Mercer baseball team looks to win 3rd SoCon Tournament title
Mercer won SoCon tournament titles in 2015 and 2019.
MACON, Georgia (4NBC/WMGT) –The Mercer baseball team aims to win its first SoCon Tournament title since 2019 and enters as the second seed for the second consecutive year, having failed to secure the regular-season title in the final series of the regular season.
“The tournament is obviously like a whole other season for us. So we are going to be going into it with a little pride and trying to just win that last season, the one that really matters,” said Josh Farmer, redshirt senior right-handed pitcher.
“We played well against all the teams in the league. There’s a lot of parity in our league this year, so we feel like we have an opportunity to go to Greenville and have a chance to win a championship,” said head coach Craig Gibson.
As the second seed, the Bears’ opponent is yet to be determined. However, their plan is simply to play within themselves and focus on their own game.
“I don’t think it matters who we play. We have to go out there and still throw the ball in the strike zone,” said Trevor Austin, a redshirt senior infielder. “Still got to go up there and still got to get guys on. Move guys over. Get guys in. Play hard and got to play clean defense. It’s the same game. As long as we play our game, we’re going to have a shot no matter who we play.”
Head coach Craig Gibson acknowledged that the team’s offense has been a significant strength this year, with the Bears ranking eighth in Division I with 108 home runs. Several players who joined the team via the transfer portal have made a considerable contribution to this offense.
“Our chemistry has been really good. It’s really like they’ve been here the entire time. It’s not like there’s any new guys,” said Austin. “Doesn’t feel like there’s any new guys. We’ve all had fun together. We’ve really enjoyed the game, and they’ve really bonded well with all of us.”
Since joining the Southern Conference in 2015, the Bears have captured four regular-season titles and two tournament titles. Nevertheless, they have faced a four-year drought since their last championship in 2019, and the veterans on this team are determined to conclude their journey with one more ring.
“A lot of the guys have been talking about getting that one more ring. I think it’d be really fun, really cool to get another one,” said Austin.
“It means a lot. It means a lot in the state. It means a lot here locally. It shows our players are good players, and we developed them. They’ve had good seasons. We want to finish it off the right way,” said Gibson.
The Bears’ opponent will be either UNC Greensboro or Wofford and will play Thursday, May 25, at 7:30 p.m.
