Southern Conference teams delivered a full slate of midweek action
The conference went 4-4 across the midweek schedule and has built a strong 137–78 (.637) record in non-conference play so far this season.
SoCon record against other conferences
| Conference | Record |
|---|---|
| AAC | 1–2 |
| ACC | 1–12 |
| AEC | 1–0 |
| ASun | 4–0 |
| A-10 | 8–2 |
| Big East | 2–1 |
| Big South | 16–12 |
| Big Ten | 0–1 |
| CAC | 6–1 |
| C-USA | 4–6 |
| IND | 0–3 |
| Ivy | 10–3 |
| MAAC | 13–2 |
| MAC | 5–3 |
| MVC | 12–2 |
| NEC | 15–1 |
| OVC | 12–5 |
| Patriot | 1–0 |
| SEC | 2–18 |
| Sun Belt | 13–5 |
| SWAC | 7–0 |
SoCon standings
| Team | Record |
|---|---|
| Wofford | 8–1 |
| ETSU | 6–3 |
| Western Carolina | 6–3 |
| Samford | 5–4 |
| Mercer | 4–5 |
| The Citadel | 3–6 |
| VMI | 2–7 |
| UNC Greensboro | 2–7 |
Ranking the SoCon midweek team performances
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Western Carolina |
| 2 | The Citadel |
| 3 | Wofford |
| 4 | VMI |
| 5 | ETSU |
| 6 | Mercer |
| 7 | UNC Greensboro |
| 8 | Samford |
ETSU at No. 5 Georgia: Georgia wins 12-10
Georgia entered the game ranked No. 5 nationally and as one of the nation’s best, bringing the kind of power and depth that can punish any team that plays cautiously or makes mistakes, while ETSU arrived looking to chase the kind of upset Western Carolina authored against the Bulldogs in the SoCon game of the year earlier in the season.
The Bucs struck first when Henry Ferguson started the game with a single, moved into scoring position, and crossed the plate on a wild pitch to give ETSU a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. That early advantage did not last long, though, because Georgia responded in a major way in the bottom of the inning. The Bulldogs sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five runs to seize control at 5-1, turning the opening frame into a difficult early swing for ETSU.
In the top of the second, the Bucs did cut into the deficit with RBI infield singles from Ian Guanzon and Luke Matlock, trimming the margin and keeping the game within reach. Georgia pushed the lead back to 7-3 heading into the fifth, but ETSU continued to apply pressure and force the Bulldogs to work.
The biggest surge for ETSU came in the fifth inning, when Tristan Curless delivered a home run to pull the Bucs within one run at 7-6. That swing shifted the game’s momentum and gave ETSU a real opening, but Georgia responded in the bottom of the fifth the way one of the nation’s best teams often does, using an RBI single and a three-run home run to extend the lead to 11-6.
Curless refused to let the game drift away. In the sixth inning, he launched another three-run home run, bringing ETSU back within striking distance at 11-9. The man was not backing down against top-level competition.
Georgia added a solo home run in the seventh to widen the gap, but ETSU still had one more push left. Tyler Fetterman hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth to keep the game alive at 12-10. The Bucs then brought the tying run back into the conversation, but Georgia’s bullpen and defense held firm over the final three batters to secure the win.
Led by Curless, ETSU put up a hell of a fight and showed it can score with anyone. The Bucs now turn their attention back to SoCon play, returning home this weekend to host The Citadel in a three-game series.
VMI at Norfolk State: VMI wins 8-4
Norfolk State entered the game with an RPI of 131 and a 9-9 conference record in the NEC. VMI got back in the win column with an 8-4 victory, and the Keydets did it by answering almost every key moment with a response of their own.
Norfolk State opened the game by scoring twice in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead, but VMI steadily worked its way back into control and never let the game get away. The comeback started in the third inning when Owen Prince hit his third triple of the season to drive in a run. Bradley Garner followed with a sacrifice fly to bring Prince home, knotting the game at 2-2. In the fourth inning, Gabe Jenkins reached on a fielder’s choice for an RBI, and Kazuya Jordan added an RBI single to give VMI a 4-2 advantage.
Norfolk State answered in the bottom of the fourth when Josiah Harrison launched a home run to pull the Spartans back within a run at 4-3. Harrison was the most dangerous hitter in the game for Norfolk State, finishing 4-for-4 with three runs scored, two doubles, one RBI, and a home run. He also homered against VMI earlier this season with a grand slam on March 11. A true junior who did not play in his 2023 freshman season at Longwood before transferring to Norfolk State, Harrison still has two years of eligibility remaining — just saying, SoCon teams.
The Keydets continued to separate themselves in the middle innings. In the sixth, with the bases loaded, Prince was hit by a pitch to force in a run, and the Spartans matched it in the bottom half when Harrison scored on a wild pitch. VMI then regained control in the seventh when Grayson Fitzwater blasted his 15th home run of the season, a solo shot that provided some breathing room.
The insurance runs kept coming late. Garner delivered an RBI double in the eighth to extend the lead, and JW Kohlmeyer added another run in the ninth with an RBI single. Hunter Sipe finished the job on the mound for VMI, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings to secure the win.
VMI now returns home for a three-game SoCon series against Western Carolina this weekend.
Western Carolina vs. App State: Catamounts win 14-4
Western Carolina kept rolling with a dominant 14-4 run-rule win over App State, backing up its earlier 13-3 victory in Boone on March 10 with another emphatic offensive display. App State entered the game out of the Sun Belt with an RPI of 131 and a 7-8 conference record, but the Catamounts had far too much firepower at the plate and never let the Mountaineers settle in.
Mason Holton, who has been swinging a really hot bat lately, got Western Carolina on the board in the bottom of the first with an RBI double. Later in the inning, Jaylen Jones, the reigning SoCon Player of the Week, drove in two more runs with a single to make it 3-0 Catamounts.
App State answered with two runs in the top of the second, but that was as close as the Mountaineers would get. Western Carolina broke the game open in the bottom of the third, starting with a two-run double from Holton. Cole Jones followed with a three-run home run, and Trey Spees, who has quietly been an important piece for the Cats both offensively and defensively, went back-to-back with him by launching a line-drive solo shot to right field.
The Catamounts kept piling on after that. Trent Turner added a run-scoring single, Walker Fox drove in another with a sacrifice fly, and Holton came back to the plate and crushed a two-run home run for his fourth RBI of the inning. By that point, Western Carolina had completely taken control of the game.
With the score at 13-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Jackson Godfrey stepped in and hit his first home run as a Catamount, pushing the lead to 10 and ending the game by run rule with one out in the inning.
Western Carolina’s offense was relentless from start to finish, with contributions spread throughout the lineup and several players putting together big nights. The win only reinforced how dangerous the Catamounts can be when the bats are clicking, and they’ll need to keep that hot stretch going against a desperate VMI squad this weekend.
Wofford vs. Presbyterian: Terriers win 11-2
Wofford kept its momentum going with an 11–2 win over Presbyterian, improving to 12 wins in its last 14 games. The Terriers had already taken down the Blue Hose earlier this season, earning a 9–2 win in Clinton on March 17.
Sheldon Egger got the start for Wofford and delivered a steady outing, working five innings while allowing just one run on four hits and striking out five. After he exited, pitching coach Pat Brown turned to four relievers, who combined to keep Presbyterian in check the rest of the way.
Wofford wasted little time getting on the board. In the bottom of the first, Logan Tribble singled with two outs, and Ben Timblin followed with a two-run home run to make it 2–0. The two-out rally continued as Marc Quarrie tripled and Hunter Herndon brought him in with a single, extending the lead to 3–0 after one inning.
The Terriers added on in the second when, again with two outs, Niko Brini hit a solo home run to push the lead to 4–0. Timblin stayed hot in the third, leading off the inning with his second home run of the game.
Presbyterian broke through in the fourth on a solo home run to make it 5–1 and added another run in the sixth to cut the deficit to 5–2. Wofford responded immediately in the bottom half, as Lucas Manning launched a two-run homer and Brady Gold followed with a solo shot to stretch the lead to 8–2.
In the seventh, with the bases loaded, a balk brought Alex Myers home to make it 9–2. Gold added to the advantage with a two-RBI single, capping the scoring at 11–2.
Wofford’s pitching staff closed it out cleanly, not allowing a hit over the final two innings to secure the win. The Terriers now head on the road for a weekend series against UNC Asheville.
The Citadel vs. Charleston Southern: Bulldogs win 15-5
The Citadel came up with another midweek win over Charleston Southern, taking a 15-5 run-rule victory and completing its second blowout of the Buccaneers this season. The Bulldogs had already beaten CSU 14-6 on April 7, and this one followed a similar script: a few early punches, then a massive inning that blew the game wide open.
Charleston Southern scored first with a run in the bottom of the opening inning, but The Citadel responded quickly in the second. Zach Hunt launched a two-run home run to put the Bulldogs in front, though the Buccaneers answered with two runs of their own in the bottom half to regain a 3-2 lead.
After that, the game belonged to The Citadel. TJ Anderson drove in a run in the third with a sacrifice bunt, and Hunt followed in the fourth with his second homer of the night, a solo shot to center field.
Then came the fifth inning, when The Citadel broke the game open with an 11-run explosion to take complete control and build a 15-3 lead. The Bulldogs stacked up the damage in all kinds of ways: Michael Gibson singled in two runs, Christian Stratis doubled in two more, and the inning also included a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly, two bases-loaded walks, a single by Hunt, and another RBI single from Stratis. By the time the frame ended, the game was effectively over.
Charleston Southern managed two runs in the bottom of the seventh, including a two-run homer, but it was not enough to avoid the run rule. The game ended after seven innings with The Citadel on top 15-5.
Hunt was the clear headline at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs in another convincing result against a Charleston Southern team with an RPI of 110.
Up next, The Citadel heads to Johnson City, Tennessee, for a three-game SoCon series against ETSU.
Mississippi State vs. Samford: State wins 11-1
Samford ran into a buzz saw against No. 17 Mississippi State, falling 11-1 in a seven-inning mercy-rule game. Mississippi State, which entered the matchup at 7-8 in SEC play, jumped on the Bulldogs early and kept applying pressure until the game was called.
Samford had a strong crowd at the ballpark for some bulldog-on-bulldog crime, but the visitors from Starkville did all the damage. Mississippi State scored twice in the first inning, then broke things open in the second by sending nine batters to the plate and capitalizing on free passes to push the lead to 7-0. Samford pitching issued nine walks on the night, leaving the home team with little chance of pulling off an upset.
Samford did briefly find some momentum in the bottom of the third. Pierce Dutton tripled, and Jake Souders brought him home with a single to cut into the deficit and give the home crowd something to cheer about.
That rally never grew into anything more. Samford was held scoreless the rest of the way, while Mississippi State added four more runs in the fifth to make it 11-1 and trigger the seven-inning mercy rule.
The loss sends Samford back into SoCon play this weekend, when the Bulldogs head to UNC Greensboro for a three-game series.
Mercer vs. Kennesaw State: Bears fall 12-9
Mercer’s offense kept producing, but the pitching issues proved too much in a 12-9 loss at Kennesaw State. The Bears dropped their fourth straight game, while the Owls snapped a four-game losing streak in a matchup that featured plenty of scoring and very little pitching.
Kennesaw State entered the game at 6-9 in C-USA with an RPI of 93 and looking to stop a skid, and the Owls did just that. Mercer got off to an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Chris Katz, but Kennesaw State answered immediately with two runs in the bottom of the first.
Mercer responded in the second with two more runs, including Katz’s second RBI single of the day and a sacrifice fly from Brant Baughcum, but the Owls quickly took control again with a five-run inning to grab the lead back. From there, the Bears were forced to chase.
The score held at 7-3 until the fourth, when Baughcum crushed a three-run home run to pull Mercer within one. But Kennesaw State answered with five more runs in the bottom of the inning and stretched the lead to 12-6, forcing Mercer back into comeback mode.
Mercer kept fighting in the sixth, driving in three more runs on RBI singles from Eli Stephens, Titan Kamaka, and Braydon Kersey. Still, the rally stopped there, and Kennesaw State held on the rest of the way.
The biggest issue for Mercer was once again pitching. Eight Bears pitchers combined to issue 10 walks, and those free passes gave Kennesaw State too many extra chances in a game where the offense was otherwise capable of hanging around.
The Bears now return to OrthoGeorgia Park for a three-game weekend series against Towson.
Campbell vs. UNC Greensboro: Spartans fall 11-8
UNC Greensboro dropped an 11-8 decision to Campbell in a game that featured constant traffic on the bases and a long stretch of back-and-forth scoring. Campbell, which entered with a 16-2 conference record out of the CAA, racked up 17 hits and did enough damage early to hold off a late UNCG push, the kind the Spartans so often seem to manufacture.
This was the rematch after UNCG had won the first meeting on April 7, 11-4. In this one, the Fighting Camels jumped out quickly, scoring three runs in the second inning and adding a sacrifice fly in the third to build a 4-0 lead.
The Spartans answered in the fourth. Brantley Truitt got UNCG on the board with an RBI triple, and one pitch later, Luke Jenkins blasted a two-run home run to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Campbell responded immediately with power of its own, hitting back-to-back home runs in the fifth to score four runs and stretch the lead to 8-3. Another two-run shot in the seventh pushed the Camels ahead 10-3, putting UNCG in a deep hole.
Like they have done all season, the Spartans kept fighting. In the bottom of the seventh, Jake Barbour doubled in Anthony Ruocco, then scored himself on a Tanner Berry RBI single to trim the deficit to 10-5. UNCG added two more runs in the eighth on an RBI groundout and a Ruocco RBI single, pulling within 11-7.
In the ninth, Truitt picked up his second RBI triple of the game to make it 11-8 and give the Spartans a final burst of life. Jenkins then walked to bring the tying run to the plate with two outs, but Campbell ended the game with a foul popout.
UNCG stayed competitive offensively, but Campbell’s big innings and 17-hit attack proved too much to overcome. The Spartans will remain at home for their next matchup, a series against Samford.
