Mercer Hosts Evansville for Three-Game Weekend Series

MACON, Ga. (MERCER RELEASE) – The Mercer baseball team continues its busy start to the 2014 season with a three-game series against Evansville this weekend at Claude Smith Field.

Mercer (5-0) takes on the Purple Aces in game one on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m., with game two slated for Saturday at 2 p.m. and game three set for a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.

The Bears are in the midst of a hectic first month on the diamond that features 23 games over a 29-day stretch.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

Friday

Mercer: RHP Brandon Barker (1-0, 3.60 ERA, 6 K’s)

Evansville: LHP Kyle Freeland (1-0, 3.60 ERA, 6 K’s)

Saturday

Mercer: LHP Grant Papelian (0-0, 1.93 ERA, 1 K)

Evansville: RHP Connor Strain (0-0, 9.82 ERA, 2 K’s)

Sunday

Mercer: RHP Eric Nyquist (1-0, 1.59 ERA, 4 K’s)

Evansville: LHP Cole Isom (0-0, 3.00 ERA, 1 K)

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT

Evansville comes into play this weekend with a perfect 3-0 record after sweeping its season opening three-game series from fellow A-Sun member Lipscomb. The Purple Aces took advantage of their plate discipline and baserunning ability against Lipscomb, recording 26 walks and stealing 12 bases in the series. Evansville was picked to finish sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll after returning 19 letterwinners and five position starters from last year’s team that finished 24-34 overall. Junior Kyle Freeland leads the Purple Aces pitching staff having already been named the 2014 MVC Preseason Pitcher of the Year and a Baseball America Preseason Second Team All-American.

LAST TIME OUT

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer baseball team distanced themselves from a pesky Florida A&M squad with a five-run sixth inning on its way to a 10-2 triumph on Wednesday evening at Claude Smith Field. Mercer has now started a season with five-straight wins for the first time since the 2005 edition of the Bears started their campaign with a 6-0 record. Four Bears had multi-hit games in the win led by senior Nick Backlund who went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Junior Morgan Pittman picked up the win by striking out three batters in 3.1 shutout innings of relief.

FAST FACTS

– Mercer and Evansville have met eight times in their history, with the all-time series between both schools tied at 4-4. The Bears and Purple Aces last met in February of 2010 when the teams split a four-game series here in Macon.

– Mercer is currently receiving votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association NCAA Division I poll and is in the next five on deck in the ESPN.com Top-20 power rankings. The Bears are also one of only five clubs in the country to start the 2014 season with a 5-0 record or better.