March 13, 2011

Bears Welcome Harvard for a Two-Game Set Beginning Monday

 

MACON, Ga. – Mercer University will take a respite from its Atlantic Sun Conference schedule to face non-conference foe Harvard University in a brief two-game series on Monday and Tuesday (March 14 & 15) at Claude Smith Field.  Both games are slated to begin at 6 p.m.

This will be the first time that the Bears (13-5, 4-2 A-Sun) have ever faced the Crimson (0-8, 0-0 Ivy League) on the diamond.

This will be just the third time in MU baseball history that the Bears have even played an Ivy League team in baseball. In 1998, Cornell lost two of three games to MU in Macon. Back in 1981, Mercer was swept by Yale in a three-game series.

Monday's (March 14) game can be heard live on Fox Sports radio 1670 AM in the Macon area or via the Mercer web site at www.mercerbears.com.

Last Time Out:

Mercer's baseball team is coming off of a 16-inning marathon on Sunday afternoon, eventually falling at the hands of Florida Gulf Cast, 6-3. MU did, however, earn the series win by taking the first two games on Friday and Saturday.

In Sunday's contest, John Moreland clubbed his third home run of the year to leadoff the bottom of the second inning. Moreland also had a ground-out RBI in the fourth and a single in the 16^th to help the Bears bring the potential tying run to the plate.

Jacob Tanis and Thomas Carroll each had a pair of hits, as well. Tanis hit his sixth double of the year in the loss.

Scouting the Opposition:

Harvard has had a bumpy start to the 2011 campaign, losing eight straight including its recent four-game series versus Wofford (which concluded on Sunday). The Crimson also dropped a quartet of games to Jacksonville State.

Harvard plays its first 19 games on the road. The Crimson is not even scheduled for a game in Boston until its March 30 contest versus Holy Cross.

Quick Hits:

*Justice French had a quality start on Sunday versus FGCU, but did not factor into the decision. French went 7 1/3 innings, scattered five hits and allowed just one earned run. The senior struck out five and walked just one before being lifted in the eighth as his pitch count reached 93 for the afternoon.

*The Bears series win versus FGCU last weekend was its first since the Eagles joined the A-Sun in 2008.

*Mercer will  travel to Stetson University this coming weekend for a crucial three-game series versus the Hatters. SU is 12-3 overall and ranked No. 26 in last week's national rankings.