In this SoCon baseball weekend recap, we break down the league’s overall performance, analyze each series, and rank every team’s showing from top to bottom.
The SoCon finished the weekend 19–5, pushing its cumulative non-conference record to 39–16 (.709). That’s not just solid—it’s nationally relevant. In fact, the fine lads at 11point7.com have the Mercer Bears at 14 in their Mid-Major Power Rankings after their sweep over Columbia.
Record vs. Other Conferences
| Conference | Record |
|---|---|
| ACC | 0–2 |
| America East | 1–0 |
| Atlantic 10 | 3–1 |
| Big South | 0–1 |
| Coastal Athletic | 1–0 |
| Conference USA | 1–2 |
| Ivy League | 3–0 |
| MAAC | 9–0 |
| MAC | 2–2 |
| Missouri Valley | 3–1 |
| NEC | 10–0 |
| Patriot League | 1–0 |
| SEC | 0–8 |
| Sun Belt | 5–1 |
The league handled business against mid-major competition but continues to struggle against SEC power. That contrast matters when projecting postseason positioning. They may brand themselves the “Fun Belt,” but so far, the SoCon has enjoyed putting a belt to the Sun Belt — and that’s been a very fun belting indeed.
Sweeps That Made Statements
Mercer vs. Columbia
Columbia entered the weekend as the 2026 Ivy League preseason favorite, fresh off a 2025 NCAA Regional appearance and an RPI of 63. Mercer responded with a sweep.
The opener was uneven. Mercer trailed 8–1 in the sixth and committed five errors before storming back with five runs in the sixth, one in the seventh, and seven in the eighth to claim a 14–8 victory. Logan Shepherd did what Logan Shepherd does, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two walks. Wake Forest transfer Chris Katz went 4-for-5 with a three-run homer, and sophomore Braydon Kersey’s grand slam punctuated the eight-run avalanche.
Game two was cleaner: a 20–6 win featuring Dylan Lapointe’s first homer and a blast from Kaleb Huffman.
The finale was tightly contested from the outset. Trailing 1–0 in the home half of the second inning, Mercer ignited its offense with a three-run double from Michael Graziano that immediately shifted momentum. Moments later, Katz launched his third home run of the season, a two-run shot that stretched the lead to 5–1.
That five-run second inning accounted for all of Mercer’s scoring, but it proved sufficient. The Bears weathered a late Columbia push and held on for a 5–4 victory, securing the series sweep with timely hitting and just enough pitching down the stretch.
Not always crisp, but Mercer swept the best SoCon opponent this weekend not named Georgia.
The Citadel vs. Marshall and Army
The Citadel completed a three-game sweep across two respectable opponents and looked increasingly composed throughout.
Marshall entered with a 2025 RPI of 98 out of the Fun—err—Sun Belt, and Army (No. 189 RPI) arrived fresh off an SEC upset against South Carolina. The Bulldogs handled both.
In a 4–3 win over Marshall, junior transfer Zach Hunt drove in key runs, Phillips Daniels homered, and Will Holmes struck out a career-high nine over 5.2 shutout innings. Liberty transfer Michael Gibson closed it out.
Saturday’s 10–6 win featured a comeback sparked by Hunt’s bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and Aryan Patel’s go-ahead RBI. Hunt later homered, Daniels collected three hits, and Jayden Williams scored four times with three stolen bases.
Against Army, Hunt’s three-run homer set the tone in a 14–8 win. TJ Anderson’s three-run blast in the eighth erased doubt.
Hunt, the transfer first baseman addition from Florence-Darlington Tech, continues to emerge as a major impact piece. He homered in back-to-back games and seemed to be in the middle of every big Bulldog inning. This version of The Citadel looks focused, balanced, and dangerous.
ETSU vs. Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart carried a 186 RPI from 2025. ETSU mashed.
The Buccaneers opened with a 10–0 win, blasting four home runs. Last season’s SoCon Freshman of the Year, Axel Melendez, drove in six runs with a homer and triple. Tristan Curless homered for the fourth time in five games. After the first two weekends, he is almost halfway to his 2025 home run total of 10. Tadan Bell took the mound with one of the Top Ten All-Time SoCon Mustaches and shoved, tossing five shutout innings while striking out five on 75 pitches.
In a 26–3 rout, ETSU hit four more home runs. Nate Conner, a prodigal son who has transferred back to his hometown from Walters State Community College, launched his first two long balls as a Buc, while Melendez and Henry Ferguson also went deep.
The 11–8 finale included Conner’s grand slam and four hits from Ferguson.
VMI vs. UMES
UMES posted a 302 RPI in 2025, and VMI handled business with a sweep.
Cole Cook homered three times in the series. Brycen Hamilton drove in five in the opener. Peyton Dhein wasn’t as sharp as opening weekend, but he remains the key to this staff. Carson Taylor and Hunter Sipe have yet to allow an earned run. Sipe continues to embody the “break glass if needed” reliever—rallies die when he enters.
The caveat: VMI’s seven wins this season have come against teams with RPIs in the 300s. Context matters. But they gave ACC powerhouse Virginia all it could handle in the midweek.
UNC Greensboro vs. Canisius
Canisius carried a 289 RPI in 2025. UNCG swept.
Noah Chapman struck out 12 in game one. Brantley Truitt delivered key homers and triples throughout the series. Hunter Shuey punched out eight in five strong innings in the finale.
The competition wasn’t elite, but the margin of victory widened as the weekend progressed—a positive sign. Isaac Miles’ clutch midweek outing—Miles’ gem and elite outfield defense powering UNC Greensboro baseball past NC A&T—cannot be understated in how it jolted the Spartans out of their losing funk.
Series Winners
Western Carolina vs. Bowling Green
Bowling Green, out of the MAC, came to town with a 144 RPI in 2025. The MAC ranked 16th in 2025. The Catamounts took the series, 2–1.
Western won the opener Friday, 4–3. See the recap of the comeback win—Western Carolina put the Fat Tuesday Spartanburg Massacre behind them with a thrilling 4–3 comeback victory to open the weekend series.
In Game 2, the comeback went against the Catamounts in a tough 6–5 loss. After Noah Quarless homered to give Western an early 3–0 lead, Bowling Green chipped away and eventually overtook the Western bullpen. Despite the loss, Carter Burnette was impressive through the first six innings, recording a career-high nine strikeouts. He was dominant and pitched with an edge that got under Bowling Green’s skin. It was a tough loss, but the Western Carolina coaching staff has to feel good about Burnette’s future.
In the third and deciding game of the series, a 5–0 win, true freshman Evan Myers was electric in just his second career start. He struck out a career-high six over five innings of work. The bullpen picked up where Myers left off, not allowing a base hit after the fourth inning and retiring 13 straight to close the game. John Lobs (good or bad name for a pitcher?) struck out all three batters he faced in the sixth inning. The true sophomore has been dominant, yielding no runs this season. Junior transfer James Fordham tossed the final two innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Wyatt Stanley had a huge series, belting two home runs, including an insurance blast that gave the Catamounts their fifth run.
Wofford vs. Valparaiso, NJIT, Northern Illinois
Wofford went 2–1.
They handled Missouri Valley opponent Valpo, 15–9, and walked off NJIT, 1–0, behind Harrison Campi’s clutch RBI single in a game that was delayed two hours due to weather. Alec Bouchard and Blayne Newman were outstanding on the mound for Wofford this weekend.
But blowing a 5–0 lead to Northern Illinois (RPI 246 in 2025) in a 9–6 loss is concerning. Eight unanswered runs over two innings flipped that game.
With each passing game and inning, things grew more difficult and stressful for Wofford; they looked less confident as the weekend wore on.
Swept
Samford at Georgia
Georgia, ranked 14th nationally, dismantled Samford 11–1, 12–4, and 22–0.
Jesus, take the wheel!!! This was some lopsided Bulldog on Bulldog crime. Regardless of opponent, that’s a brutal weekend. It was a dumpster fire.
Ranking the Weekend
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Mercer |
| 2 | The Citadel |
| 3 | ETSU |
| 4 | UNC Greensboro |
| 5 | VMI |
| 6 | Western Carolina |
| 7 | Wofford |
| 8 | Samford |
Mercer earns the top spot for sweeping the strongest opponent—on paper, at least. The Citadel looked in control all weekend and may still have another gear. I’m buying stock in this team. We’ll see how they fare next weekend when they travel to Tallahassee for a three-game series against Florida State.
ETSU is flying under the radar, and its offense is explosive. VMI is winning, but context tempers the enthusiasm. Western Carolina’s pitching depth has been impressive; with 71 strikeouts to just 19 walks, they boast the best ratio in the league by a significant margin. Wofford’s bullpen lapse is notable. Samford… yeesh.
The Point After
The SoCon continues to prove it can dominate mid-major competition. Mercer leads the pack after sweeping a legitimate Ivy contender, while The Citadel and ETSU look poised to contend.
The next step is consistency against elite competition. Now it’s about proving it against the heavyweights and sustaining momentum as conference play looms.
