GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) baseball team will welcome the first-place Mercer Bears to Greensboro for an Easter weekend series starting on Thursday afternoon and concluding on Saturday afternoon.
 
Thursday's game has been pushed up to 12 p.m. due to the potential of inclement weather. Friday's first pitch is set for 6 p.m. while Saturday is set for 2 p.m.
 
SPARTAN ESSENTIALS
THURSDAY
Who: Mercer Bears
Where: UNCG Baseball Stadium | Greensboro, N.C.
When: Thursday, April 14 | 12 p.m.
Tickets: Free Admission
Concessions: Located behind home plate.
Weather: 76°/ 49° | Scattered Showers | 80% rain
Starting Pitchers: LHP Jared Mathewson vs. RHP Josh Harlow
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats
 
FRIDAY
Who: Mercer Bears
Where: UNCG Baseball Stadium | Greensboro, N.C.
When: Friday, April 15 | 6 p.m.
Tickets: Free Admission
Concessions: Located behind home plate.
Weather: 74°/ 49° | Mostly Sunny | 0% rain
Starting Pitchers: RHP Austin Parsley vs. RHP Ryan Lobus
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats
 
SATURDAY
Who: Mercer Bears
Where: UNCG Baseball Stadium | Greensboro, N.C.
When: Saturday, April 16 | 2 p.m.
Tickets: Free Admission
Concessions: Located behind home plate.
Weather: 74°/ 50° | Cloudy | 20% rain
Starting Pitchers: TBD vs. RHP Josh Farmer
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats
 
 
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
-- UNCG enters the contest with a 14-19 overall record. The Spartans are looking for their first conference win.
--Greg Hardison stretched his on-base streak to 27 with a single in the first inning against Wake Forest.
--He is now tied for 10^th with Dillon Stewart (2018) in UNCG's consecutive game on-base streak.
--Hardison has an on-base percentage of .453.
--He is tied for third in the conference in batting average with .375.
--Kennedy Jones hit his first career triple to lead off the game. It was his fourth straight game with a lead-off hit.
--Jones and Pres Cavenaugh lead the team with 30 runs this season.
--This is Cavanaugh's second straight season with 30+ runs.
--He leads the conference with 143 at bats.
--Jones and Mitchell Smith are tied for fourth in the SoCon with 10 doubles this season.
--Mathewson and Parsley are first and second in innings pitched in the conference.
--Mathewson leads with 50.0 and Parsley follows with 49.2.
--Of Alex Hoppe's 59 strikeouts this season, 18 were caught looking which puts him second in the SoCon.
--Zack Budzik has 82 assists this season which puts him second in the conference.
 
CAREER MILESTONE TRACKER
--Jared Mathewson and Kross Robinson are nearing the 200 mark in career strikeouts.
--Mathewson is 26 away.
-- Robinson needs 13 more.
 
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
--Five Spartans are ranked in the top 50 nationally in seven different statistical categories.
--Hogan Windish is 17^th in batting average with a .417. He has 40 hits with 96 plate appearances.
--He also leads the conference in batting average.
--Jones is averaging 1.59 hits per game which puts him 39^th nationally.
--Of the five Spartans ranked, three are pitchers.
--Mathewson and Parsley are tied for fourth in games started with nine.
--Parsley is 30^th in victories (5) and 40^th in walks allowed per nine innings (1.45).
--Hoppe is 10^th in strikeouts per nine innings with 14.10 and 40^th in strikeouts with 59.
--His 59 strikeouts also leads the conference.
 
SCOUTING THE BEARS
-- Mercer enters the series with a 28-5 overall record, 3-0 in the SoCon.
--The Bears are currently on a nine-game win streak, their last loss came against Utah.
--Colby Thomas and Bill Knight are the only Bears with 40+ runs this season.
--Thomas leads with 46.
--He also leads the team with 39 RBIs and 14 home runs.
--Harlow leads the team with 59 strikeouts.
--Lobus has 38 strikeouts and Farmer has 29.
--All three have five wins this season.
 
SERIES HISTORY
-- The Spartans and Bears are tied in the all-time series at 11.
--Mercer took the last matchup 7-3 back in April 2021.
--Windish led with three hits.
--Parsley pitched 5.0 innings and struck out six batters.