Friday, April 30, 2010

MACON, Ga. – Kennesaw State can take big step toward postseason play if it can knock off Mercer in the Atlantic Sun Baseball Series of the Week beginning Friday.

Mercer holds the sixth and final spot in the Atlantic Sun Championship but Kennesaw State sits only a game and half behind the Bears. The Owls also have three games in hand to the Bears. If Kennesaw State can find a way to knock off its in-state rival than the Owls will have a solid chance at making their first Atlantic Sun Championship appearance.

Mercer sits in the six spot in Atlantic Sun Conference standings with a 9-9 mark in league action and a 25-20 overall record. The Bears have one of the top offenses in the conference as the squad averages 8.3 runs per game. Jacob Tanis leads the Mercer offense, and a year after being named a freshman All-American, has avoided a sophomore slump. Tanis holds a .378 batting average with 19 home runs and 71 RBIs, both marks rank as tops in the A-Sun.

Starting pitching issues continue to trouble the Bears with no Mercer starter holding an ERA under 5.36. One of the bright spots for the Bears on the hill remains David Teasley, who holds a 4.26 ERA and 4-1 record in 29 relief appearances on the season.

Kennesaw State looks to make a push in the league’s top six but the Owls have been an up and down team in 2010. The Owls own wins against Georgia, Tennessee and No. 2 Georgia Tech in non-conference play, but hold a 7-8 record in the Atlantic Sun with a 18-23 overall mark. Ronnie Freeman leads the Kennesaw State offense with a .344 batting average and 32 RBIs.

Ryan Rodebaugh leads the Owl pitching staff with a 4.30 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 52.1 innings pitched. Brad Long sits as a force out of the bullpen with 17 appearances, all in relief, 46.2 innings pitched and a 3.66 ERA.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University