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(04/27/11 11:57pm)
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.
(04/27/11 11:57pm)
It’s not exactly the Kentucky Derby, but for those who love horses, it’s a blast. Mercer’s Equestrian Club (MEC) and Team provides an outlet for those interested in riding, regardless of experience, as well as a competitive outlet as the Mercer Equestrian Hunt Seat Team competes in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) in Zone 5, Region 3. According to the club’s website, the IHSA competitions have eight levels of equitation competition for riders ranging from fresh beginners to seasoned national champions.
MEC President Alesha Chapman heads the team, which has undergone an extensive leadership transition during the past two years. The club’s host stable, Bella Cavalla Farm near Lake Tobesofkee, also hosts the Stratford Academy Interscholastic Equestrian Hunt Seat Team.
The club started in 2006 and the competitive team came along in 2007 with an average of 3-7 active riders each year. Over the past four seasons they’ve competed year round with three to four shows per semester at different locations around the Southeast, including Charleston, SCAD, Wesleyan and Georgia Southern.
“We had a slow start in the beginning, but with some hard work and shameless promotion we eventually gained a pretty substantial amount of interest in the program,” said equestrian alumni Amy Abel-Kiker. “The club began as a group of students who wanted to create not only an environment for serious riders, but also for those who were maybe just interested in horses and wanted to learn more. It was a really great mission because there are so many people who haven’t had the opportunity to ride in the past but were afforded the opportunity through the Mercer program,” she added.
While the club and competitive team are separate, they enjoy a symbiotic relationship which helps promote the overall health of the program and the equestrians in general. Some riders are partial to English (all disciplines and styles) while others prefer “Western.”
Journalism major and equestrian team member Kathleen Quinlan remarked that the team only competes in hunt seat, currently with one rider involved in the jumping portion, but is looking to expand into the Western style of riding next season.
“I would like to think that through the Mercer Equestrian Program, a handful of Mercer students were able to find their place at Mercer doing what they love,” Abel-Kiker said.
For more information on the club and competitive team, visit www.mercer.edu/equestrian/ for contact information and an event schedule.
(04/27/11 11:57pm)
Mercer’s men’s golf team recorded the lowest round of the Atlantic Sun tournament during Wednesday’s final round at the Chateau Elan Golf Club in Braselton, Ga., as they shot a combined 277 to move up the standings to finish fourth. Kennesaw State would capture their first conference tournament title by nine strokes over North Florida while Campbell would take third during the three-day tournament.
“It was a fun day out there,” said head coach Andrew Tredway following the championship on MercerBears.com. “We got off to a hot start and then the guys finished it, which was so big for our programs,” he added.
Fueling the move up the team standings during the final day of play was freshman Hans Reimers (T-2nd, 70-71-69) who came within three strokes of taking the individual tournament title. Josh Cone (T-17th, 72-74-70) would also put together a fantastic round for a five way tie for 17th, finishing at +3 for the tournament.
“Josh Cone has been so steady all year—just a top 20 machine,” added the head coach. “I’m confident that the NCAA committee will look favorably upon him and what he’s done. What I’m so proud of him for is his patience throughout the season. He could have really gotten frustrated at times but he just put his head down and kept going.”
Reimer’s finish set a record for the best placement by a Mercer freshman at the event as well as a program best three-round score at the conference championship.
“Hans really played well this week and really all spring,” Tredway commented. “He came into a new situation and made the most of his opportunity and that’s what it is all about. He’s such a hard worker and he could turn himself into a top tier player when it’s all said and done.”
Teammates Matt Kocolowski (T-24th, 76-72-70) and Mookie DeMoss (T-31st, 81-72-68) would also contribute rounds below par with DeMoss posting the second lowest round of the day. Thomas Holmes (DNF, 76-DNF-78) would complete the first and third rounds after battling a case of food poisoning on Tuesday. After the final round Tredway was extremely complementary of Holmes’ effort despite his individual score not counting. Tredway said, “He was sick all week and he just kept grinding. He’s a true warrior and I want him with me in battle anytime.”
Now that Mercer’s season is complete Tredway will look to prep his returning golfers for next season, but Josh Cone will likely receive a bid to the NCAA Regionals to continue his 2010-11 individual season. If Cone is selected, he’ll be only the second player in school history in all sports to receive an at-large bid.
(04/27/11 11:57pm)
As head coach Mike Raynor’s team heads into the final week of the season, they sit in seventh in the current Atlantic Sun standings with a high probability of grabbing the sixth seed going into the season ending championship tournament. With an above .500 record of 26-22 (8-10 A-Sun), one can only hope that the Bears catch fire as they take on Kennesaw State in the final conference doubleheader of the year.
Recent struggles against USC-Upstate and Lipscomb were offset by sweeps against ETSU and Belmont. Georgia Tech and Presbyterian will serve as non-conference opponents, sandwiching the series against Kennesaw State as the 2011 season draws to a close.
ETSU Doubleheader
Playing the bottom feeding Bucs at home, Mercer jumped out to a pair of wins 8-0 and 4-0 to make quick work of their Johnson City victors. It was a special night indeed, as the second game of the doubleheader ended with a rare triple play to cap off the second shutout. In the first game, McKenzie Woody, Amanda Santa Maria, and Kassie Bailey would all account for two RBIs each in the run-rule blowout before Jenni Holtz picked up her 11th win of the season in the nightcap.
In the top of the seventh, ETSU’s first two batters reached base before the spectators witnessed the triple play from the hands of Kassie Bailey. With a line drive to her position at first base, Bailey made the catch, stepped on first and then threw to second to complete the trifecta.
USC-Upstate Doubleheader
After a thriller the night before, Mercer fell to the Spartans 3-1 and 5-2 in Saturday’s games. Stellar pitching from USCU’s Morgan Childers saw her become the conference’s all-time wins leader with the victory, allowing only two hits all game.
After grabbing an early 2-0 lead in the second game, Mercer was able to push across a run courtesy of Sarah Santana’s RBI single, but the effort would fall short in the end. Allison Jones would add a solo homerun in the seventh, but the Spartans improved to 36-11 with the win.
Georgia State Doubleheader
The split with the Panthers helped MU rebound from a tough go with USC-Upstate as Kari Chambers had the offense behind her in the team’s 8-2 victory in game one. Unfortunately, the same offense would not show up as Georgia State would take game two, 3-2.
Kassie Bailey would have another monster game to start off the afternoon, eventually batting in four runners, extending her hitting streak to nine games in doing so. The Bears mustered ten hits in the nightcap, but were only able to push across two runs in the seven inning contest.
Belmont Doubleheader
The Bruins provided mince meat for the Bears to get back on track as the Nashville team fell 1-0 and 5-3 to Mercer. Throwing in both games, Kari Chambers had an incredible afternoon with 10.2 innings pitched while striking out ten batters. Using small ball to win the first game as Tiffany Phillips scored the winning run on a passed ball, the offense would come alive in the second game with Sarah Santana going 2-for-2 with an RBI.
Lipscomb Doubleheader
There were two games, but they ended with the same outcome, 1-0. The Bison defeated Mercer in pivotal contests as the Bears lost both due to fielding errors. The only bright spot of the series was McKenzie Woody who extended her hitting streak by knocking singles in both games against the stingy counterparts from Nashville.
(04/27/11 11:57pm)
With the highest turnout in Southeastern Collegiate Cycling Conference history, Mercer Cycling successfully hosted the final race of the spring road season with a time trial, criterium and road race over the course of Saturday and Sunday.
With nearly 155 riders and 23 schools in tow, Saturday morning’s time trial was delayed by an hour due to inclement weather. As soon as the weather passed over, the action got hot on the back roads of Twiggs County as the team time trials and individual time trials got under way. Racing as Mercer’s lone entry in the individual time trial, Andrew Lockwood would post the sixth fastest time in the Men’s B time trial that morning, averaging slightly less than 22 mph over the 17.5 mile course over rolling hills.
Moving to the confines of Tattnall Square Park for Saturday afternoon’s criterium events, the spectators came out in droves to watch the five races of six categories zoom around the 0.7 mile loop with average speeds hovering between 25-28 mph for most of the afternoon. Sophomore Austin Sholly made the most of his showing in Men’s C criterium, controlling the race at points in route to sprinting to a 12th-place finish.
Lockwood and teammate Gabe Denes would enter the Men’s B criterium with a competitive field that included stacked teams from Brevard College, Lees-McRae College and Florida State. After fighting for position in the mid-pack in the opening laps Lockwood would get stuck behind two riders who touched wheels, crashing and losing some skin in the process.
Taking the free lap that comes with a crash, the wheel pit mechanics worked on Lockwood’s bike and got him back in the race at the tail end of the peloton. Denes worked up front in the top positions halfway through the 45-minute ordeal as Lockwood would zoom by at the 30-minute mark to take 2nd in a points premium, but in terms of a final result the Mercer boys were outmatched by the likes of the schools with larger teams. Denes would take 14th while Lockwood came in at 20th in the 33-man field.
Elizabeth Lee, looking for a strong ride before her second consecutive nationals appearance in Madison, Wis., sat in the field for a majority of the Women’s A criterium and finished 7th at the field sprint.
Sunday’s road race would prove to be the most challenging event of the weekend as the riders circled a 15.5-mile course, with several steep hills around the kaolin mines five miles from the city limits of Gordon, for several laps depending on the length of their race. Austin Sholly rode another strong race, garnering 5th place in the Men’s B group while Elizabeth Lee would take 9th in the Women’s A race. Lockwood and Denes would round out the main field in the Men’s B race with 23rd-place and 21st-place finish respectively.
With the SECCC Championship complete, Mercer Cycling turns their sights to three final events in the spring before their summer hiatus in which they will race individually. Athens Twilight (April 30), Historic Roswell Criterium (May 1) and the Macon State Championships (May 7) round out the team’s calendar for the spring season with the final race taking place around Tattnall Square Park.
Hosted by the Georgia Neurological Institute Cycling team (also known as the “Spine Team”), the ProGold Georgia State Criterium Championship will bring another elite group of cyclists to Macon to compete for a state championship including Mercer Cycling’s best riders. For more details of the race, visit the team’s webpage at http://mercercycling.blogspot.com.
(04/27/11 11:45pm)
The first round of the Atlantic Sun Championship this year went according to plan as the Mercer women’s golf team blistered the field with an opening-day 300, a team record. Kimberly Graff’s 70 put her in the tournament lead, but after a difficult second and third rounds the team would stagger to a 6th-place finish.
Stetson won their third title in a row as Alex Buelow mastered the field with a 71-74-71. The Hatters would take the team title by 12 strokes over the Campbell Camels (906), who boasted a pair of players that tied for third, followed by Kennesaw State, ETSU and FGCU who all tied for third at 917.
Falling behind with a second-round 315, the Bears would fight back to inch up the standings with a 311 on the final day to put a sizable distance between them and the 7th-place finishers, the Jacksonville Dolphins (945).
“We played with a lot of heart today,” commented head coach Gary Guyer. “We’ve come a long, long way and we’ve got a lot more pride now.”
While Graff would start out hot, she would struggle with the course at Victoria Hills Golf Club in DeLand, Fla., during the next two rounds with a 79-78 to finish in a tie for 11th. Still, Graff’s three-round total would count for her second lowest tournament score in her collegiate career as she showed plenty of promise and greatness during the opening round.
“Kimmy gave it everything she had this week,” Guyer said following the tournament on MercerBears.com. “I’m very proud of how she has progressed.”
Teammates Lacey Fears (T-15th, 74-81-76) and Mary Alice Murphy (T-25th, 75-82-79) would also start out hot, struggle in the second round and then bounce back with a strong third round. Kaitlin Marrin (T-25th, 81-76-79) and Aurelie Wiriath (T-36th, 85-79-78) would round out Mercer’s scorecard in the season-ending tournament.
“In my fourth year here at Mercer, this season was full of milestones, improvement and gaining experience,” Guyer explained after the tournament. “In August, I told the team that this was going to be a special year and it was. The team won the two tournaments in and during the second half of the season we continued to improve. We played very well at the Cincinnati tournament where Kaitlin Marrin blitzed the field with 11 birdies over three rounds. Obviously, our focus is winning the A-Sun Championship and I felt like we were in a great position, mentally and physically, to do so,” he added.
With all letter winners returning, Guyer’s squad will have the benefit of experience next season as they will look to once again overtake the perennial favorites in conference play. After winning two tournament titles this season, the Eat-a-Peach Classic and Coastal Georgia Invitational, Guyer’s squad will look to build upon this season’s success with a young squad. With three returning players that averaged in the 70s this season, a feat not accomplished by anyone except graduate Monica Kelsey before this season, Guyer looks forwards to the 2011-12 collegiate golf campaign in which Mercer will once again aim to upset the A-Sun’s finest.
(04/27/11 11:45pm)
I’m calling it quits, at least for the time being. It’s been a fun four years here on the staff, but it’s my time to go. The ownership wouldn’t pay me a big bonus and with all of this speculation floating around me concerning performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), it’s time for me to move on.
I swear, I thought I was just putting Icy Hot or some type of Gold Bond lotion on my forearms, but what do you know, four years later I’m writing stories, columns and breaking reports at the same rate that Barry Bonds hit home runs and Lance Armstrong won Tour de Frances.
To be honest, I feel pretty mentally beat up from all of this writing. I had a good season again, but it’s time to go back to the farm and mull things over before giving the ownership news of whether or not I’ll return next season. I know, you’re thinking here comes another Brett Favre, but I promise my first retirement will be my last…at least until my first comeback.
It’s been a nice run here at Mercer, though, with former sports editor Jeremy Timmerman handing me the reigns after my sophomore year. We even had a ceremony to inaugurate my coming as the “next big sports columnist on staff’ as I told the rest of the media present, “Get your popcorn ready—it’s going to be awesome.”
Hey, my columns were “popping” for a while. I correctly predicted the four Final Four teams and the NCAA tournament winner in March of 2008, said over a baseball broadcast that the Tampa Bay Rays would win the AL East in 2008 and have won plenty of sports bets for lunch at work, but I chalk it up to just being knowledgeable about the game.
As the clean-up hitter, I’ve watched plenty of good, mediocre, not-so-good and very talented writers move through the pages of the Cluster. That’s why I’m going into semi-retirement, albeit a forced one due to graduation. I feel confident with where the team is at, though, with a staff full of great writers, especially rookie Zach Wells. Where did this guy come from, relating his spring break trips to intramural softball and previous relationships to the men’s basketball teams’ achievements and struggles?
Returning editor Samir Moussawel is an all-star, but we traded him to George Washington for the year. The owners said that it was for financial reasons, but I think they just needed some more cash on board to get another puzzle piece once I retired. I don’t like to speculate, but this might be another Cleveland Cavaliers situation.
Both Wells and Moussawel are future Hall of Fame material and that’s why it makes sense for me to get out while I’m on top. Think about all the pros who outlasted their welcome. Joe Montana with the Chiefs? Michael Jordan with the Wizards? No sir, this writer’s pen stays with the team I helped build up, the Cluster.
I’m sure Georgia Tech, Georgia, Georgia State, Emory and perhaps even Georgia Southern will all vie for my services. I’ll gladly take the steak and shrimp dinners, the dining and wining as it’s known in the business, but at the end of the day I’ve got to do what’s best for me and my family. And right now, I’m trying to take care of my legacy at the ripe age of 23 years old.
I’ve got to give a ton of credit to Garret McDowell, the workhorse of the squad. He’s been a Scottie Pippen to me, or even a Chris Bosh. His best years are still ahead of him.
I’m no Latrell Spreewell. Remember, he was the former NBA player who turned down a three-year, $21 million deal because he said that it wasn’t enough to feed his children. I’ve got plenty of Bear Bucks to eat on in the University Center, but I’m just tired of eating Chick-fil-A and Subway every week. I need to branch out a little bit, have a change of pace, that’s all.
Don’t worry, I won’t be one of these superstars that just disappears off the face of the planet. No one saw Mark McGwire for five years after he retired, as well as many of the other sluggers of our generation. My approach will be more like that of Chad Ochocinco: trying out for a major league sports club other than his own. When the football star gave soccer a try last month, it got me to thinking about my versatility. Why not start something new?
Whatever it is that I conjure up to try, you can guarantee that it’ll be more successful than Michael Jordan at minor league baseball. Even if it’s not, I’m sure ESPN will make a 30:30 documentary about it ten years from now with my closest buddies giving their recollections about my decision.
Speaking of decisions, the television network turned down my offer to air my own decision of where to go to after graduation. So, I’ll say it here: I’m taking my talents to Chattanooga. I’ll be back for Homecoming, though.
(04/13/11 8:43pm)
Growth comes slowly. The Mercer Cycling team will be the first to tell you that. The upcoming weekend, the culmination of their hard work and training efforts will come to a head in Macon as they host this year’s edition of the 2011 Southeastern Collegiate Cycling (SECCC) Championship.
The championship events, like all other regular season events, is comprised of a time trial, criterium, and road race. SECCC Commissioner Nathan Haslick expects 150-200 cyclists to travel to Macon, the geographic center of the 34 team conference to compete in the three events over the weekend. The race, along with the Macon State Criterium Championships to be held on May 7, will be the largest cycling race to come to middle Georgia since the Tour de Georgia last visited in 2008.
“This race is huge for us,” said team president Kevin Roberts. “We’ve been planning along with BearStock to make this coming Saturday a memorable one in Tattnall Square Park,” Roberts added.
The criterium, an event that consists of riders racing around a circuit race course, will take place from 12 p.m. to approximatley 6 p.m. around Tattnall Square Park, while the BearStock Music Festival cranks up at noon.
Likened to NASCAR, criteriums are often the most spectator friendly cycling event with epic crashes, sprint finishes, drafting, and riders constantly jockeying for position. Six seperate races, four for the male cyclists (A, B, C, and D) and two for the female cyclists (A, B) take place within each event with the more advanced category of racers going for longer distances.
Criterium events are given time limits for each race with the final lap countdown determined by race officials based on the pace of the race rather than a predetermined mileage like that of a time trial or road race.
Saturday morning’s time trial and Sunday morning’s road race will both start at the same location about 15 miles east of Macon at the intersection of Hammock Road and Antioch Church road.
Most of Mercer’s cycling team will participate in three events over the weekend as they’ve prepped for the race all season long. Gabe Denes is Mercer’s hottest rider of late, ripping off a criterium win at Dalton before moving up to Category 3 (Collegiate B). Kevin Roberts is sidelined with a knee injury, but will be helping administer the race while Category B team member Andrew Lockwood will look to team up with Denes in the criterium and road race events. Austin Sholly, Charles Weaving, Dustin Prater, and Evan Ayoub all may make appearances in the Category C races while Elizabeth Lee will look to return to Collegiate Nationals in Wisconsin with a strong performance this weekend.
(04/13/11 3:02pm)
With only one contest remaining in the 2011 season, the sun is setting on the lacrosse team as they search for their second win of the season. Recent losses to Air Force and Presbyterian have shown improvement, though, for a young team in need of experience.
(04/13/11 2:58pm)
The last round of the Irish Creek Collegiate was Mercer’s best of the three-day tournament en route to tying for ninth with North Carolina this past weekend. Totaling a 290 on the final day of play, led by freshman Hans Reimers’ 71, the Bears moved up ever so slightly in the final standings in another tournament that featured national caliber competition.
While #17 Duke (844, -8) would run away with the victory over #28 Wake Forest (851, -1), Mercer tied for the fourth best team round on Sunday to tie UNC in the thirteen team tournament. Atlantic Sun conference rival #44 Kennesaw State (866, +14) would take fifth.
“We played a lot better today,” said Mercer head coach Andrew Tredway following Sunday’s effort on MercerBears.com. “I’m proud of the way they bounced back, but we just need to get off to better starts at tournaments,” he added.
Indeed, the Bears will look for better opening rounds from their top five players at the next tournament, the Atlantic Sun Championship next Monday through Wednesday at the Chateau Elan course in Duluth, Ga. Mercer sat in last place following the suspension of the second round at Irish Creek due to thunderstorms.
But if Saturday was moving day at the Masters, Sunday was Mercer’s moving day as all five golfers posted low-round scores for the tournament. Josh Cone (T-20th, +4) had Mercer’s lowest round of the tournament with a second-round 70, nullifying two bogeys with three birdies, while teammate Hans Reimers (T-30th, +8) would collect the best third round with a even-par 71. Reimers would open up the final round with three bogeys on holes 13, 15 and 18, but then collected a trio of birdies on the front nine to clean up his scorecard.
“Josh Cone is putting together such a consistent season this year. I really believe he sees a path where he can continue to grow and improve and we are excited about where he is at,” Tredway said.
Matt Kocolowski (T-41st, +10) was consistent throughout the tournament with a 75-74-74, while Thomas Holmes (T-52nd, +12) and John Gregory Joseph (T-68th, +18) would round out Mercer’s lineup.
Wake Forest’s Lee Bedford was named tournament champion after winning by three strokes with a pair of 69s in the opening two rounds, followed by a three-under 68 on Sunday.
“The guys played smart today and that was the real difference,” Tredway said. “They were picking targets instead of just firing at every pin. There was a huge change in mindset from yesterday,” the coach added.
The Bears now turn their sights to the Atlantic Sun Championship, their final tournament of the season where they hope to upset tournament favorites #43 UNF and #44 Kennesaw State. Last week’s GolfWeek.com rankings have Mercer at #96 in the country behind UNF, Kennesaw State, #74 FGCU, #83 ETSU and #92 Campbell.
“A top 100 program with one junior and the rest sophomores and freshman is pretty good,” the head coach added after checking out the latest rankings. “We just need to keep developing as a team and using that change in mindset from Saturday to Sunday as a positive learning experience forward. We only have four conference losses this whole season, something that almost no one is aware of, but what happens next week is all that matters. We just need to prepare the best we can and use all of the experiences we have had this year in those three days at Chateau Elan. Anyone can win this thing.”
(04/13/11 2:26pm)
Perspective is everything. I realized this after meeting one of my favorite athletes last weekend at a national cycling race in Anniston, Ala. You’ve probably not heard of him, but Rahsaan Bahati is one of the best Criterium cycling champions in the United States today. His organization, Bahati Foundation, raises money and awareness to help put inner-city kids on bicycles so that they might escape the dangers of low-income neighborhoods. Bahati himself came out of the Los Angeles suburb of Compton and rose to fame quickly on two wheels.
So while Bahati means a lot to an avid cyclist and cycling fan like me, most people would probably not have a clue who this guy was if he passed them on the sidewalk and even mentioned his name. His significance to me and other cyclists is all a matter of perspective.
One man’s average Joe is another man’s hero. This made more sense to me as our cycling team recently visited Ingram Pye Elementary school less than a mile from Mercer’s campus. To these kids, ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade, we were impressive — college athletes with nice bicycles and a knack for racing. And while we certainly don’t think we’re big stuff, they hold us in high esteem. It’s all a matter of perspective.
I wonder how some of the world’s most recognizable athlete’s feel about their own significance. For some, the separation between one’s own significance and the significance acknowledged by the general public can be troublesome.
Take for example LeBron James’ mother, Gloria James, in a recent news story last week in which she allegedly assaulted a valet parking attendant outside of a hotel when it took them too long for them to bring her vehicle. She was quoted shouting the words, “Do you know who I am?” to the parking attendant.
Perhaps the parking attendant didn’t know that Gloria James was LeBron’s mother. Even if he did, would it have made a difference? Should it have made a difference?
No wonder athletes have a hard time hanging it up. I don’t believe Brett Favre has a complex where he has to be in the public eye all the time, but his retirement-unretirement situation got ridiculous after the third go-around. Lance Armstrong’s comeback out of retirement launched the cycling superstar into the public eye once again, albeit with a guarded approach.
For those halfway around the world who follow cricket like we follow baseball, India’s Sachin Tendulkar is a superstar. He helped the country win the world title this past week in rousing fashion over Pakistan. Even if we don’t understand the game, shouldn’t we recognize his name? Again, for the billion fans that tuned into the championship cricket match, he was the hero. It’s a matter of perspective.
My sports card collection is collecting dust on the very top shelf of my bedroom closet and while I don’t claim to have any rare cards or valuable vintage ball cards, some hold special significance to me. My Keith Lockhart autographed baseball card is probably my favorite, even though Lockhart was a utility infielder for most of his career for the Atlanta Braves in the early 2000s. I simply liked Lockhart’s walk-out song when he would come to bat and sent him a letter in my 13-year-old writing with a baseball card asking for his autograph.
That trip to the mailbox to find the letter from Mr. Lockhart is one that I’ll always remember. At the time, an autograph from a major leaguer was a story that I could tell at school all week long. Now it all seems so silly, blue Sharpie ink on a cardboard baseball card with a glossy finish.
I don’t like to think that I’m jaded against stardom and status, but when I get to meet a professional athlete of any sport, I rarely ask for an autograph anymore and sometimes will ask for a picture. A handshake and a conversation will suffice for me. Just to know that they’re human and perhaps extremely talented at their profession is enough for me. It’s a matter of perspective.
(04/13/11 2:21pm)
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.
(03/30/11 11:18pm)
Like many sports fans, I love rooting for the underdog. Upsets and the uncertainty of the NCAA tournament make for a hoops fans’ heaven as small schools defeat big schools and as little-knowns grace the front pages of Sports Illustrated the following week.
For Butler and Virginia Commonwealth, two mid-major schools from the Horizon and Colonial Athletic Association respectively, their run to the final four was a historic, improbable leap for two small schools seeking national attention. They weren’t the only ones to receive attention though as Morehead State and Richmond also sank their first round opponents (with Richmond eventually in the Sweet 16 to Kansas).
For CBS, the bracketologists, and NCAA, this year’s tournament was another step forward in creating a month long buzz stemming from our obsession with college basketball. Add in a possible work stoppage in the NBA (much less the NFL) next season, and college basketball could be the only choice on television other than hockey.
This means big dollars lining the pockets of television networks that broadcast the games, the schools that make the tournament, trickling down all the way to the local sports bars and grilles that serve chicken wings to the fans wearing their school’s official gear licensed by so-and-so. No wonder President Obama seems to be taking an interest in the tournament.
For Butler, their return to the Final Four for the second straight year perhaps only signals the beginning of their mid-major dominance. Their opposition, VCU, took down a highly favored Kansas squad to reach their first Final Four in school history. Before the tournament, I couldn’t name VCU’s conference much less a player or coach from the team.
But this is why we seem to like March Madness – the 15 minutes of fame that an unknown school can receive from a major upset or string of wins against tough opposition. George Mason could be considered the first ‘mid-major’ to crack the Final Four in 2006. Now, Butler returns for the second year in a row (might I add as the favorite to defeat VCU and to return to the championship game).
Perhaps so much of this madness stems from the ‘surprise effect’ that comes with unknown schools defeating more established ones. It’s not like VCU or Butler popped out of nowhere. VCU put together a great year (28-11) and despite finishing 4th in their conference during the regular season, put together a nice run to advance to the tournament. Meanwhile, Butler was 27-9 and a year removed from almost defeating Duke to win the entire tournament.
Upsets and underdogs don’t just pop out of nowhere. With more and more younger players leaving larger conference teams for the NBA early, the talent gap between conferences large and small has closed. Consider it ‘athletics socialism’ in which everyone can have a piece of the pie.
For this channel surfer simultaneously watching three first round games on TruTV, TNT, and CBS, I can only hope to be watching St. Bonaventure take down Kentucky next year or perhaps Belmont bruise UConn on an expanded selection of channels including E! and Oprah’s Network. Who knows, maybe my boss will even wise up given the situation and just give me a whole week off…or at least official bracket printing privileges on the company’s printer. After all, in this day of upsets and underdogs, nothing is for certain.
(03/30/11 9:00pm)
It took nine hard losses to finally win the first game of the 2011 inaugural season, but the Bears were victors in front of nearly 300 fans at Bear Field as they overtook Carthage College, a Division III school from Wisonsin, 17-13.
The Bears grabbed the lead in the first period and never looked back, taking a 8-5 lead into halftime and defending against a furious comeback effort from Carthage in the third quarter to take the four-point win. Mercer’s Harry Baker started the scoring fest in the first period with 12:14, before Carthage would answer back with a goal of their own nearly a minute later.
The men in orange and black got hot with consecutive goals coming off the sticks of Brett Eisenmann, Eoin Collins and Colton Mattei to give the Bears the lead for the remainder of the game. Unfortunately the Red Men would make it a tough go on the Bears, netting a goal with 22 seconds remaining in the first, but Brett Eisenmann’s unassisted goal to start the second period gave Mercer a resounding answer to Carthage’s push.
Despite being outscored in third period, Mercer would string together four consecutive goals stretching from the 1:20 mark in the third quarter to the 11:27 mark in the fourth to put the game well out of reach.
“It’s great we’ve learned how to win,” Mercer’s head coach Jason Childs said following the game.
“Winning is not something you can do just by snapping your fingers. The best part was that we won, but played ugly. We had lots of room for improvement yet still manufactured 17 goals, and that’s a good thing,” he added.
Four players would net a hat trick for Mercer, including John Avent, Cole Branch, Eoin Collins and Brett Eisenmann, while Colton Mattei would add two goals. Sam Grayson, Michael Emerson and Harry Baker would chip in with one apiece. Goalie Justin Bateman would finish the 60-minute contest with 13 saves alongside the 13 goals he allowed.
“Our focus is looking forward, not backward,” Childs said.
Looking ahead, the Bears host Air Force at home this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. on Bear Field before traveling to Presbyterian and Holy Cross for the remaining two games of the season’s slate. The return to Presbyterian will be a first for Childs as he left the program after the 2009 season to build Mercer’s first lacrosse program.
(03/30/11 3:12pm)
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.
(03/30/11 3:08pm)
The headline might not be gaudy, but after an eighth place finish in the 23-team field at the University of Cincinnati Spring Invitational, Mercer’s women’s golf program is primed for perhaps their best run into the Atlantic Sun tournament in recent history. The Bears’ final round total of 307 on Sunday cemented their finish behind tournament champion North Texas and A-Sun rivals Campbell (907) and Stetson (908) as they would finish with a tournament score of 918.
“The Cincinnati tournament was a big step for our program,” said head coach Gary Guyer. “It was a large field against some tough teams, especially with our conference foes in the mix. Our teams destination has always been to win the A-Sun Conference Championship and by going head-to-head with the past conference champions, we proved to ourselves that we can beat these guys,” he added.
Individually, Mercer would put solid scores on the board courtesy of Kimberly Graff (T-12th, 76-75-73) and Mary Alice Murphy (T-18th, 73-74-80). Murphy started the final round in 8th place with a shot at a top-ten finish, but a tough final round put her in the tie for 18th with Stetson’s Ryan Ashburn.
The Bears’ rounded out their scorecard with Lacey Fears (T-66th, 77-85-76), Aurelie Wiriath (T-71st, 85-76-78) and Kaitlin Marrin (T-76th, 81-79-80) to give Mercer a solid position in the tournament that featured 121 individual players.
Graff’s clean scorecard on the final day helped propel the Bears to the top-10 finish as a team, taking two bogeys on the third and fourth holes while making up ground with a birdie on the seventh.
“Kimmy Graff had three good rounds and Mary Alice had two solid rounds (73, 74) and was in position to contend for the tournament championship,” said Guyer analyzing the team’s results after the tournament. “Her final day was a learning experience and she will finish stronger at conference. Lacey had two good rounds and has the talent to score much lower. Aurelie started slow on Day 1, but her swing coach was at the tournament and was able to adjust her swing so she finished strong the last two rounds. Kaitlin had four birdies in all three rounds at the tournament. Once she eliminates the mistakes she will be shooting in the mid 70’s. We need her to do that,” Guyer added.
Paired with A-Sun rivals each of the three days, Mercer took a long hard look at their competition for the upcoming Atlantic Sun Championship April 11-13 at the Victoria Hills Golf Club in DeLand, Florida. With only a one more tournament remaining, the Gardner-Webb Dual Match at the Patriot Club in Ninety-Six, North Carolina on April 2, the orange and black looks to upset the conference field in less than three weeks. Last year’s five would record three consecutive 305’s at the A-Sun tournament to finish on a strong note. Guyer feels like this team could do even better in three weeks.
Currently, Mercer is ranked #158 wand sits behind A-Sun competitors Kennesaw State (#75), Campbell (#78), ETSU (#86), Stetson (#94), and FGCU (#133).
(03/30/11 3:02pm)
He’s just going darn fast these days. Gabe Denes finally broke through with a Criterium win in Dalton for Mercer’s first crit win of the season. Denes’ finish on his highlighter yellow Specialized S-Works machine was only one of many top results for the Mercer Cycling during the past month or racing.
In early March, a small group from the team traveled south to Tallahassee for the Seminole Cycling Classic in which Kevin Roberts would take 5th in the individual time trial with a blistering 6:05 with teammate Denes on his heels at 6:16 to take 15th. Austin Sholly would take 12th in the Men’s C category time trial with a 6:54.
A strong effort during the Criterium helped Denes mark the 5th place at the finish line while Roberts, despite working hard to bridge gaps early in the race would fade back to 13th in the 34 man field. Austin Sholly would fight for 29th place in a huge ‘C’ category race with 47 entries. The road race results were cancelled the following day after an altercation with the local police and a mix-up on racing permits, thus nullifying all results.
Following the race, Roberts would experience a bout of tendinitis in his knee, leaving him unable to train for the rest of the month while another part of the team would travel to Georgia Tech for the road race events.
Denes, Andrew Lockwood, and Elizabeth Lee would compete in Saturday’s race close in Handy, Ga. in which Denes would stay with the main ‘B’ category peloton in route to a 11th place finish. Lockwood would drop off after the second lap, soloing the final four laps of the race for 20th. In the women’s ‘A’ category, Elizabeth Lee would take a strong top-10 on a very hilly course.
After the hilly Georgia Tech race, Denes went on to ride to a 4th place finish in the Union City road race presented by the Georgia Cup racing series, followed by his win in a rainy Dalton race.
“I pushed it really hard in our four-man breakaway late in the race,” said Denes following his win. “I was able to make a move with my Trey Crisp of the local Georgia Neurological Institute team to win the thing in the rain. It was a great feeling,” he added.
Sholly would come up with a great finish of his own, a podium finish, taking third in the Category 5 fieldsprint in the Criterium the same day. Denes would continue his strong Georgia Cup showing with a 5th place finish the next day in the road race.
The streak of top finishes bodes well for the team’s confidence heading into the month of April in which they’ll encounter plenty of top competition from around the southeast in the SECCC Championship, hosted by Mercer, April 16-17, as well as at the Athens Twilight Criterium (April 23), Roswell Historic Criterium (April 24), and Georgia State Criterium Championships (May 7). The Georgia State Criterium Championship is hosted by the local Georgia Neurological Institue Cycling team around Tattnall Square park on Saturday, March 7, serving as the second annual Macon Cycling Classic. After a successful first year in 2010, local promotors hope the event will be an even greater success come May.
(03/30/11 2:58pm)
The men’s golf team posted the fifth best team score on the final day of the Linger Longer Invitational to cement their tenth place finish in the competitive 13 team field. Thanks to Thomas Holmes’ 72 and a trio of 73’s from Jone Cone, John Gregory Joseph, and Matt Kocolowski, the Bears posted their best round total of the tournament with a 291, nine strokes better than their first round.
Co-hosting the tournament held in Greensboro, Ga. at the Great Waters Golf Course, a part of Reynold’s Plantation, head coach Andrew Tredway had to be happy with the effort from his lineup after slipping to 11th after the second day of the tournament. Mercer (898) would finish eight strokes behind Coastal Carolina while national power Alabama (846) would run away with the victory by 18 strokes over Chattanooga (864).
Individually, University of Alabama freshman Cory Whitsett (1st, 64-68-71) would play the tournament of his life, scoring a 64 in the opening round with seven birdies on the front nine before accumulating three birdies and two bogies on the back nine. Teammate Bud Cauley (2nd, 72-65-67) would come oh-so close to taking away the title, but Whitsett held off his teammate with outstanding play.
Meanwhile for Mercer, Josh Cone (T-24th, 72-76-73) put together the most consistent round for the Bears, besting teammate Mookie DeMoss (T-36th, 74-76-75) by four strokes. John Gregory Joseph (47th, 76-78-73), Matt Kocolowski (T-48th, 78-77-73), and Thomas Holmes (T-53rd, 78-79-72) would round out the Bears’ lineup for the weekend.
“We really got off to a decent start, hitting it close, and just not capitalizing on those opportunities,” said Tredway after the first round on MercerBears.com. “It got away from us quickly from there and we just couldn’t make any putts,” he added.
The head coach was notably disappointed in the team’s effort when the orange and black slipped from 9th to 11th following the second round, but was slightly encouraged with the team’s fight on the final day.
“We just need to build some confidence and have a couple guys put together some solid rounds on the same day,” he added.
Solid rounds were abound on the final day, as Thomas Holmes grinded out five birdies to match three bogeys and a double on the 13th hole. His teammates would follow suit, making up for bad holes by capitalizing on opportunities throughout the day.
With the 10th place finish, the Bears enter one more tournament, the Irish Creek Invitational at the Irish Creek Golf Course in Charlotte, N.C., before the finale in Duluth in mid-April. Hosted once again at the Chateau Elan course, Tredway’s squad will look to upset the conference’s best squads with a team that has faced top-caliber competition all year long. As of mid-March, Mercer was ranked #101 by GolfWeek.com, trailing conference opponents UNF (#53), Kennesaw State (#56), FGCU (#73), ETSU (#94), and Campbell (#95).
(03/16/11 3:37pm)
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.
(03/16/11 3:15pm)
It appears as if 2011 will bring about a more promising result in the A-Sun tournament, as the softball team currently stands at 16-8 after four tournaments worth of play and a busy time on the road. The Bears took three of five games at the Kennesaw State tournament and split games in the rain-shortened Georgia Tech “Buzz Classic” before a split with UConn and sweep of Samford at Sikes Field.
The Bears start conference play Saturday, March 19. Their lone non-conference matchups for the remainder of the season are against Auburn (April 6) and Georgia State (April 19).
Mercer 8, Sav. St. 0
The Bears added to their winning streak against the lowly Tigers in a 14-hit game for the women in orange and black. Kassie Bailey picked up her first win of the year for Mercer as freshman centerfielder McKenzie Woody would go 5 for 7 with two RBIs and five stolen bases. Sara Stukes would also show the power of her bat, finishing the game with two hits and four RBIs.
Mercer 18, Sav. St. 0
Six players had multiple hits in an even more lopsided contest against their I-16 opponents. Kristin Marko and Allison Jones would both slug home runs in the five-inning rout of the Tigers, the 24th win for Mercer in the all-time series against their easterly rivals.
Kennesaw St. Tournament
For three busy days of softball, Mercer came out with three wins and only two loses in an early test against a mixture of big schools and mid-major opponents. To start the tournament, Mercer won a close contest over Mississippi State 6-5 before defeating Tennessee State 6-1. In blowout fashion, the Bears also disposed of the Bowling Green Falcons 13-0 in five innings. However, their run of success would fall short against Ball State (8-1) and Purdue (7-4) in the final two games of the tournament. The big win against Bowling Green would give Jenni Holtz the seventh win of the 2011 season as she struck out five and only allowed one hit.
GT Buzz Tournament
Returning to Atlanta the next weekend for the Georgia Tech tournament, Mercer recorded two games in the books: a 8-0 win over Austin Peay and a 4-1 loss to Boston University before inclement weather canceled the final two days and three games for the Bears. The multitalented Randi Rea went 1-2 with four RBIs to lead Mercer in a quick contest over the Lady Govs before a lack of offense would lead to Mercer’s demise against their opponent from the Northeast.
Mercer 4, UConn 0
Kari Chambers struck out 12 batters in the complete game shutout of the Huskies to start the two game homestand. Kassie Bailey provided the spark the offense needed with a two-RBI effort as Mercer scored three runs in the second inning to make the difference.
UConn 4, Mercer 3
The Bears rallied behind pitcher Jenni Holtz, scoring runs late, but ultimately couldn’t come from behind in the team’s third loss of the season to the Huskies. Sarah Santana hit her first home run of the season after a breakout 2010 season in the fifth inning to give the orange and black hope, but UConn would prevail in the nightcap to even the series at 1-1.
Mercer 6, GA. Southern 1
Finishing the first of a doubleheader before rain moved into the forecast in Statesboro, Mercer made the most of their trip down I-16 as Kari Chambers surrendered only two hits and one earned run to the Eagles. Despite only five hits on the night, MU made the most of their base runners, scoring two runs in the second, third and sixth innings.
Mercer 9, Samford 0
Another short contest due to Mercer piling on the runs during the first inning gave Chambers a quick and efficient four-inning outing to pick up her seventh win of the year. Kristin Marko (1-1, 4 RBI) had a monster home run along with Sara Stukes and Randi Rea for the blowout win.
Mercer 8, Samford 6
A walk-off home run from up-and-coming star Randi Rea helped Mercer capture both games in the series against the Bulldogs. Going into extra innings, Jenni Holtz allowed a run at the top of the eighth inning, but after Sara Stukes and McKenzie Woody got on base Rea would bring the crowd to its feet with a resounding slam to seal the game for Mercer.