would collect homeruns before the contest finished.

 

Mercer 18, Ala. State 2

Playing their 10th game in ten days, the Bears once again exploded on offense, collecting a multitude of runs on the Sunday afternoon game. Justice French picked up the win from the pitching mound, but the player of the game went to senior rightfielder Thomas Carroll (4-6, 3B, HR, 6 RBI) as he had a career day falling one double short of a cycle.

 

Mercer 24, FAMU 1

Ouch! This had the makings of a blowout from the beginning as Mercer scored their highest total since a 27-1 beat down of Savannah State in 2008.  To make matters worse, the game lasted only seven innings. For the final tally, Mercer collected 21 hits in which every starter had at least one hit.  Jacob Tanis (3-5, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI) and Thomas Carroll (4-4, HR, 4 RBI) carried the offense once again as freshman Brandon Barker collected his first collegiate win.

 

Belmont 2, Mercer 1

All good things must to an end and they did so for Mercer against the Bruins in Nashville. Despite the offense outbreak against FAMU, Belmont played the Bears well and despite a strong performance from Matt McCall, MU could only muster one run of offense on eight hits.

 

Mercer 9, Belmont 0

Pitching was key in a Sunday afternoon rout of the Bruins at Shelby Park. MU’s Brandon Love and Belmont pitcher Nate Woods dueled until the fourth when Thomas Carroll, Joe Winker, and Derrick Workman would all hit homeruns off of Woods to give the Bears a 4-0 lead. Another homerun via Jacob Tanis and a few hits in the late innings would increase Mercer’s lead to end the contest.

 

Mercer 6, Belmont 2

Errors and trouble on the pitching mound doomed the Bruins in the nightcap of the Sunday series, sending several unearned runs across the plate to give Mercer their second conference win of the season.  Justice French would allow only two earned runs and six hits in a bid to pick up another 2011 win as Jacob Tanis (4-6, 5 RBI) would push through most of the runs for the orange and black.

 

Georgia 8, Mercer 6

It came down to the late out and the Bears fell just short. Looking to upend Georgia for the first time since 1992, Mercer’s comeback landed the team close to the upset, but came short when Derrick Workman struck out looking with bases loaded to end the game. Georgia got off to a hot start when Russell Moses gave up four runs in the second inning, but Joe Winker’s homerun in the sixth, his seventh of the season, cut the lead to two runs to lead to the late game theatrics.

 

Mercer 15, FGCU 6

A combined 12 runs in the fifth and sixth frame helped sophomore David Teasley pick up his third win of the season in an important game against their A-Sun rivals. Six players in the lineup recorded multi-hit efforts including Derrick Workman (2-5, HR, 3 RBI).

 

Mercer 9, FGCU 3

A six run first inning was all that was necessary in defeating the Eagles again, a feat which snapped FGCU’s 17 straight series victories in the A-Sun since the 2009 season. FGCU’s Brandon Bixler was yanked from the game after the first inning, a disastrous one for the Fort Meyers club. Middle reliever Jacob Matthews would pick up the win with two innings of relief.

 

FGCU 6, Mercer 3

The 16-inning spectacle came to an end when the Eagles sneaked across three runs to finish a very long contest on Sunday. Salvaging one game in the series, Mercer came close to wrapping up another win, but FGCU fought back in the eighth with three unanswered runs to tie the game. The four hour, 31 minute contest ended when relievers Colby Collins and Chris Newell surrendered the winning runs.

 

Mercer 14, Harvard 3

This time, Newell and Collins helped the Bears bounce back to put away the baseball team from Harvard on a wonderful night at Claude Smith Field. Joe Winker would blast off his eight home run of the season as Thomas Carroll (3-5, 2 2B, 5 RBI) also provided an offensive spark over the Crimson.

Baseball torches Liberty on opening weekend

Defending A-Sun Champs looking to repeat in 2011

By:
Published Feb 23, in Sports

(Alex Lockwood / Cluster Staff) Joe Winker (far right) receives a tip of the cap from his teammates after a three homerun game against Liberty this past weekend.

The defending Atlantic Sun Champions looked stellar in their opening series of the 2011 campaign, taking three of four in a series against the highly touted Liberty Flames of Lynchburg, Virginia.  Friday night’s season opener was a come-from-behind thriller for the Bears as they opened the series with a 6-4 win followed by a pair of clobberings, 7-2 and 17-5, during the doubleheader slated for Saturday.  Sunday afternoon’s game turned into a pitcher’s duel with Mercer ultimately falling 5-4.

It was the type of start head coach Craig Gibson could have hoped for against a team that went 42-19 in 2010.  Perhaps one of their biggest non-conference series of the spring, Mercer will now continue to tune-up against regional competition before the Atlantic Sun schedule starts March 4 in Nashville when the Bears take on Belmont in Rose Park for a three game series.

Mercer 6, Liberty 4

The Bears pushed across two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to win a sell-out opening night after a rocky start in the first inning.  Starter Matt McCall was shelled for three runs to open the game, but Mercer’s pitching staff kept the Flames relatively quiet for the remainder of the contest as reliever David Teasley would pick up the win with his two innings of work.

A pair of freshman, Derrick Workman and DJ Johnson, would help Mercer launch a comeback in the fourth inning with an RBI doubles to score three runs.  Catcher Jason Butts would later knock in leadoff hitter Billy Burns to tie the game at 4-4.

Late in the eighth frame, Thomas Carroll would come up big for the Bears with his first hit of the season, driving in Jacob Tanis followed by another RBI-groundout from Butts.  Teasley would finish off Liberty with three straight strikeouts in a thriller.

Mercer 7, Liberty 2

Saturday afternoon’s first game started off with a bang for the Bears, five runs in the first two innings courtesy of a pair of homeruns from shortstop Evan Boyd and first basemen John Moreland.  Brandon Love would last for five strong innings, holding Liberty to only two runs on five hits as Mercer finished off Liberty in a quick contest.

Tempers would erupt from the Flames dugout in a heavily disputed balk called on Mercer’s pitcher, resulting in an ejection of Liberty’s third base coach.  Nevertheless, the spark of anger couldn’t fuel the Flames’ fire as Mercer would race out to their second win of the year.

Mercer 17, Liberty 5

Fans sitting on the right field wall may have mistaken the game for a homerun derby as Mercer clubbed eight home runs in a laugher.  Senior DH Joe Winker (5-6, 3 HR, 5 RBI) had a career day from the plate and joined in the long-ball hitting shenanigans with teammates Derrick Workman (4-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Billy Burns (3-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI), Jacob Tanis (1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI), and Travis Benn (1-6, 1 HR, 1 RBI).

Brandon Barker, a freshman, pitched well into the fifth inning, while Teasley (2-0) and a host of other pitchers maintained Mercer’s dominant grip on the contest.

Liberty 5, Mercer 4

In perhaps the closest battle of the series, Mercer simply couldn’t muster the offensive firepower that they had displayed on Saturday.  Starting pitcher Keegan Minza settled down after a 2-0 first inning lead for Mercer courtesy of RBIs from Evan Boyd and Thomas Carroll.  The Flames would mount a comeback in the fourth inning, scoring three innings off of Justice French before eventually knocking him out of the game in the fifth after a line drive grazed his hand.

Down 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Jacob Tanis would offer a moonshot to the fans in the outfield to tie the score 4-4, but the lead would be short-lived.  David Teasley, relieving in his third game of the weekend, would overthrow the first basemen in an attempted pickoff, allowing a runner from third to score.  Flame relievers Garrett Baker and Josh Richardson were stealth in their 3.2 innings of work at the end, allowing only two hits to give Liberty their first win of 2011.

Right Field Bleachers

Pitcher Perfect

By:
Published Feb 20, in Columns, Sports

(photo courtesy of blippitt.com) Roy Halladay was one of a handful of pitchers to record a no-hitter in 2010.

The perfect game is a novelty, happening on average about once every three to four years. In 2010, however, we saw the stars align to produce two perfect games (three, if you count Armando’s gem). In total, we also saw six no-hitters pitched and witnessed some of the best pitching stats since the 1992 season. The “Year of the Pitcher,” they’re calling it, and the Year of the Pitcher it was. But it’s not over—there’s more to come in 2011.

Within 20 days of each other, Roy Halladay and Dallas Braden carved their names into baseball history. Braden tossed his perfect game for Oakland on May 9, 2010. Halladay was hot on his heels dropping his perfect game on May 29. Armando Galarraga’s [sorta] perfect game would occur just a few days later, on June 2. All within 30 days of each other—what a month in baseball!

All this came after Buehrle hurled his perfect game in 2009, giving us four perfect games in just two short years. Before Buehrle’s gem, the last perfect game recorded had been in 2004 when Randy Johnson solidified his hall of fame career with the elusive feat.

Barring the perfect games, major league pitchers accumulated their best statistics since 1992, punching out an earned run average (ERA) of 4.08 per game, which is not only the lowest cumulative ERA since 1992, but is also .47 points lower than the average ERA over the last two decades. This trend continues in each category with each individual statistic being the best in recent years.

Just because 1992’s statistical output was impressive, however, does not make it an overall better year. After all, 1992 produced just one no-hitter and no perfect games, whereas 2010 gave us six no-no’s and two (arguably three) perfect games.

Another fact worth noting is the number of home runs (HR) per game for each season. In the 1992 and 1993 seasons, pitchers averaged well below 1 HR per game, while the average for 1994 broke above that marker, hitting 1.03. This number would gradually rise until it hit its peak in 2000, at 1.17 HR per game. Then, in 2006, the number began to decline. In 2010, the HR per game average dropped down below one to .95, the lowest average since 1993.

Ironically, the rise and decline of home runs per game mirrors the introduction and rise/fall of steroids in baseball. Before 1994, it was not odd to see ERA down in the three-point range with HR per game limited to a maximum of .75 each season. Were there steroids in baseball before 1994? Of course. Were steroids as prominent as they have lately become? Not even close.

I’m not giving pitchers an excuse, but it’s difficult to do well when you’re pitching against a lineup of superhuman batters. Do not misinterpret me: steroids don’t produce good hitters, but they do turn a routine such as a lazy line drive at the shortstop into a base hit over the shortstop’s head into left center. Baseball is a game of inches, and steroids provide just that.

With the decline of steroids in baseball and Bud Selig’s attempt to castrate them completely from the sport, I suspect we’ll see many more “Years of the Pitcher.” After all, when these tremendous athletes have become accustomed to pitching to monstrosities that punish their every mistake, it becomes a different game when that pressure for perfection is relieved, if only slightly.

I don’t expect three perfect games every season from here on out, but I believe the days of the 60 and 70 home run seasons are fading fast into history. I’ll miss the home runs, but I welcome the low-scoring, gut-wrenching hardball that will take their place. Here’s to the “Year of the Pitcher” and to the many more to come.

Mercer baseball to defend A-Sun title in 2011

Tanis leads lineup of sluggers into new season

By:
Published Feb 9, in Sports

Jacob Tanis (22 HRs, 88 RBIs in 2010) will be a big part of Mercer's lineup this upcoming season.

 

After a thrilling end to the 2010 campaign that saw the unexpected and unprecedented trip to the NCAA tournament, the Mercer Bears baseball team looks to return to the postseason, spurred on by experience and talent.

Collecting a preseason rank of 87th in the nation by “Collegiate Baseball”, they were the second-highest Atlantic Sun team in the poll, trailing Florida Gulf Coast (last season’s regular season A-Sun champions), but leading rival clubs East Tennessee State and Jacksonville. The high ranking came after Mercer won their first conference championship in baseball in more than 25 years.

After being part of a high-octane offense that lead the Bears into the NCAA tournament and ran a perfect sweep on the Atlantic Sun tournament, junior third baseman Jacob Tanis has been named to four different publications’ All-American third teams: “Collegiate Baseball Newspaper”, “College Baseball Lineup”, “Louisville Slugger”, and the “National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association”. In addition, he was named the 94th best player in the country by “College Baseball Daily”. His numbers, leadership and play were some of the best at Mercer in previous years. He was the Atlantic Sun tournament MVP and was instrumental in eliminating Elon in the NCAA tournament.

Tanis’ numbers in 2010 speak for themselves. He set single-season school records in total bases, hits and doubles. He also was second in school history for single-season home runs and RBIs. He was 40th in the nation with runs scored at 69. The hits single season record for Mercer is now at 104, a number that was 10th in the nation last year. The 25 doubles put him at 19th in the country. He also had 22 home runs for 12th place in the nation and added 88 RBIs for second place nationally. He was 31st in the country with a .735 slugging percentage and third nationally in total bases with 197.

Mercer as a team hit .340 last season, and this high-powered offense will be called upon to produce runs in conjunction with the Atlantic Sun’s eighth best fielding percentage of all time at .969. Craig Gibson told MercerBears.com at the end of last season, “I think we laid the groundwork this year that hopefully will help us compete for championships for years to come.” With a young team that now has national postseason experience, no one is doubting the Bears this season.

Mercer did lose Lath Guyer, Tyler McCarty, Michael Langley, Nick DiMauro, Scott Patterson and Michael Shaw. However, key players Billy Burns, Thomas Carroll, Evan Boyd, Justice French and Jacob Tanis will help lead a team that looks to contend for the conference crown against favorites ETSU, FGCU and Jacksonville.

The question marks seem to surround the pitching staff, as they were unable to control Georgia Tech and Alabama at the end of last season in the NCAA tournament. However, the pitching staff will have a chance to redeem themselves on March 29 at Tech and then on April 16 when they face the Yellow Jackets at home. The Bears also play a home-and-away series with the University of Georgia, with the Bears welcoming the Bulldogs on March 8. The Bears also welcome Harvard on March 14 and 15. Mercer will open play on Feb. 18 with a four-game weekend series (including a Saturday double-header) against Liberty University at home in the confines of Claude Smith Field.

« Older Entries