All-Southern Conference team has strong Mercer feel to it
Mercer’s softball team received a conference-high five honors as the All-Southern Conference teams were announced Tuesday.
Megan Bilgri and Meghan Rud were named to the first team, while Quirisa Mauga, Taylor Miller and Stella Preston were named to the second team. Preston also received All-Freshman honors.
The five honors are the most Mercer has had in a season since joining the Southern Conference, and that matched UNC Greensboro this season for the conference lead.
Bilgri, a junior, finished the regular season with an 11-7 record and a 2.30 ERA, while Rud set a program record with 37 stolen bases.
The Bears (24-29) face Samford at 10 a.m. on Wednesday in the first round of the conference tournament in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Peach Belt awards
Georgia College had six players picked for the All-Peach Belt Conference baseball teams Tuesday, including shortstop Brandon Benson being named the conference player of the year.
Joining Benson on the first team was freshman third baseman and former Perry standout Cal Gentry. Outfielders Logan Mattix and Wesley Wommack, catcher Brandon Purcell and reliever Grant Khan were named to the second team.
Benson is the sixth Peach Belt Player of the Year in Bobcats history and the second straight. Benson is hitting .379 with 21 home runs and 70 RBI, and the Bobcats (31-13) lead NCAA Division II in batting average (.357) and runs per game (9.9).
Gentry leads the Peach Belt and is fifth in the nation with a .443 batting average, adding a home run, 39 RBI and 50 runs scored from the leadoff spot.
The Bobcats face Flagler at 10 a.m. on Wednesday in the conference tournament in Florence, South Carolina.
Broom honored
Mercer baseball’s Robert Broom was named the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Month on Monday.
Broom, a sophomore, had nine relief appearances in the month as the Bears went 14-5 overall and 13-2 in conference play. Broom was 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA while limiting opposing batters to a .205 batting average in 22 innings.
All three of Broom’s wins in the month came against conference opponents (Furman, VMI and The Citadel). Broom is 7-1 this season with a 2.28 ERA.
The Bears (36-11, 15-3) return to conference play in a three-game series at Wofford this weekend.
Hightower retires
Wesleyan softball head coach Dickey Hightower announced his retirement Tuesday following six seasons with the program. The 2015 season was the team’s most successful one under Hightower as the Wolves won 15 games that season.
This story was originally published May 9, 2017 at 8:32 PM with the headline "All-Southern Conference team has strong Mercer feel to it."