April 23, 2012

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer baseball team looks to get back to its winning ways when it travels to Alabama State for a pair of mid-week contests starting on Tuesday evening.

 

Game one is on Tuesday night at 6 p.m., with game two scheduled for Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex. 

 

Last Time Out

 

The Mercer baseball team continued its road struggles with another tough 7-2 loss at East Tennessee State on Sunday afternoon at Thomas Stadium.

 

Mercer is now 10-12 on the road this season and has only won one weekend series away from Claude Smith Field in 2012.

 

With the score 3-1 in favor of ETSU in the bottom of the seventh, the Buccaneers dealt the Orange and Black a knockout punch when senior Dylan Pratt hit a grand slam to put the home team comfortably in front, 7-1.

 

Bears starter David Randall took the tough luck loss after allowing four earned runs on six hits in 6.1 innings pitched.

 

Scouting the Opposition

 

Alabama State (16-26) comes into play this week on a seven-game losing streak after getting swept in a three-game series at Oklahoma this past weekend. The Hornets were picked to finish sixth in the 2012 Southwestern Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' poll in the first year under new head coach Mervyl Melendez. Alabama State has no shortage of speed and athleticism on its roster, ranking second in the nation with 101 stolen bases and 12^th in the country with 16 triples. Freshman Waldyvan Estrada paces the squad offensively with a .260 batting average while leading the team with 10 doubles, six home runs and 31 RBI.

 

Quick Hits

 

- Mercer currently leads the all-time series with Alabama State 5-1 and will renew its rivalry with the Hornets for the first time since 2005.

 

- Bears third baseman Chesny Young currently leads all freshmen in the Atlantic Sun Conference in batting average (.336), on-base percentage (.419) and hits (49).