The SoCon delivered a strong and statement-making midweek slate
With Wofford idle, the rest of the conference delivered a dominant 6–1 showing in midweek action, highlighted by statement wins over the ACC, Conference USA, and the Sun Belt. That success pushed the SoCon’s cumulative non-conference record to an impressive 124–63 (.663).
SoCon Non-Conference Performance Snapshot
| Conference | Record |
|---|---|
| AAC | 1–2 |
| ACC | 1–12 |
| AEC | 1–0 |
| ASun | 2–0 |
| A-10 | 7–2 |
| Big East | 2–1 |
| Big South | 6–6 |
| Big Ten | 0–1 |
| CAC | 4–0 |
| C-USA | 3–5 |
| Ivy | 10–3 |
| MAAC | 13–2 |
| MAC | 5–3 |
| MVC | 12–2 |
| NEC | 14–1 |
| OVC | 12–5 |
| Patriot | 1–0 |
| SEC | 2–14 |
| Sun Belt | 11–4 |
| SWAC | 7–0 |
SoCon Conference Standings
| Team | Record |
|---|---|
| ETSU | 2–1 |
| Mercer | 2–1 |
| Western Carolina | 2–1 |
| VMI | 0–0 |
| Wofford | 0–0 |
| The Citadel | 1–2 |
| UNC Greensboro | 1–2 |
| Samford | 1–2 |
Samford @ Troy (RPI 42, Sun Belt) — W 7–2
Say it with me, SoCon fans: Troy carries the arrogance of LSU but the history of Quinnipiac. There are two things you can count on with Troy—they’re always chippy for no reason, and they almost always lose to SoCon teams. They’re now 1–4 against the conference, yet still carry themselves like a mid-major power. Meanwhile, the Sun Belt sits at 4–11 against the SoCon, and somehow we’re the one-bid league?
And the scene matched the substance. You could have fired a cannonball through Riddle-Pace and its $12 million renovation and not hit a soul. The place was empty. Troy announced an attendance of 2,465—sure, and the “2” must’ve been a typo. They do have an Australian first baseman, though, so that’s something.
The game itself was never competitive.
Samford broke through in the top of the third inning. Jackson Harris singled, moved to second on an error, and Parker McDonald came home on that same miscue for the game’s first run. Junior catcher Cade Carr followed with a single to bring Harris in and make it 2–0.
The Bulldogs extended the lead in the sixth when Gus Gandy launched a two-run home run, pushing the margin to 4–0 and putting further distance between the teams.
In the eighth, Samford kept piling on. A red-hot Gandy delivered again with an RBI single, and McDonald later drew a bases-loaded walk to stretch the lead to 6–0.
They weren’t done. In the ninth, Pierce Dutton singled up the middle to score Harris and make it 7–0. Troy finally scratched across two runs in the bottom half, long after the outcome had been decided—yet they acted like the nozzles they are, as if they’d won the game. Caden Reeves, carrying a .059 batting average (not a typo), stood on second after a mop-up double, gyrating his hips like Shakira, despite being down five runs in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. It’s a strange, delusional culture in that clubhouse, but I digress.
Samford heads back home to host Presbyterian in a non-conference weekend series. For Troy, the season should get better—they don’t have any SoCon teams left on the schedule.
ETSU vs. Virginia Tech (RPI 26 out of ACC) — W 9–4
ETSU kept ACC power Virginia Tech in check Tuesday night, holding the Hokies to only four hits while using six pitchers.
Trailing by two runs, the Bucs broke through in the third inning as Henry Ferguson ignited the rally with a two-run double, and Tristan Curless followed by driving him in with a single to give ETSU a 3–2 lead. In the fifth, Curless—perhaps the hottest hitter in the country—launched a three-run bomb to open the inning, and Luke Matlock followed with a solo shot to extend the lead to 7–2.
The Hokies got two runs back—one on an RBI double in the sixth and another on a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
In the eighth, Nate Conner stepped to the plate with runners on second and third—both Andrews, Hill and Palmer—and delivered an RBI double that scored Hill and moved Palmer to third. Henry Ferguson followed with an RBI single to bring Palmer home, pushing ETSU’s advantage back to five, 9–4.
Logan Grass, who entered the game in the seventh inning with two runners on and nobody out, turned in a stellar outing, throwing three shutout innings to close out the win.
Curless finished 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs. Ferguson went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Conner finished 2-for-3, and Matlock went 2-for-4 with a solo home run.
The scorching-hot Bucs will remain at home this weekend to host VMI, which will be playing its first conference series. The matchup should provide an early gauge of both teams and help set the tone for the conference season.
UNC Greensboro @ Liberty (RPI 66, C-USA) — W 7–6
UNC Greensboro defeated Liberty 7–6 at Liberty Baseball Stadium in a back-and-forth midweek contest. True freshman Cannon Lee made his first collegiate start and turned in a strong outing, going five innings while allowing just two runs.
The game seesawed through the early innings before the Spartans found their breakthrough in the seventh. Trailing 4–3 in the top half, UNCG plated four runs on five hits to take control. Jake Mueller doubled to score Jacob Dilley and tie the game at 4–4. JJ Parsons followed with a single to bring home Mueller for a 5–4 lead, Tanner Berry added another single to score Jake Barbour and extend it to 6–4, and Luke Jenkins capped the rally with a single that plated Brantley Truitt to make it 7–4.
Liberty responded with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit to one, but the Spartans held off the Flames the rest of the way. Mayson Dear came on in the ninth and shut the door to secure the victory.
The win provides strong momentum for the Spartans as they travel to face a hot Wofford team this weekend, with the Terriers beginning conference play.
VMI @ George Washington (RPI 294, A-10) — W 8–5
VMI earned an 8–5 road win over George Washington in a game that swung back and forth through the early innings. The Keydets struck first in the opening frame when Grayson Fitzwater doubled in a pair of runs, but Charlie Rogan answered in the bottom half with a two-run shot to center to even the score.
George Washington moved in front in the second inning, scoring twice to take a 4–2 lead, before VMI responded decisively in the third. The Keydets plated five runs to surge ahead 7–4, with four of those runs coming on bases-loaded walks. Gabe Jenkins added an RBI single to extend the advantage to 8–4.
GW picked up a run in the seventh, but VMI maintained control the rest of the way to secure the 8–5 victory.
VMI opens conference play this weekend at ETSU in a matchup between two teams that have been playing well entering the series.
Mercer @ West Georgia (RPI 222, ASUN) — W 13–9
Mercer defeated West Georgia 13–9 on the road, once again showcasing why it is one of the top offensive teams among the mid-majors. The Bears set the tone early when Brant Baughcum launched a two-run home run in the first inning, his fifth of the season, before UWG answered with an RBI single in the bottom half.
Logan Shepherd plated Mercer’s third run in the second inning, but West Georgia responded immediately as Gabe Young hit a three-run home run to give the Wolves a second-inning lead. Mercer answered with its biggest swing of the night in the third, erupting for five runs. The inning was headlined by an Eli Stephens two-run home run and an RBI double from Shepherd, putting the Bears back in front.
The score held at 8–4 until the fifth inning when Dylan LaPointe added a home run to extend the lead. West Georgia chipped away with back-to-back RBI doubles and later a solo home run in the sixth to cut the deficit to two.
Mercer created separation again in the eighth. LaPointe drove in a run with an RBI double, Michael Graziano followed with a sacrifice fly, Shepherd delivered his second RBI double of the game, and Chris Katz capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly later in the frame. The surge pushed the lead out of reach as West Georgia’s comeback attempts fell short.
Shepherd finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs, while Stephens went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs, and LaPointe also turned in a 3-for-5 performance with a home run and two RBIs.
The Bears now face a significant test as they travel to Corvallis for an out-of-conference series against No. 16 Oregon State.
The Citadel vs Presbyterian (RPI 293, Big South) — W 9–4
The Citadel earned a 9–4 win over Presbyterian, pulling away with a pair of middle-inning surges after falling behind early. The Blue Hose struck first with a two-run home run in the second inning, but the Bulldogs answered immediately in the bottom half on a two-run single from junior catcher Garrett Fulmer to even the score.
The Citadel took control in the third, scoring three runs to move ahead 5–2. Two-way player Michael Gibson delivered the key swing with a two-run single, part of a three-hit night while playing first base. Gibson, who is expected to start Sunday against Western Carolina, was a central presence offensively.
Presbyterian closed the gap in the sixth when Nick Smith launched a two-run home run to make it a one-run game, but the Bulldogs responded right away. The Citadel plated three runs in the bottom of the inning on three hits, with Christian Stratis driving the rally with a two-RBI triple. Stratis added another RBI in the eighth with a double to provide the final margin at 9–4.
On the mound, The Citadel used six pitchers and combined for 16 strikeouts, limiting any sustained comeback effort.
The Bulldogs now turn their attention to a weekend SoCon series at home against Western Carolina.
Western Carolina @ UNC Asheville (RPI 280, Big South) — L 8–4
Western Carolina dropped an 8–4 decision on the road to UNC Asheville in a game defined by offensive struggles and inconsistent pitching. The Catamounts managed just three hits—all coming within the first three innings—and were held hitless over the final 6.1 frames. They also stranded eight runners, while the pitching staff issued seven walks, hit two batters, and recorded only four strikeouts.
Davis Budd started and was effective early, tossing three shutout innings. Western Carolina capitalized with a run in the second and another in the third to take a 2–0 lead.
The game shifted dramatically in the fourth. Scott Templeton entered in relief but was unable to record an out as UNC Asheville scored four runs to jump ahead 4–2. The Catamounts responded in the fifth, plating two runs to tie the game, but missed an opportunity for more damage. Both teams left the bases loaded in consecutive half-innings, with Asheville stranding runners in the fifth and Western Carolina doing the same in the sixth.
UNC Asheville took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI groundout charged to Tyler Oaks. The Bulldogs then added three insurance runs in the eighth to extend the margin to 8–4.
Western Carolina now returns to SoCon play with a road series at The Citadel.
Wofford — Idle
Wofford did not play a midweek game, using the break to reset ahead of conference action.
The Terriers now turn their focus to the start of SoCon play, hosting UNC Greensboro for their opening conference series this weekend.
Ranking the SoCon Midweek Performances
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | ETSU |
| 2 | Samford |
| 3 | UNC Greensboro |
| 4 | VMI |
| 5 | Mercer |
| 6 | The Citadel |
| 7 | Western Carolina |
| 8 | Wofford (Idle) |
