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Edwards Advances In Women’s 800 Meters

The Southern Conference — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Furman men and women claim Southern Conference all-sports races

Unknown — Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SAVANNAH, Ga. – With the completion of the spring seasons of league competition, Furman’s men’s and women’s programs have won the races for the Southern Conference’s all-sport trophies. The winners were honored at the league’s Honors Reception on Wednesday evening at the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District in Savannah, Georgia.

The Commissioner’s and Germann cups are awarded annually to the Southern Conference schools fielding the league’s best all-around men’s and women’s sports programs, respectively. Scoring is conducted on a percentage basis, with only the top seven sports for each school counting toward its season total. The SoCon sponsors 20 total sports, with the league’s three co-ed rifle teams counting toward the Commissioner’s Cup standings and the two women’s rifle teams counting toward the Germann Cup.

Each sport is worth 10 points, with each spot in the standings given equal measure relative to how many schools sponsor that particular sport. For sports that determine a regular-season champion, a two-point bonus is awarded for winning the league tournament. Each school’s total for the year is divided by 70, the maximum number of points possible when counting seven sports, to find its percentage.

The Paladins won the Commissioner’s Cup for the third time, moving up three spots from their fourth-place finish in the standings a year ago. Furman claimed four titles in 2025-26, with those coming in men’s soccer, both the regular season and tournament, along with tournament crowns in cross country and men’s basketball. Furman’s men finished with 60.57 points, which is good for an .865 percentage.

Mercer followed in second with a total of 55.08 points, which is good for a .787 percentage. The Bears captured outright titles in football and baseball during the school year. Samford followed closely behind with 53.85 points and a .769 percentage. The Bulldogs won the indoor and outdoor track & field championships along with the men’s tennis tournament crown.

ETSU was fourth, ending the year with 49.97 points and a .714 percentage. The Buccaneers won the regular season titles in men’s basketball and men’s tennis. Western Carolina finished fifth with 46.78 points and a .668 percentage. The Catamounts had second-place finishes in football, outdoor track & field and baseball.

Coming in sixth was Chattanooga with 39.64 points and a .566 percentage. The Mocs won the men’s golf championship and had a second-place finish in wrestling. Wofford followed in seventh with 37.63 points and a .538 percentage.

UNCG (.476) was eighth, The Citadel (.466), who won the baseball tournament title, was ninth and VMI (.369) rounded out the standings.

In the Germann Cup race, Furman won the cross country and women’s golf tournaments along with the regular season crown in women’s tennis. The Paladins also had second-place finish in volleyball. Furman finished with 58.81 points and a .840 percentage, narrowly defeating Samford and ending the Bulldogs’ run of five consecutive Germann Cup victories.

Since joining the league in 2008-09, Samford has finished in the top two of the Germann Cup standings 15 of a possible 17 times and in the top four each year. The Bulldogs took home the regular season and tournament titles in women’s soccer along with an indoor track & field crown. Samford had 58.17 points and a .831 percentage.

ETSU finished third with 54.06 points and a .772 percentage. The Bucs were the outright regular season champions in volleyball, the co-champions in women’s basketball and the conference tournament winners in women’s tennis. Chattanooga came in fourth with 52.99 points and a .757 percentage. The Mocs won a share of the regular season crown in women’s basketball and were second at the women’s golf championship.

Wofford completed the year in fifth with a .702 percentage. Western Carolina (.669), who won the outdoor track & field championship, finished sixth and UNCG (.544), the softball regular season and tournament champion, came in seventh

Mercer was eighth with .514. VMI (.263) and The Citadel (.145) rounded out the standings.

The Commissioner’s Cup was inaugurated in 1970 and the Germann Cup was first awarded in 1987. The latter is named for former SoCon Commissioner Ken Germann, who served as commissioner of the Southern Conference from 1974-86 and spearheaded the effort to introduce women’s athletics to the league.

The 2025-26 academic year saw a winner of the Commissioner’s Cup crowned for the 56th time and the Germann Cup awarded for the 39th time. The cups were not awarded in 2019-20 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Seven schools have won the Commissioner’s Cup in its history, including current members ETSU (2024-25, 2021-22, 2018-19, 2017-18, 2016-17, 2015-16 and 1982-83), Furman (1990-91, 2020-21 and 2025-26), Chattanooga (2014-15 and 2004-05) and Samford (2022-23 and 2023-24).

Five schools have won the Germann Cup. Among current schools, Furman owns a league-best 18, including 12 straight from 1992-2004 and five of six from 2013-14 to 2018-19. Samford has won seven (2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2014-15 and 2009-10) and Chattanooga won in 2007-08.

Three other conference awards were given during the SoCon’s Honors Reception as well. The winner of the Barrett-Bonner Award, given to the institution that places the highest percentage of its student-athletes on the league's academic honor roll, was UNC Greensboro. The Citadel was the winner of the D.S. McAlister Sportsmanship Award, and Samford won the Graduation Rate Award.

(Men’s athletics – final standings)

1. Furman .865

2. Mercer .787

3. Samford .768

4. ETSU .714

5. Western Carolina .668

6. Chattanooga .566

7. Wofford .538

8. UNCG .476

9. The Citadel .466

10. VMI .369

Germann Cup

(Women’s athletics – final standings)

1. Furman .840

2. Samford .831

3. ETSU .772

4. Chattanooga .757

5. Wofford .702

6. Western Carolina .669

7. UNCG .544

8. Mercer .514

9. VMI .263

10. The Citadel .145

Furman's Woodall Finishes 42nd in 1,500m At NCAA East Preliminaries

The Southern Conference — Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Samford’s Franklin Advances To NCAA Quarterfinals In Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles

The Southern Conference — Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The Southern Conference Announces 2026 Graduate Scholars

Unknown — Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, SC – The Southern Conference announced its 10 postgraduate scholarship recipients for the 2025-2026 academic year on Wednesday.

The scholarships, awarded annually, will be presented during the 2026 awards ceremony at the J.W. Marriott Hotel Savannah Plant Riverside District on Wednesday, as part of the conference’s spring meetings.

The 2025-2026 honorees include: Richard Johnson Graduate Scholarship recipient Kerrington Mariah Johnson (Wofford); Dave Hart Scholarship recipient Brandon Maina (Wofford); Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship recipients Lena Dykes (Mercer) and Colton Sessoms (UNC Greensboro); Dorothy Hicks Scholarship recipient Brianna Cantrell (ETSU); David Knight Scholarship recipient Taylor Waitley (Western Carolina); William V. Moore Scholarship presented by McMillan Pazdan Smith recipient Darcy Nicholls (Samford); Ingles Presidential Scholarship recipient Landy Green (Western Carolina); and SoCon Presidential Scholarship recipients Fleming Dean (Samford) and Skylar Hilmer (Furman).

Southern Conference member schools submit nominations, and the recipients are selected by the Southern Conference Graduate Scholar Committee. The scholarships are worth $2,000 each and are awarded to student-athletes who plan to pursue graduate or professional degrees. The nominees are evaluated in three areas: academics, athletics, and community service.

Bios for each of this year’s scholarship recipients are listed below, in alphabetical order by school:

Brianna Cantrell – ETSU Volleyball

Dorothy Hicks Scholarship

ETSU volleyball standout Brianna Cantrell excelled both on the court and in the classroom, maintaining a 3.892 GPA while majoring in Rehabilitative Health Sciences with a minor in Psychology. A four-year contributor and team captain, Cantrell earned multiple SoCon honors, including Second Team All-SoCon recognition in 2022 and 2025, as well as 2022 SoCon Freshman of the Year laurels. She helped ETSU to the 2025 SoCon Regular Season title and 23 wins, while surpassing 1,000 career kills. Cantrell volunteered extensively with pediatric therapy services, speech and language clinics, and retirement communities to prepare for graduate studies in Occupational Therapy.

Skylar Hilmer – Furman Lacrosse

SoCon Presidential Scholarship

Furman lacrosse student-athlete Skylar Hilmer combined academic excellence, research experience, and athletic achievement while maintaining a 4.0 GPA as a psychology major. A Second Team All-Big South choice in 2025, Hilmer also earned CSC Academic All-District honors, a spot on the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll, and multiple Dean’s List recognitions. Inspired by her brother’s autism diagnosis, she pursued research in memory and cognition while interning at an autism behavioral center. Hilmer plans to pursue a master’s degree in psychology at San Diego State before working toward a Ph.D. and pursuing a career focused on educational and social cognition research.

Lena Dykes – Mercer Women’s Soccer

Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship

Mercer women’s soccer standout Lena Dykes excelled academically and athletically while pursuing a degree in biomedical engineeing with a mathematics minor. A President’s List student and three-time CSC Academic All-District honoree, Dykes plans to continue at Mercer in graduate school studying biomedical engineering with the goal of becoming a clinical rehabilitation engineer. Inspired by volunteer work fitting prosthetics for amputees in Vietnam, she developed a passion for improving mobility and quality of life through medical technology. Dykes balanced her studies with community service, including tutoring elementary students and extensive international medical mission work. She played a key role through 15 matches this past season, helping the Bears shut out seven opponents. Mercer advanced to the SoCon Championship Game in November.

Fleming Dean – Samford Women’s Soccer

SoCon Presidential Scholarship

Samford women’s soccer captain Fleming Dean paired elite academic achievement with championship success on the field. She helped Samford to back-to-back SoCon championships in 2024 and 2025, earning the Pinnacle Award and second-team All-SoCon honors this past season – all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA while majoring in accounting. Also a member of multiple Dean’s Lists, she plans to pursue a Master of Accounting degree and CPA certification before beginning a career with a major accounting firm. Dean also served on Samford’s Dean’s Student Advisory Council, helping lead community outreach initiatives while demonstrating leadership as a team captain.

Darcy Nicholls – Samford Men’s Tennis

William V. Moore Scholarship presented by McMillan Pazdan Smith

Samford men’s tennis standout Darcy Nicholls maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA while excelling as both a student and athlete. A back-to-back member of the SoCon Men’s Tennis Championship squad in 2025 and 2026, Nicholls earned All-SoCon honors in singles and doubles once again. Nicholls earned the SoCon Pinnacle Award in both 2025 and 2026 and was also an ITA Scholar Athlete. Majoring in Law, Politics and Society and Political Science, he plans to pursue his law degree after competing professionally in tennis. Nicholls also volunteered extensively with special needs students and youth organizations, reflecting his commitment to service and leadership beyond athletics. He was named Samford’s 2026 Mr. Bulldog Award winner, which exemplifies the true meaning of the term student-athlete.

Colton Sessoms – UNCG Men’s Soccer

Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship

UNCG men’s soccer student-athlete Colton Sessoms excelled at balancing academic achievement, athletic success, and leadership while pursuing a degree in kinesiology with a psychology minor. A Southern Conference All-Freshman Team selection and NCAA Tournament Elite Eight and Sweet 16 participant in 2022, Sessoms earned multiple Chancellor’s List and Academic All-District honors. He played in 23 matches as a senior and helped the Spartans to a spot in the Sweet 16 after a first-round win in the NCAA Championship. Motivated by his experiences with injury rehabilitation as an athlete, he plans to pursue a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Winston-Salem State University, with aspirations to work in sports rehabilitation and outpatient orthopedics. Sessoms also served in team leadership roles and assisted in kinesiology research.

Landey Green – Western Carolina Cross Country / Track & Field

Ingles Presidential Scholarship

Western Carolina cross country and track student-athlete Landey Green distinguished herself through academic excellence, leadership, and community service while maintaining a 3.8 GPA in psychology. Green plans to pursue a Master of Social Work at the University of Tennessee. A leader within WCU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and multiple campus organizations, she volunteered with food banks, crisis ministries, and organizations supporting survivors of sex trafficking. Green balanced a heavy load of athletic and academic commitments while dedicating herself to advocacy, service, and community engagement to help others.

Taylor Waitley – Western Carolina Softball

David Knight Scholarship

Western Carolina softball standout Taylor Waitley maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA while majoring in biology and forensic science with a chemistry minor. A multiple-time CSC Academic All-District selection and team captain, Waitley plans to pursue graduate studies in biomedical or medical science as she works toward a career in forensic pathology. Inspired by a lifelong passion for science, she balanced athletics with research-focused academics and extensive service, including hospital volunteer work and relief efforts following Hurricane Helene. Waitley also demonstrated leadership within the softball program while excelling in the classroom and community. She batted a career-best .320 this past season with three home runs and 33 RBI for a WCU team that won 34 games.

Brandon Maina – Wofford Football

Dave Hart Scholarship

Wofford football standout Brandon Maina combined athletic excellence with a passion for healthcare and service while majoring in finance with an accounting minor. A three-time All-SoCon selection with 19.5 career sacks – good for fifth in Wofford history – Maina will pursue an MBA before attending medical school with the goal of becoming a physician for underserved communities. He balanced football with healthcare administration experience, medical volunteer work, and leadership roles within Wofford’s student-athlete organizations. Maina’s commitment to community impact and healthcare advocacy reflects his long-term goal of improving access to quality care. In 2025, Maina ranked fourth nationally in sacks per game and earned a spot on the prestigious FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team.

Kerrington Mariah Johnson – Wofford Track & Field

Richard Johnson Graduate Scholarship

Wofford track and field standout Kerrington Johnson built an exceptional career marked by academic excellence, athletic achievement, and community leadership. The SoCon Freshman of the Year in 2021, Johnson garnered 14 All-SoCon honors, nine conference titles individually, and two relay titles during her career with the Terriers. Also a school record holder in the hurdles, Johnson maintained a 3.91 GPA while majoring in finance. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in health education and behavior at the University of Florida, with aspirations to improve community wellness and healthcare access. Beyond athletics, Johnson served in numerous campus leadership and mentoring roles while dedicating extensive time to volunteerism and student support initiatives.

The Citadel Tabbed No. 3 Seed in Atlanta Regional for NCAA Baseball Championship

The Southern Conference — Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The Citadel Tops Samford for Ninth SoCon Baseball Title

Unknown — Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

GREENVILLE, SC – The Citadel used a strong pitching performance from ace Will Holmes and some early offense to beat Samford Saturday night, 3-1, for its ninth SoCon Baseball Championship win and the conference’s automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship.

The Citadel (35-24) remained one of the hottest teams in the country, winning its eighth in a row and 10th in the last 11 games.

The Bulldogs drew early energy from a large, loud partisan Bulldog crowd to plate a pair of runs in the top of the first on timely RBI singles from Christian Stratis and Zach Hunt. TJ Anderson drew a two-out walk and Michael Gibson was plunked to fuel the rally, with Stratis driving home Anderson with a poke through the left side and Hunt scoring Gibson on a hit up the middle.

Samford (31-25) got a run back in the bottom of the sixth after Parker McDonald led off with a walk and moved around to third on a wild pitch and a ground ball. Pierce Dutton drove home the run with a ground ball before Holmes worked out of the jam.

The Citadel got back-to-back doubles from Zach Hunt and Sam Dansky in the eighth to go up 3-1, but Samford would threaten in the bottom half. Pierce Dutton singled to second base with two outs and Jeffrey Ince reached on a dropped third strike that got to the backstop. Cade Carr hit a ball to third base that proved to be a touch chance, but Dansky’s dive at the bag forced out Dutton at third to end the threat.

Tournament Most Outstanding Player Michael Gibson took the mound again in the ninth for his second inning of work and got a nice fielding play in right by Jayden Williams on a 105-mph line drive off the bat of All-SoCon outfielder Jake Sounders for the first out of the frame. After a groundout, Gibson fanned the final batter of the game for his third save of the tournament and the win.

The Citadel finished with 11 hits and had 77 knocks over their five tournament games, just 13 shy of the record set by UNC Greensboro in 2022. Williams led the way with three hits (3-for-5), with Stratis (2-for-3), and Hunt (2-for-4) also collecting multiple hits. Gibson (1-for-4, run) finished the tournament with 14 hits, just two shy of the record set by Kennedy Jones (UNCG) in 2022.

Holmes (7-4) picked up the win, pitching 7.0 strong innings with only one run allowed. He gave up only two singles, walked just one and struck out 10 batters. Andrew Buffkin came on for two outs, and Gibson fanned two in 1.1 innings of relief.

Samford got hits from Ince (1-for-4), Carr (1-for-4), Eddie Marshall (1-for-3), and Dutton (1-for-2).

The Citadel won its first tournament title since 2010 and will learn its next postseason destination on Monday at Noon when the NCAA releases its championship bracket.

2026 SoCon Baseball All-Tournament Team

SP – Will Holmes, The Citadel

SP – Garrett Lambert, Mercer (tie)

SP – Mason Blasche, Samford (tie)

RP – Cannon Lee, UNC Greensboro

C – Phillips Daniels, The Citadel

1B – Zach Hunt, The Citadel

2B – Jeffrey Ince, Samford

SS – Lane Tobin, The Citadel (tie)

SS – Gus Gandy, Samford (tie)

3B – Brant Baughcum, Mercer

OF – Chris Katz, Mercer

OF – Luke Boykin, Samford

OF – Christian Stratis, The Citadel

DH – Michael Gibson, The Citadel

2026 Walt Nadzak Most Outstanding Player: Michael Gibson, The Citadel (DH / RP)

2026 SoCon Baseball Championship Results

Presented by Holston Gases

Wednesday, May 20

Game 1: #5 The Citadel 21, #8 VMI 11 (8 innings)

Game 2: #7 UNCG 6, #6 ETSU 5

Game 3: #5 The Citadel 13, #4 Wofford 7

Game 4: #3 Samford 13, #7 UNCG 1

Thursday, May 21

Game 5: #5 The Citadel 9, #1 Mercer 2

Game 6: #3 Samford 9, #2 Western Carolina 5

Game 7: #1 Mercer 9, #4 Wofford 8

Game 8: #2 Western Carolina 4, #7 UNC Greensboro 3

Friday, May 22

Game 9: #5 The Citadel 14, #1 Mercer 4

Game 10: #3 Samford 5, #2 Western Carolina 1

Saturday, May 23

Game 11: #5 The Citadel 3, #3 Samford 1

The Citadel, Samford Advance To Saturday's SoCon Baseball Title Game

Unknown — Sat, 23 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

GREENVILLE, SC – The Citadel continued its red-hot run at Fluor Field, beating top-seed Mercer 14-4, Friday morning, and Samford used a pair of late home runs to win a 13-inning marathon over Western Carolina and advance to Saturday’s SoCon Baseball Championship Game.

The Citadel and Samford will meet for the first time ever in the SoCon Baseball Championship, as two sets of Bulldogs battle for the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship at 7:00 pm ET on ESPNU.

GAME ONE: #5 The Citadel 14, #1 Mercer 4 (7 innings)

The Citadel scored five runs in the third inning and six runs in the seventh to power a 14-4 win over No. 1 seed Mercer and advance to their first SoCon Championship Game appearance since 2013.

The Bulldogs have won eight SoCon baseball championships, with the last trophy coming in 2010.

The Citadel’s Bryce Coulter went the distance on the mound, scattering 10 hits and four runs for the win.

Christian Stratis provided plenty of pop at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a home run and four RBI to lead a 16-hit offensive effort for the ‘Dogs. Lane Tobin (2-for-4), Jayden Williams (2-for-3), Michael Gibson (2-for-4, 4 RBI), Zach Hunt (2-for-5), and Phillips Daniels (2-for-3) also had big days in a balanced attack.

The Citadel wasted little time going in front, scoring twice in the top of the first on RBI singles by Gibson and Hunt. Gibson now has 13 hits in the tournament, just three shy of the event record set by Kennedy Jones (UNCG) in 2022.

Mercer cut the lead to 2-1 on a sacrifice fly in the second, but Straits roped a two-run single in the third, followed by an RBI knock from Sam Dansky, and another RBI single from Daniels. Williams pushed the lead to 7-1 when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Gibson had the big hit in the seventh, clearing the bases with a double to put the Bulldogs up 12-2. Stratis followed with his fourth RBI of the game, and Zach Hunt plated the final run for The Citadel with a double.

Mercer got long home runs from Chris Katz (419 feet) and Michael Graziano (420 feet) in the game, with Katz going 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Brant Baughcum also went 3-for-4 for the Bears, who remain inside the top 30 nationally in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).

GAME TWO: #3 Samford 5, #2 Western Carolina 1

Samford scored four runs in the top of the 13^th after a rain delay that lasted nearly three hours (2:57) and held on for a 5-1 win over Western Carolina to advance to face The Citadel for the 2026 SoCon title on Saturday night.

The game was halted with a man on second in the top of the 12^thwith one out. Western Carolina relief ace Mason Snyder retook the mound after the lengthy delay and quickly got a ground ball and strikeout to get the Catamounts back on offense. Western Carolina managed a base runner, but Samford tracked down a deep fly ball to avoid a potential winning run – and got a strikeout to send the game into the 13^th.

Gabe Gandy drew a leadoff walk, and Jeffrey Ince was plunked with one out to set the stage for high drama. Jackson Harris lined a 1-1 pitch to right that caught a piece of the replica Pesky’s Pole 302-feet away in right field for a 4-1 lead. A replay review upheld the call, and Luke Boykin belted his 20^th home run of the season to left center two batters later for what would be the final margin.

Zak Spurrier came on for Samford in the bottom of the 13^th and recorded a pair of strikeouts to end the game.

Samford had 12 hits in the game and Western Carolina had 10, but the teams combined to strand 29 base runners in a low scoring affair.

Boykin led Samford offensively, going 3-for-6 with the solo home run. Trey Higgins had a pair of hits as well. Cameron Murray went 4-for-5 to pace Western Carolina’s offense.

The Bulldogs are making their fourth championship game appearance in four seasons, last winning the title in 2023. Samford also won titles in 2012, 2018, and 2021.

2026 SoCon Baseball Championship

Presented by Holston Gases

Wednesday, May 20

Game 1: #5 The Citadel 21, #8 VMI 11 (8 innings)

Game 2: #7 UNCG 6, #6 ETSU 5

Game 3: #5 The Citadel 13, #4 Wofford 7

Game 4: #3 Samford 13, #7 UNCG 1

Thursday, May 21

Game 5: #5 The Citadel 9, #1 Mercer 2

Game 6: #3 Samford 9, #2 Western Carolina 5

Game 7: #1 Mercer 9, #4 Wofford 8

Game 8: #2 Western Carolina 4, #7 UNC Greensboro 3

Friday, May 22

Game 9: #5 The Citadel 14, #1 Mercer 4

Game 10: #3 Samford 5, #2 Western Carolina 1

Saturday, May 23

Championship Game, 7:30 pm (ESPNU)

The Citadel, Samford Remain Undefeated After Day Two

Unknown — Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

GREENVILLE, SC – The Citadel won its third game in two days, racing past top-seed Mercer, and Samford knocked off Western Carolina to remain undefeated heading into Friday’s semifinals at the 2026 SoCon Baseball Championship, presented by Holston Gases.

Mercer bounced back with two home runs to eliminate Wofford and Western Carolina followed suit to eliminate UNC Greensboro in the nightcap.

GAME ONE: #5 The Citadel 9, #1 Mercer 2

Michael Gibson continued his torrid SoCon Championship performance Thursday morning, going 3-for-5 with three RBI and picking up the save in The Citadel’s 9-2 upset of regular season champion Mercer in the early game.

Gibson drove in a run with an RBI double in the third for a 1-0 lead and helped the Citadel out of a jam with two outs in the seventh. Gibson needed only two pitches to end the inning and scored an insurance run on an error by the Bears in the eighth.

The Citadel exploded for seven runs in the top of the ninth, getting RBI knocks from Jayden Williams and Gibson to go up 4-0 and taking advantage of another error to forge a 5-0 lead. Zach Hunt roped a two-run home run down the right field to put the game out of reach. Phillips Daniels closed the scoring with a two-run single for a 9-0 lead.

Mercer came alive for two runs in the ninth – on solo home runs by Chris Katz and Titan Kamaka – for the final margin.

Trip Brown stifled one of the country’s top offenses for the win, pitching 6.0 scoreless frames with seven strikeouts and three walks. CJ VanSlooten worked the first two outs in the seventh, before Gibson came on for his ninth save of the season, scattering four hits and allowing the two late runs in 2.1 innings of relief.

The Citadel had 11 hits, giving the Bulldogs 50 hits over three games this tournament. UNC Greensboro set the SoCon Championship record with an eye-popping 90 hits in their 2022 title run.

In addition to Gibson’s torrid effort – the Rock Hill native has 11 hits himself through three games – The Citadel got two hits Hunt, TJ Anderson, and Sam Dancy.

Mercer collected 10 hits, with Eli Stephens and Brant Baughcum both going 2-for-5 to lead the charge. The Bears stranded 12 runners in the game.

The Citadel advanced to Friday’s semifinal game and will play Mercer again at 9:00 am after the Bears’ rally over Wofford.

GAME TWO: #3 Samford 9, #2 Western Carolina 5

Samford stayed hot at the plate Thursday, using a steady effort to get past No. 2 seed Western Carolina Thursday afternoon.

Jeffrey Ince went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI, Jake Souders went 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored, and two other Bulldogs had a pair of hits in the win.

Samford went up 1-0 in the first and never trailed, adding two runs each in the fourth and the sixth for a 5-0 advantage. Western Carolina cut into the lead in the bottom of the sixth, taking advantage of a fielding error, and the two teams traded volleys over the next three innings for the final margin.

Western Carolina pulled closer in the late innings, getting a two-run home run from Mason Holton in the seventh and a two-run blast from Noah Quarless in the eighth.

Samford used its bullpen heavily after starter Noah Berry exited after only 0.2 innings of work, with John Whitney getting the win after 3.1 scoreless frames.

Trent Turner led Western Carolina’s 11-hit offense, going 3-for-5, while Quarless and Holton each had two hits.

Samford advanced to Saturday’s semifinals and will face Western Carolina at 12:30 pm.

GAME THREE: #1 Mercer 9, #4 Wofford 8

Mercer used a pair of late home runs to rally past Wofford Thursday night and stay alive for rematch with The Citadel on Friday morning.

Trailing 8-6 in the seventh, Mercer got a leadoff walk from Brant Baughcum but needed some heroics from pinch hitter Kaleb Huffman with two outs in the frame to even the score. The senior from Locust Grove, GA, stepped into the box and pounded a 2-1 fastball high and deep over the fence in right field to tie the game – giving the Bears a heavy momentum swing.

Lawson Cole retired Wofford in order in the top of the eighth, setting the stage for the final blow. With one out in the inning, SoCon Player of the Year Chris Katz came through, ripping a ball off the base of the wall in right field and hustling all the way around for an inside-the-park home run and what proved to be the game winner. It was the 22^nd home run of the season for Katz.

Wofford got a one-out single to right from Lucas Manning in the ninth, but Braydon Kersey the hit and a two-out walk with a strikeout and ground ball to end the game.

Mercer had nine hits in the game, led by Katz (2-for-2) and Eli Stephens (2-for-5). Wofford managed 12 hits, with Niko Brini (3-for-5), Cade Collins (2-for-4), Manning (2-for-5), Raul Feliz (2-for-4), and Tanner Hardin (2-for-5) leading the effort.

Cole picked up the win with his scoreless inning out of the pen and Kersey picked up his sixth save of the season.

Mercer advances to face The Citadel on Friday morning. If the Bears win, the two teams will play again later in the day for the right to play in Saturday night’s championship game.

GAME FOUR: #2 Western Carolina 4, #7 UNC Greensboro 3

Western Carolina rallied with two runs in the fifth and a big hit in the bottom of the eighth to get past UNC Greensboro in Thursday night’s finale, 4-3.

After Jackson Lyda led off the eighth with a walk, the Spartans’ Hunter Shuey recovered with a pop fly, but Catamounts’ standout Trey Turner blistered an RBI double off the Fluor Field Green Monster in left and Lyda sprinted in under the tag after a great relay throw for what proved to be the game winner.

UNC Greensboro led 3-1 after four innings, using a two-run blast from Jacob Budzik in the top of the first and a bases loaded walk in the fourth. Wyatt Stanley got the Cats on board with a solo home run in the second. Western Carolina tied the score in the bottom of the fifth after Jaylen Jones hit a solo home run and Cameron Murray scored from second on an error one out later.

After Turner’s heroics, which was only the Catamounts’ third hit of the game, Davis Wright marched back to the mound and recorded a strikeout and foul pop up to put the Spartans’ backs against the wall. Wright followed with another strikeout on three pitches to end the game.

The southpaw picked up the win, tossing 5.0 scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts and no walks. He scattered three hits.

Stanley, Jones, and Turner had all three of Western Carolina’s hits in the win. Jake Mueller collected a pair of UNC Greensboro’s six hits.

Western Carolina advances for a rematch with No. 3 Samford on Friday at 12:30 pm. Should the Catamounts win, the two teams will play again at 7:30 pm for the right to play in Saturday’s championship game.

2026 SoCon Baseball Championship

Presented by Holston Gases

Wednesday, May 20

Game 1: #5 The Citadel 21, #8 VMI 11 (8 innings)

Game 2: #7 UNCG 6, #6 ETSU 5

Game 3: #5 The Citadel 13, #4 Wofford 7

Game 4: #3 Samford 13, #7 UNCG 1

Thursday, May 21

Game 5: #5 The Citadel 9, #1 Mercer 2

Game 6: #3 Samford 9, #2 Western Carolina 5

Game 7: #1 Mercer 9, #4 Wofford 8

Game 8: #2 Western Carolina 4, #7 UNC Greensboro 3

Friday, May 22

Game 9: #1 Mercer vs. #5 The Citadel, 9:00 AM

Game 10: #2 Western Carolina vs. #3 Samford, 12:30 PM

Game 11: If Necessary (Game 9), 4:00 PM

Game 12: If Necessary (Game 10), 7:30 PM

Saturday, May 23

Championship Game, 7:30 pm (ESPNU)

Five Samford Bulldogs Earn Spots At NCAA East Preliminaries

The Southern Conference — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Six Furman Athletes Qualify For NCAA East Preliminaries

The Southern Conference — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

First Day of SoCon Baseball Championship in the Books

Unknown — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

GREENVILLE, SC – The Citadel picked up a pair of wins Wednesday to advance to Thursday’s second round to face top-seeded Mercer and Samford captured its lone game in a run-heavy day to open the 2026 SoCon Baseball Championship, presented by Holston Gases.

GAME ONE: #5 The Citadel 21, #8 VMI 11 (8 innings)

The Citadel tied a conference tournament record with 24 hits and Jayden Williams belted a single up the middle to end a 21-11 win over rival VMI in the eighth inning. All-SoCon slugger Michael Gibson tied a tournament batting average record by going 5-for-5, finishing a triple shy of the cycle for the surging Bulldogs.

The Citadel scored four in the first and two in the second to go up 6-0 early and led 7-1 after the third. VMI rallied, scoring three runs in the fourth and fifth to tie the game, 7-7, but a five-run burst in the sixth and a seven-run explosion in the eighth ended the game.

In addition to Gibson’s big day, the Bulldogs got three hits from TJ Anderson (3-for-5), Sam Dansky (3-for-5), and Phillips Daniels, and two hits apiece from Tobin Lane, Williams, Zach Hunt, Aryan Patel. Dansky, Gibson, and Hunt each left the yard on Wednesday morning.

VMI had 12 hits in the game, with four different batters collecting two each.

Zane Davis (3-2) picked up the win in relief, tossing 2.0 innings with only one run allowed.

GAME TWO: #7 UNC Greensboro 6, #6 ETSU 5

Luke Holland led the game off with a long home run, and UNC Greensboro used an eighth-inning single from All-SoCon third baseman Jacob Budzik to get past ETSU, 6-5, in the second game of Wednesday’s action.

The Spartans led 3-0 after a Jake Barbour single a costly fielding error in the outfield, but the Buccaneers pushed four runs across in an effective bottom of the second inning – getting three-straight home runs from Mason Ault, Joey Little, and Nate Conner – to surge in front.

UNCG regained the lead on RBI knocks from Nate Conner and Barbour in the fifth, before ETSU tied the game on Jamie Palmese’s sacrifice fly in the bottom half.

An error at the hot corner allowed Luke Holland to reach for UNCG in the top of the eighth and, after Jake Mueller was plunked, Budzik singled to third base to plate the game winner.

ETSU got the winning run to third base with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth, but two strikeouts and a foul ball to first base ended the game.

Cannon Lee worked 4.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen and fanned eight batters to pick up the win for the Spartans. Barbour went 3-for-4 to lead the Spartans’ offense, with Jacob Dilley (2-for-4) and Jenkins (2-for-5) each collecting two hits.

Nate Conner led ETSU with three hits and two runs scored.

GAME THREE: #5 The Citadel 13, #4 Wofford 7

The Citadel continued its hot start in Greenville, collecting 15 hits in a 13-7 win over No. 4 seed Wofford. The Bulldogs plated six runs in the top of the first against SoCon Pitcher of the Year Alec Bouchard to set the pace.

Wofford got right back in it with five runs in the bottom of the first, with the inning lasting just under 45 minutes. The Citadel scored twice in the fourth and three times in the sixth to take control of the game. Wofford scored again in the eighth on a majestic solo home run from Ben Timblin, but The Citadel answered with an insurance run in the top of the ninth for the final margin.

Michael Gibson led the way again, going 3-for-5 with three RBI in the win. Tobin Lane (2-for-6), Jayden Williams (2-for-3), TJ Anderson (2-for-4), and Aryan Patel (2-for-5) also had multiple hits for the Bulldogs.

Andrew Buffkin picked up the win, tossing 5.0 innings with eight strikeouts and two earned runs allowed. Andrew Bowers closed the game with 4.0 effective innings for his sixth save of the season.

Wofford had 11 hits in the game, with Cade Collins (2-for-5), Niko Brini (2-for-4), Lucas Manning (2-for-4) and Tanner Hardin (2-for-4, 3 RBI) leading the way. Hardin had a pair of doubles, including a three-run hit in the first to keep Wofford in contention.

The Citadel advances to play top-seed Mercer at 9:00 am on Thursday. Wofford will await the loser of that game at 4:00 pm in an elimination game.

GAME FOUR: Samford 13, UNC Greensboro 1

Samford belted five home runs and five doubles in Wednesday’s late game to power a 13-1 win over UNC Greensboro in seven innings.

The Bulldogs went up 6-0 early and never looked back. An error starting things, with a Cade Carr grounder plating Ethan Brittain for an early lead. Trey Higgins followed with a two-run blast to left, putting the ‘Dogs up 3-0 in the first. Gus Gandy launched a solo shot with one out in the second for a 4-0 lead and Carr singled through the left side for a 5-0 lead before UNC Greensboro could get out of the jam.

Eddie Marshall joined the parade in the bottom of the third, roping a solo home run to dead center for a 6-0 lead. Higgens smashed another home run, his 13^th of the season, in the fifth to put Samford up 7-1. With his team leading 9-1, Luke Boykin cranked a grand slam deep to right field for a 13-1 lead that would hold.

Samford ace hurled 6.0 innings with only one run allowed, scattering six hits for the win. He struck out seven and walked just one.

Higgins led Samford’s 14-hit attack with three hits in four at bats, driving in three runs with his two home runs and a double. Four other Bulldogs had two hits in the win.

Luke Holland (2-for-3) and Brantley Truitt (2-for-3) each had a pair of UNC Greensboro’s six hits.

Samford advances to play No. 2 seed Western Carolina at 12:30 pm on Thursday. UNC Greensboro will face the loser of that game at 7:30 pm Thursday.

2026 SoCon Baseball Championship

Presented by Holston Gases

Wednesday, May 20

Game 1: #5 The Citadel 21, #8 VMI 11 (8 innings)

Game 2: #7 UNCG 6, #6 ETSU 5

Game 3: #5 The Citadel 13, #4 Wofford 7

Game 4: #3 Samford 13, #7 UNCG 1

Thursday, May 21

Game 5: #1 Mercer vs. #5 The Citadel, 9:00 AM

Game 6: #2 Western Carolina vs. #3 Samford, 12:30 PM

Game 7: #4 Wofford vs. Loser of G5, 4:00 PM

Game 8: #7 UNCG vs. Loser of G6, 7:30 PM

Chattanooga Punches Ticket to NCAA Division Men's Golf Championship

The Southern Conference — Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

2026 All-SoCon Baseball Teams Announced

Unknown — Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, SC – Mercer outfielder Chris Katz was named 2026 SoCon Player of the Year and Wofford ace Alec Bouchard was named 2026 SoCon Pitcher of the Year in voting by the conference’s eight head coaches Tuesday afternoon in advance of the 2026 SoCon Baseball Championship, presented by Holston Gases.

Mercer pitcher Garrett Lambert was named 2026 SoCon Freshman of the Year and The Citadel third baseball Aryan Patel earned the second annual SoCon Golden Glove Award as the circuit’s top defender. Mercer head coach Craig Gibson was named 2026 SoCon Coach of the Year after leading the Bears to their first SoCon regular season crown since 2017.

Katz (Raleigh, NC / Heritage HS) enjoyed a sensational regular season, batting .374 with 17 doubles, 20 home runs, and 71 RBI for the high-powered Bears’ offense. He is tied for the SoCon lead with 79 hits and leads the conference in runs scored, RBI, on base percentage, and total bases. He fuels a Mercer offense that leads the SoCon in 12 different major offensive categories.

Bouchard (Soddy Daisy, TN / Notre Dame HS) anchored the Terriers’ rotation in 2026, finishing the regular season with a 9-2 record, 2.29 ERA, and 101 strikeouts in 82.2 innings of work. The righthander leads the SoCon in victories, strikeouts, innings pitched, and WHIP (1.09) through 14 starts. Bouchard was at his best in a pair of SoCon wins, tossing 7.0 shutout innings and fanning 12 in a win at The Citadel on April 10, then striking out a season-high 14 batters with no walks in a 9.0 inning win over Western Carolina on May 1.

Lambert (Lilburn, GA / Parkview HS) lived up to his preseason billing after being tabbed as the SoCon’s preseason Freshman of the Year by both D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game. He finished with a 5-0 record in 14 starts, forging a 4.55 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 65.1 innings pitched. Lambert was 3-0 with a 4.29 ERA in seven SoCon starts.

Patel (Hanahan, SC / Hanahan HS) collected the most votes on the 2026 SoCon All-Defensive Team, earning the Golden Glove Award. Patel has 46 starts at third base this season, fielding a clean .975 with only four errors in 163 chances.

Gibson has his Mercer Bears on a roll, entering the 2026 postseason on an eight-game win streak. The veteran head coach has now earned SoCon Coach of the year three times and has directed the Bears to four SoCon regular season titles. Mercer (43-13, 15-6 SoCon) is 18-1 since a four-game skid in mid-April, bolstering the team’s RPI to No. 26 nationally this week.

Mercer led the way with eighth All-SoCon selections, including seven on the first team. ETSU (6) and The Citadel (5) were close behind. All eight schools had at least one All-SoCon selection this season.

The 2026 SoCon Baseball Championship, presented by Holston Gases, begins on Wednesday morning at 9:00 (ESPN+) with The Citadel battling VMI in a rivalry rematch of last weekend’s series. Four games will be played Wednesday, before top-seed Mercer and second-seed Western Carolina take the field on Thursday morning.

The entire All-SoCon Baseball Team is listed below:

Player of the Year

Chris Katz, Sr., OF, Mercer (Raleigh, NC)

Pitcher of the Year

Alec Bouchard, Jr., RHP, Wofford (Soddy Daisy, TN)

Freshman of the Year

Garrett Lambert, R-Fr., RHP, Mercer (Lilburn, GA)

Golden Glove Award (Defensive Player of the Year)

Aryan Patel, Sr., 3B, The Citadel (Hanahan, SC)

Coach of the Year

Craig Gibson, Mercer

First-Team All-SoCon

SP – Alec Bouchard, Wofford

SP – Garrett Lambert, Mercer

SP – Will Holmes, The Citadel

RP – Mason Snyder, Western Carolina

RP – Jess Ackerman, Mercer

RP – Zak Spurrier, Samford

C – Cade Carr, Samford

1B – Grayson Fitzwater, VMI

1B – Tristan Curless, ETSU

2B – Trent Turner, Western Carolina

SS – Titan Kamaka, Mercer

3B – Brant Baughcum, Mercer

OF – Chris Katz, Mercer

OF – Eli Stephens, Mercer

OF – Jake Souders, Samford

DH – Braydon Kersey, Mercer

Second-Team All-SoCon

SP – Michael Harpster, ETSU

SP – Andrew Buffkin, The Citadel

SP – Cullen Condon, Wofford

RP – Michael Gibson, The Citadel

RP – Andrew Garnett, Mercer

RP – Zane Davis, The Citadel

C – Cole Raile, VMI

C – Noah Quarless, Western Carolina

1B – Michael Gibson, The Citadel

2B – Ian Guanzon, ETSU

SS – Henry Ferguson, ETSU

3B – Jacob Budzik, UNC Greensboro

OF – Ben Timblin, Wofford

OF – Jamie Palmese, ETSU

OF – Luke Boykin, Samford

DH – Nate Conner, ETSU

2026 SoCon All-Freshman Team

Garrett Lambert, P, Mercer

Jaylen Jones, OF, Western Carolina

Brady Gold, SS, Wofford

Jayden Williams, OF, The Citadel

Evan Myers, P, Western Carolina

Eddie Marshall, C, Samford

Cooper Jones, P, ETSU

Tanner Berry, C, UNC Greensboro

Mason Ault, C, ETSU

Ethan Buffone, 2B, Mercer

Ayden West, P, UNC Greensboro

Buddy Baker, P, VMI

2026 SoCon All-Defensive Team

Aryan Patel, 3B, The Citadel

Grayson Fitzwater, 1B, VMI

Owen Prince, OF, VMI

Henry Ferguson, SS, ETSU

Jayden Williams, OF, The Citadel

Parker McDonald, 3B, Samford

Jamie Palmese, OF, ETSU

Cade Carr, C, Samford

Jeff Ince, 2B, Samford

Niko Brini, OF, Wofford

Trent Turner, 2B, Western Carolina

Gus Gandy, SS, Samford

Furman's Harris Barth Gets Underway at 2026 NCAA Regionals

The Southern Conference — Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Western Carolina's Jones Third After First Round of NCAA Men's Golf Regional

The Southern Conference — Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Chattanooga Off to Good Start at NCAA Men's Golf Regionals

The Southern Conference — Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

UNC Greensboro's Hernandez Begins NCAA Regionals at Bermuda Run

The Southern Conference — Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SoCon Announces Weekly Baseball Awards

Unknown — Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, SC – Mercer sophomore Braydon Kersey was named SoCon Baseball Player of the Week and The Citadel graduate student Will Holmes was named SoCon Pitcher of the Week following games played from May 12-May 16.

Kersey (Alpharetta, GA / Alpharetta HS) led the Bears to a 4-0 week and their first SoCon regular season title since 2017, batting .533 (8-for-15) with five runs scored, a pair of doubles, one home run, and six RBI. He slugged a solid .867 and posted a .650 on base percentage and contributed out of the bullpen – tossing 1.2 scoreless frames with a pair of strikeouts and a save. In Mercer’s 12-9 win at No. 3 Georgia Tech on Tuesday night, Kersey went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. In Friday’s 9-7 win at ETSU that clinched the regular season crown for Mercer, Kersey was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI at the plate, while closing out the game with a pair of strikeouts to earn the save. He closed the regular season in style with three hits and an RBI in Saturday’s 11-6 win.

Kersey batted a sizzling .397 with 11 home runs and 29 RBI in 20 SoCon games this season. Overall, he is batting .325 with 21 home runs, 66 RBI, and 50 runs scored. On the mound, he has five saves and 24 strikeouts in 19.0 innings of work. His Player of the Week honor was the second of the season for Kersey.

Holmes (Boiling Springs, SC / Boiling Springs HS) sparkled in a rivalry win at VMI, pitching 7.0 scoreless innings with only three hits allowed and 10 strikeouts. Holmes walked one and left the game with a comfortable 7-0 lead after throwing 87 pitches.

Holmes is now 6-4 on the season with a 4.19 ERA in 14 starts, with 99 strikeouts in 77.1 innings of work. Three of his victories have come in SoCon play. He is the first lefty starter to earn SoCon Pitcher of the Week honors this season.

Mercer (43-13, 15-6 SoCon) will open its postseason on Thursday after earning a first-round bye. The Citadel (30-24, 11-10 SoCon) earned the fifth seed and plays VMI in the opening game of the 2026 SoCon Baseball Championship, presented by Holston Gases, at 9:00 am Wednesday.

Games on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will stream live on ESPN+. Saturday night’s championship game will air live on ESPNU at 7:30.

Also nominated for Player of the Week: Henry Ferguson (ETSU), Jaylen Jones (WCU), Eddie Marshall (Samford), Ben Timblin (Wofford), Lane Tobin (The Citadel).

Also nominated for Pitcher of the Week: Jess Ackerman (Mercer), Carter Burnette (WCU), Cullen Condon (Wofford), Cannon Lee (UNCG).

2025-26 SoCon Player of the Week

Feb. 16 – Andrew Quarless, R-So., Western Carolina (C, Winston-Salem, NC)

Feb. 23 – Braydon Kersey, So., Mercer (DH/INF, Alpharetta, GA)

Mar. 2 – Titan Kamaka, Sr., Mercer (SS, Orlando, FL)

Mar. 9 – Grayson Fitzwater, Sr., VMI (1B, Suffolk, VA)

Mar. 16 – Grayson Fitzwater, Sr., VMI (1B, Suffolk, VA)

Mar. 23 – Tristan Curless, Sr., ETSU (1B/P, Amarillo, TX)

Mar. 30 – Parker McDonald, Sr., Samford (3B, Tallahassee, FL)

Apr. 6 – Ben Timblin, So., Wofford (Signal Mountain, TN)

Apr. 13 – Jaylen Jones, R-Fr., Western Carolina (Loganville, GA)

Apr. 20 – Tristan Curless, Sr., ETSU (1B/P, Amarillo, TX)

Apr. 27 – Michael Gibson, Sr., The Citadel (DH/P, Rock Hill, SC)

May 4 – Chris Katz, Sr., Mercer (OF, Raleigh, NC)

May 11 – Jacob Dilley, Jr., UNC Greensboro (C/OF, Boone, NC)

May 18 – Braydon Kersey, So., Mercer (DH/INF, Alpharetta, GA)

2025-26 SoCon Pitcher of the Week

Feb. 16 – Andrew Marble, Jr., Samford (RHP, Hurley, MS)

Feb. 23 – Michael Harpster, Jr., ETSU (RHP, Lynchburg, VA)

Mar. 2 – Bryce Coulter, Jr., The Citadel (RHP, Sumter, SC)

Mar. 9 – Mason Snyder, Jr., Western Carolina (RHP, Ocilla, GA)

Mar. 16 – Carter Burnette, So., Western Carolina (RHP, Asheville, NC)

Mar. 23 – Joseph Lee, Sr., Samford (RHP, San Jose, CA)

Mar. 30 – Michael Harpster, Jr., ETSU (RHP, Lynchburg, VA)

Apr. 6 – Mason Snyder, Jr., Western Carolina (RHP, Ocilla, GA)

Apr. 13 – Alec Bouchard, Jr., Wofford (RHP, Soddy Daisy, TN)

Apr. 20 – Garrett Lambert, R-Fr., Mercer (RHP, Lilburn, GA)

Apr. 27 – Miguel Hugas, Jr., Mercer (RHP, Caracas, Venezuela)

May 4 – Alec Bouchard, Jr., Wofford (RHP, Soddy Daisy, TN)

May 11 – Jess Ackerman, Sr., Mercer (LHP, Cumming, GA)

May 18 – Will Holmes, Gr., The Citadel (LHP, Boiling Springs, SC)

Mercer Women's Golf Finishes Fourth At National Golf Invitational

The Southern Conference — Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

2026 SoCon Baseball Championship Bracket Set

Unknown — Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

2026 Championship Page | 2026 Bracket (PDF)

SPARTANBURG, SC – Mercer won its first SoCon regular season championship since 2017 and brings an eight-game win streak into the postseason as the 2026 SoCon Baseball Championship, presented by Holston Gases, begins on Wednesday (May 20) at Fluor Field in Greenville.

The Bears (43-13, 15-6 SoCon) swept ETSU on the road to clinch the regular season trophy and are ranked No. 27 in the latest NCAA RPI release. A road win at No. 11 Georgia Tech last week was another highlight for a team that ranks in the top 10 nationally in eight major offensive categories and has bashed 124 home runs on the season. Only Elon (138, 2008) and College of Charleston (130, 2009) have hit more long balls in a season than the Bears in 2026.

Three SoCon teams are rated inside the Top 60 nationally in RPI, with Western Carolina (57) and The Citadel (59) joining Mercer. Two more teams are rated inside the top 100, giving the SoCon one of its strongest regular season efforts as a league in the past decade. The SoCon is rated No. 6 in the latest NCAA RPI release and will look to place multiple teams in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.

Western Carolina (35-21, 14-7 SoCon) earned the No. 2 seed on the strength of two-straight wins to close out the regular season in Cullowhee. Samford (28-24, 12-9 SoCon) is the No. 3 seed based on its series win this weekend over Wofford (34-20, 12-9 SoCon).

The Citadel (30-24, 11-10 SoCon) is the No. 5 seed, followed closely by ETSU (30-22, 10-11 SoCon) in the No. 6 slot. UNC Greensboro (22-31, 7-14 SoCon), and VMI (28-26, 3-18 SoCon) round out the field.

With the bracket set, No. 5 The Citadel and No. 8 VMI will open the championship schedule on Wednesday morning at 9:00 AM (ESPN+) in a rivalry rematch of the final regular season series. No. 6 ETSU and No. 7 UNC Greensboro will play the second game at 12:30 PM (ESPN+), with the winner of The Citadel-VMI to battle No. 4 Wofford at 4:00 pm ET (ESPN+) and the winner of ETSU-UNCG taking on No. 3 Samford at 7:30 PM (ESPN+) in a busy day at the ballpark.

Tickets for the championship are available online here .

Saturday’s championship game will air live on ESPNU at 7:30 PM

2026 SoCon Baseball Championship Schedule

Presented by Holston Gases

Wednesday | May 20 (ESPN+)

9:00 AM – #5 The Citadel vs #8 VMI

12:30 PM – #6 ETSU vs. #7 UNC Greensboro

4:00 PM – Winner Game 1 vs. #4 Wofford

7:30 PM – Winner Game 2 vs. #3 Samford

Thursday | May 21 (ESPN+)

9:00 AM – Winner G3 vs. #1 Mercer

12:30 PM – Winner G4 vs. #2 Western Carolina

4:00 PM – Loser G5 vs. Loser G3

7:30 PM – Loser G6 vs. Loser G4

Friday | May 22 (ESPN+)

9:00 AM – Winner G5 vs. Winner G7

12:30 PM – Winner G6 vs. Winner G8

4:00 PM – If Necessary (Game 11)

7:30 PM – If Necessary (Game 12)

Saturday | May 23 (ESPNU)

7:30 PM – Championship Game

FIRST NCAA WIN! UNCG Shuts Out Clemson, 1-0

The Southern Conference — Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SoCon announces Outdoor Track & Field Specialty Awards

Unknown — Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Samford earned four specialty honors; Wofford collected two, and Furman and Western Carolina each claimed one. The awards, voted on by the league’s ten outdoor coaches, were announced by the Southern Conference on Friday.

The Samford men, led by Rod Tiffin, the Men’s Coach of the Year, earned two superlatives through Cole Grande and Chase Webb. Grande was named the Male Outstanding Track Performer, while Webb earned Male Freshman of the Year. Grande, who was also selected as the Male Most Outstanding Athlete at this year’s championship, scored 23 points, including gold‑medal performances in the men’s 400m, 4x400m, and 4x100m. Webb added two season bests to his freshman résumé, placing second in the 100m and fourth in the 200m finals. He also ran the third leg on Samford’s gold‑medal 4x100m relay. The Samford men have now won six consecutive championships under Tiffin, and this marks the sixth time since 2021 that he has earned the men’s coach superlative.

Wofford’s Jakayla Campbell and Patrick Green earned Most Outstanding Performer honors for women’s track and men’s field, respectively. Campbell scored 21 points with gold‑medal finishes in the women’s 100m hurdles, 4x400m, and 4x100m. The junior also claimed bronze in the 200m with a personal‑best time of 24.06. Green secured gold in both the men’s long jump and triple jump, earning a personal best and a season best in the process. He became the first Terrier to win the triple jump since 2003.

Furman’s Tessa Walter earned her third Freshman of the Year honor this academic year after finishing second in both the women’s 5,000m and 10,000m. She previously earned the award in cross country and indoor track.

Western Carolina head coach Jesse Norman was named Women’s Coach of the Year after leading his team to a wire‑to‑wire championship finish. The Catamounts outpaced Samford by seven points to claim the women’s crown. This year marked Norman’s first Coach of the Year honor since 2019 and Western Carolina’s first women’s championship since 2018.

Male Most Outstanding Track Performer
Cole Grande, Samford

Female Most Outstanding Track Performer
JaKayla Campbell, Wofford

Male Most Outstanding Field Performer
Patrick Green, Wofford

Female Most Outstanding Field Performer
JT Shaw, Samford

Male Freshman of the Year
Chase Webb, Samford

Female Freshman of the Year
Tessa Walter, Furman

Men’s Coach of the Year
Rod Tiffin, Samford

Women’s Coach of the Year
Jesse Norman, Western Carolina

Furman's Hasselbach Ties For 21st At NCAA Chapel Hill Regional

The Southern Conference — Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Samford men continue championship reign, Western Carolina women add to Catamounts history

Unknown — Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Samford’s men claimed their sixth straight SoCon Outdoor Track and Field Championship on Tuesday. Paced by Men’s Most Outstanding Athlete Cole Grande, the Bulldogs scored 238.5 points to secure the title. Grande won gold in the men’s 400m, earned silver in the 200m, and contributed to Samford’s gold‑medal performances in both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays. Samford’s David Brown was named the Pinnacle Award winner as the student‑athlete with the highest cumulative GPA on the championship‑winning team. Samford also claimed the Women’s Most Outstanding Athlete honor, following JT Shaw’s 26-point performance. Shaw won gold in the women’s shot put, and placed second in the hammer and discus.

Western Carolina’s women, powered by a 20‑point performance from Cymoria Thomas, claimed their first SoCon championship since 2018. Thomas swept the women’s 100m and 200m dashes to lead the Catamounts. Western Carolina’s Gaby Reeve earned the Pinnacle Award, sponsored by the Knight Commission.

Day 2 Men’s Storylines

Samford’s Arthur Chitty bested his 2025 performance by .02m to claim his second consecutive high jump gold medal.
Samford’s Carl Henry won his second gold medal in discus, his first since 2024.
Furman maintained a hold of the 1500m with Bryn Woodall becoming the third unique Paladin to win the event in three years.
Wofford’s Patrick Green became the first Terrier to win the triple jump since 2003.

Day 2 Women’s Storylines

Wofford’s Olivia Bagg won her third consecutive heptathlon gold, besting her previous gold medal performance by 72 points.
The Terriers claimed gold in the 4x1 for the sixth straight championship.
VMI’s Morgan Fraser became the first Keydet to win the event in program history.
Wofford’s Taylor Jennings-Ward set a new championship record in the 400, besting the previous record, set by Wofford’s Jasmine Jefferson, by .25 seconds.
Samford’s Jessica Edwards bested the previous record by .18 seconds to set a new meet record.
Western Carolina’s Jasmine Greene reclaimed the triple jump title after going back-to-back in 2023 and 2024.

*Italics: Meet record

Day 2 Men’s Results
1.Samford	238.5
2.Western Carolina	180.5
3.Furman	109
4.The Citadel	87.5
5.Wofford	64
6.VMI	50.5
7.ETSU	47
8.UNCG	36

Day 2 Women’s Results
1.Western Carolina	182.5
2.Samford	175.5
3.Wofford	137
4.Furman	110
5.ETSU	80.5
6.Mercer	46
7.VMI	37
8.Chattanooga	24.5
9.The Citadel	10
10.UNCG	6

Day 2 Men’s Champions
4x1	Samford – 40.17
1500m	Bryn Woodall, Furman – 3:42.91
110m Hurdles	Bradley Franklin, Samford – 13.52 *13.42 - Prelims
400m	Cole Grande, Samford – 46.35 [PB]
100m	Caleb Yeary, Samford – 10.46
800m	Zeph Carico-McLennan, Samford – 1:48.26*
400m Hurdles	Christian Roberts, Western Carolina – 52.16 [PB]
200m	Bradley Franklin, Samford – 20.79
5000m	Luke Ward, UNCG – 14:40.99 [SB]
4x4	Samford – 3:10.84
Decathlon	Gilbert Stein, Samford – 6,739
Discus	Anthony Hawkins Jr., Western Carolina – 50.25m
High Jump	Arthur Chitty, Samford – 2.15m [SB]
Shot Put	Carl Henry, Samford - 16.58m
Triple Jump	Patrick Green, Wofford – 14.86m

Day 2 Women’s Champions
4x1	Wofford – 45.36
1500m	Nysa Males, Furman – 4:22.17 [PB]
100m Hurdles	JaKayla Campbell, Wofford – 13.52
400m	Taylor Jennings-Ward, Wofford – 53.02* [PB]
100m	Cymoria Thomas, Western Carolina – 11.74 [PB]
800m	Jessica Edwards, Samford – 2:04.00
400m Hurdles	Aaliyah Mbenda, Samford – 1:00.45 [PB]
200m	Cymoria Thomas, Western Carolina – 23.88 [PB]
5000m	Sierra Bower, Furman – 17:22.54
4x4	Wofford - 3:37.83
Heptathlon	Olivia Bagg, Wofford – 4, 867
High Jump	Morgan Fraser, VMI – 1.68m
Discus	Toria Roundtree, Western Carolina – 46.57m [PB]
Triple Jump	Jasmine Greene, Western Carolina – 12.25m

Day 2 Men’s All-Freshman
1500m	Wesley Luisi, ETSU Loden Kohrman, Samford Bradley White, Western Carolina
110m Hurdles	Gage Herring, The Citadel Gilbert Stein, Samford Deonte Harris, VMI
400m	Leland Bishop, Furman Jackson Sorbello, Furman Emery Anderson, UNCG
100m	Chase Webb, Samford Jack Stubbs, Samford Ty Watkins, Samford
800m	Jack Wallace, The Citadel Wesley Luisi, ETSU Jeremiah Jones, UNCG
400m Hurdles	Kyan Sapko, The Citadel Gage Herring, The Citadel Milo Wilets, ETSU
200m	Chase Webb, Samford Ty Watkins, Samford Delton Jones, Western Carolina
5000m	Garrett Hawkins, ETSU Luke Huehn, UNCG Matthias Peterson, Western Carolina
Decathlon	Myer Daniels, The Citadel Gilbert Stein, Samford
Discus	Anthony Hawkins Jr., Western Carolina Jack Wilson, ETSU
High Jump	Josh Flack, Western Carolina Daniel Coronell, Western Carolina Vahin Middough, VMI
Shot Put	Daniel Dounian, The Citadel Anthony Hawkins Jr, Western Carolina
Triple Jump	Deonte Harris, VMI
Day 2 Women’s All-Freshman
1500m	Eliza Everett, ETSU Katherine Bannigan, Furman Bella King, Chattanooga
100m Hurdles	Kiera-Lee Abrahams, Samford Ayla Pessoa-Rollins, Wofford
400m	Jada Erwin, Western Carolina Sofia LaCorte, Wofford Carmen Pollard, Mercer
100m	TaLaya Broaders, Mercer Shaniya Shirley, Western Carolina Ayzia Jefferson, UNCG
800m	Tara Watkins, Furman Ava Dennis, Wofford Sarah Turner, Wofford
400m Hurdles	Katelyn Lemke, ETSU Kali McQuade, Samford McCrary Beaty, Western Carolina
200m	Ayzia Jefferson, UNCG Shaniya Shirley, Western Carolina Jada Erwin, Western Carolina
5000m	Madalyn Mahoney, ETSU Tessa Walter, Furman Elly Velasquez, Furman
Heptathlon	Celia Gully, Western Carolina McCrary Beaty, Western Carolina
Discus	Maddie Winchester, ETSU Gianna Ortiz, Wofford Maggie Frana, Wofford
Triple Jump	Liliana Coe, The Citadel Kyndall Brundidge, Samford Celia Gully, Western Carolina
Shot Put	Jadan Dean, The Citadel Maddie Winchester, ETSU Maggie Frana, Wofford
High Jump	Halle Carden, Chattanooga Genevieve Cummings, VMI Gracie Sutton, Western Carolina

Furman's Hasselbach Tied For 32nd Entering Final Round Of NCAA Chapel Hill Regional

The Southern Conference — Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Samford Bulldogs take Day one lead at Outdoor Track & Field Championships

Unknown — Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Samford’s men and women lead the SoCon Outdoor Track and Field Championships after Monday’s first day of competition at the Catamount Athletic Complex.

The SoCon Championships resume Tuesday with the decathlon beginning at 9:15 a.m. Live results, daily recaps, and photos are available at SoConSports.com. Day two coverage begins on ESPN+ at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Day 1 Men’s Storylines

Western Carolina’s Austin Cline opened the gold‑medal tally on the men’s side with a heave of 55.96m in the hammer throw.
Samford’s Bradley Franklin entered the week with the top mark in the nation in the 110m hurdles. The Bulldogs’ sophomore improved his 2025 finals time and set a championship record during this year’s prelims with a time of 13.42.
Samford’s Kyle Kaufelds defended his title in the javelin, securing his third consecutive championship win and surpassing his 2025 gold‑medal performance by 1.94m.
VMI’s Cameron Thomas regained the conference title in the pole vault, earning his second career gold in the event after previously winning in 2024.
Furman’s Owen Shifflet became a two‑time champion in the 10,000m, adding to his first title earned in 2024.
ETSU’s Nathan Hillis (steeplechase) and Wofford’s Patrick Green (long jump) each claimed gold medals on personal best performances in their respective events.

Day 1 Women’s Storylines

Catamount Emmie Finley earned the first women’s gold medal of the meet with a hammer throw of 51.90m.
Samford’s Ellison Chadwick won gold in the long jump for the second time in her career, earning her first title since 2024.
Samford’s Brenna Lynn threw a season‑best mark to claim first place in the javelin.
Furman’s Sierra Bower ran a personal best on her way to winning gold in the 10,000m.
Samford and Furman were the only programs to record multiple gold‑medal performances on day one.

Day 1 Results

Day 1 Men’s Results
1.Samford	51
2. Furman	50
3.Western Carolin	49
4.Citadel	35
5.ETSU	16
VMI	16
Wofford	16
8.UNCG	1

Day 1 Women’s Results
1.Samford	71.5
2.Western Carolina	49.5
3.Furman	39
4.ETSU	25.5
5.Mercer	19
6.Wofford	15.5
7.Citadel	8
8.Chattanooga	4
9. VMI	2

Day 1 Men’s Champions
Hammer	Austin Cline, Western Carolina – 55.96m
Pole Vault	Cameron Thomas, VMI – 4.90m
Long Jump	Patrick Green, Wofford – 7.19m [PB]
Javelin	Kyle Kaufelds, Samford – 65.00m
3000m SC	Nathan Hillis, ETSU – 9:14.53 [PB]
10000m	Owen Shifflett, Furman – 30:23.27

Day 1 Women’s Champions
Hammer	Emmie Finley, Western Carolina – 51.09m
Long Jump	Ellison Chadwick, Samford – 6.02m
Pole Vault	Lindsey Havens, Samford – 3.80m
Javelin	Brenna Lynn, Samford – 42.43m [SB]
3000m SC	Annie Miller, Furman – 10:16.12
10000m	Sierra Bower, Furman – 34:47.30 [PB]

Day 1 Men’s All-Freshman
Hammer	Frank Pastorino, The Citadel Anthony Hawkins Jr., Western Carolina
Pole Vault	Jack O’Cain, The Citadel Trey Bartels, The Citadel Owen Anderson, Samford
Long Jump	Luke Durham, Samford Jack Stubbs, Samford Daniel Coronell, Western Carolina
Javelin	Landon Cloninger, The Citadel Grant Weighall, Samford Anthony Hawkins Jr., Western Carolina
3000m SC	Timothy Renquist, VMI Jacob Campbell, Western Carolina
10000m	Garrett Hawkins, ETSU Ty Jones, Furman Matthias Peterson, Western Carolina

Day 1 Women’s All-Freshman

Hammer

Jadan Dean, The Citadel

Maddie Winchester, ETSU

Maggie Frana, Wofford

Long Jump

Kiera-Lee Abrahams, Samford

Kyndall Brundidge, Samford

Lane Scales, Samford

Pole Vault

Liliana Coe, The Citadel

Haven White, Samford

Morgan Edwards, Western Carolina

Javelin

McCrary Beaty, Western Carolina

Gianna Ortiz, Wofford

3000m SC

Eliza Everett, ETSU

Annie Miller, Furman

10000m

Elly Velasquez, Furman

Tessa Walter, Furman

Camryn Oates, UNCG

Hasselbach Leads Furman In Opening Round Of NCAA Chapel Hill Regional

Unknown — Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SoCon Announces Weekly Baseball Awards

Unknown — Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, SC – UNCG junior Jacob Dilley was named SoCon Baseball Player of the Week and Mercer redshirt junior Jess Ackerman was named SoCon Pitcher of the Week following games played from May 4-10.

Dilley (Boone, N.C. / Watauga HS) batted .571 (4-of-7) with two home runs, five runs scored, three walks, one double and five RBIs in two games for the Spartans at Virginia Tech last week. On May 9, Dilley homered in the third inning as part of the team’s six home runs in the game, which set a new program record, as UNCG won, 18-13. The junior also drew two walks and scored three runs in the contest. The next day, Dilley was 3-for-4, finishing the game a triple away from the cycle in the team’s 11-9 setback against the Hokies. Dilley logged an eye-opening 2.208 OPS over the two games.

For the season, Dilley is batting .319 in 47 starts with 10 home runs, 11 doubles, 38 RBIs and a .402 on-base percentage. The Spartans (21-29, 6-12 SoCon) play at Western Carolina this weekend in their final series of the regular season.

Ackerman (Cumming, Ga. / North Forsyth HS) pitched 7.1 innings over two relief appearances, recording 12 strikeouts and allowing just three hits. In a 10-7 win on May 6 at Georgia Southern, Ackerman got the save, throwing three innings and striking out four batters. Ackerman tossed 4.1 innings in an 11-1 win over VMI on May 10, recording eight strikeouts and walking just one batter.

In 22 appearances this season, Ackerman is 3-2 with 72 strikeouts in 45.2 innings of work. Mercer (39-13, 12-6 SoCon) plays at Georgia Tech on May 12, before concluding the regular season with a series at ETSU on May 14-16.

Also nominated for Player of the Week: Michael Gibson (The Citadel), Ian Guanzon (ETSU), Dylan LaPointe (Mercer), Jackson Lyda (Western Carolina), and Niko Brini (Wofford)

Also nominated for Pitcher of the Week: Andrew Buffkin and Will Holmes (The Citadel), Cooper Jones (ETSU), John Horton (UNCG), Davis Wright (Western Carolina), and Alec Bouchard (Wofford)

2025-26 SoCon Player of the Week

Feb. 16 – Andrew Quarless, R-So., Western Carolina (C, Winston-Salem, NC)

Feb. 23 – Braydon Kersey, Jr., Mercer (DH/INF, Alpharetta, GA)

Mar. 2 – Titan Kamaka, Sr., Mercer (SS, Orlando, FL)

Mar. 9 – Grayson Fitzwater, Sr., VMI (1B, Suffolk, VA)

Mar. 16 – Grayson Fitzwater, Sr., VMI (1B, Suffolk, VA)

Mar. 23 – Tristan Curless, Sr., ETSU (1B/P, Amarillo, TX)

Mar. 30 – Parker McDonald, Sr., Samford (3B, Tallahassee, FL)

Apr. 6 – Ben Timblin, So., Wofford (Signal Mountain, TN)

Apr. 13 – Jaylen Jones, R-Fr., Western Carolina (Loganville, GA)

Apr. 20 – Tristan Curless, Sr., ETSU (1B/P, Amarillo, TX)

Apr. 27 – Michael Gibson, Sr., The Citadel (DH/P, Rock Hill, SC)

May 4 – Chris Katz, Sr., Mercer (OF, Raleigh, NC)

May 11 – Jacob Dilley, UNC Greensboro, C/OF (Jr., Boone, NC / Watauga HS)

2025-26 SoCon Pitcher of the Week

Feb. 16 – Andrew Marble, Jr., Samford (RHP, Hurley, MS)

Feb. 23 – Michael Harpster, Jr., ETSU (RHP, Lynchburg, VA)

Mar. 2 – Bryce Coulter, Jr., The Citadel (RHP, Sumter, SC)

Mar. 9 – Mason Snyder, Jr., Western Carolina (RHP, Ocilla, GA)

Mar. 16 – Carter Burnette, So., Western Carolina (RHP, Asheville, NC)

Mar. 23 – Joseph Lee, Sr., Samford (RHP, San Jose, CA)

Mar. 30 – Michael Harpster, Jr., ETSU (RHP, Lynchburg, VA)

Apr. 6 – Mason Snyder, Jr., Western Carolina (RHP, Ocilla, GA)

Apr. 13 – Alec Bouchard, Jr., Wofford (RHP, Soddy Daisy, TN)

Apr. 20 – Garrett Lambert, R-Fr., Mercer (RHP, Lilburn, GA)

Apr. 27 – Miguel Hugas, Jr., Mercer (RHP, Caracas, Venezuela)

May 4 – Alec Bouchard, Jr., Wofford (RHP, Soddy Daisy, TN)

May 11 – Jess Ackerman, Mercer, LHP (Sr., Cumming, GA / North Forsyth)

UNCG: NCAA TICKET PUNCHED! Softball Shuts Out Samford for SoCon Title

The Southern Conference — Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Outdoor Track and Field championships to be held in Cullowhee, North Carolina

Unknown — Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

CULLOWHEE, N.C. — The SoCon Outdoor Track & Field Championships return to Western Carolina’s Catamount Athletic Complex on Monday and Tuesday. This year marks the 101st men’s championship and the 39th women’s championship.

Monday’s schedule opens with the men’s decathlon at 9:30 a.m., followed by the women’s heptathlon at 10 a.m. Day 1 concludes with the men’s and women’s 10,000m finals at 7:35 p.m. and 8:20 p.m., respectively.

Tuesday’s action resumes with the multi events at 9:15 a.m. The meet wraps up with the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays at 5:25 p.m. and 5:35 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony. Day 2 coverage will air live on ESPN+ beginning at 1:30 p.m. The complete schedule, live results, daily recaps, photos, and video highlights are available at SoConSports.com.

Storylines

• The event returns to Cullowhee for the first time since 2023. Previous championships hosted by Western Carolina were held in 2005, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2018, and 2021.

• Samford enters as the defending champion on both the men’s and women’s sides. The Bulldog men claimed their seventh overall and fifth straight title last year. The Samford women secured their sixth straight and eighth overall.

• Samford holds the top regular season mark in 13 men’s events and 10 women’s events, including the 800m, 100/110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, high jump, shot put, and hammer throw, where the Bulldogs lead on both sides.

• ETSU’s Micailah Cook is the only SoCon athlete to hold the top regular season mark in three women’s events: the 100m, 200m, and 400m.

• Samford’s Bradley Franklin enters the championship leading the nation in the men’s 110m hurdles after running 13.07 at the Tom Jones Memorial in April.

• Furman swept the top marks in the 1500m and 3000m steeplechase, led by Bryn Woodall (Men’s 1500m), Camryn Wennersten (Women’s 1500m), Colton Kempney (Men’s Steeple), and Annie Miller (Women’s Steeple).

• Western Carolina owns a sweep in the men’s and women’s discus, with Anthony Hawkins Jr. and Toria Roundtree topping the league standings.

• Western Carolina’s Austin Cline and Samford’s Bryce Davis each earned Athlete of the Week honors in men’s field on three occasions this season.

• Three 2025 OTK superlative honorees return: Micailah Cook (ETSU), Sherika Christie (Wofford) — No. 1 in the SoCon heptathlon — and Bryce Davis (Samford) — No. 1 in the men’s hammer.

• Three 2025 OTK gold medalists return to defend their titles: Micailah Cook (Women’s 200m & 400m), Bradley Franklin (Men’s 110H), and Kyle Kaufeld (Men’s Javelin). Samford will also look to defend its crown in the men’s 4x400m relay.

UNCG wins the SoCon Softball Championship

Unknown — Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

No. 1 UNCG 4, No. 2 Samford 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – No. 1 seed UNCG bested No. 2 seed Samford, winning 4-0 to clinch the conference title on Sunday at Frost Stadium at the SoCon Softball Championship presented by Chattanooga Tourism Company.

With their fourth SoCon tournament title, the Spartans (42-17) claimed the SoCon’s automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals. The selection show will air on ESPN2 on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. UNCG last won the tournament in 2023, which was also played at Frost Stadium.

The game’s first run came in the bottom of the second inning. Rylie Williams hit a solo shot to left field, putting the Spartans ahead 1-0. One inning later, Avery Bouquin tripled the lead with a two-run homer of her own, giving UNCG a 3-0 lead.

The Spartans picked up an insurance run in the sixth inning. Madelyn McKinnon doubled off the right field wall, bringing Williams in to score.

Brooklyn Shroyer, the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, threw another gem, tossing a complete game, allowing just one hit and striking out seven batters. For the tournament, Shroyer went 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA over 18 innings, logging 22 strikeouts and giving up just five hits.

Williams was 3-for-3 in the game at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored. Nya South drew three walks and scored a run for UNCG.

Tournament Most Outstanding Player

Brooklyn Shroyer, Jr., RHP, UNCG

Knight Commission Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)

Madelyn McKinnon, Sr., C, UNCG

All-Tournament Team
Avery Bouquin, UNCG

Laney Deane, UNCG

Macy Michael, UNCG

Brooklyn Shroyer, UNCG

Baileigh Pitts, Chattanooga

Taylor Long, Chattanooga

Katie Hart, Samford

Olivia Shaw, Samford

Makinley Turner, Samford

Lily Bell, Western Carolina

2026 SoCon Softball Championship
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Thursday, May 7
Game 1: No. 5 Chattanooga 10, No. 8 Furman 3
Game 2: No. 6 ETSU 7, No. 7 Mercer 0
Game 3: No. 4 Wofford 2, No. 5 Chattanooga 0
Game 4: No. 3 Western Carolina 2, No. 6 ETSU 1

Friday, May 8
Game 5: No. 1 UNCG 19, No. 4 Wofford 4
Game 6: No. 2 Samford 14, No. 3 Western Carolina 1
Game 7: No. 4 Wofford 5, No. 6 ETSU 4
Game 8: No. 5 Chattanooga 7, No. 3 Western Carolina 6

Saturday, May 9
Game 9: No. 1 UNCG 5, No. 2 Samford 0
Game 10: No. 5 Chattanooga 7, No. 4 Wofford 0
Game 11: No. 2 Samford 8, No. 5 Chattanooga 6

Sunday, May 10

Game 12: No. 1 UNCG 4, No. 2 Samford 0

Top two seeds set to face off in the SoCon Softball Championship

Unknown — Sat, 09 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

No. 1 UNCG 5, No. 2 Samford 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – In the first game of the day at the 2026 SoCon Softball Championship presented by Chattanooga Tourism Company at Frost Stadium on Saturday, top-seeded UNCG picked up a 5-0 shutout victory over No. 2 seed Samford.

Samford (27-30) will now play an elimination game later today at 4 p.m. against the winner of the game between No. 4 seed Wofford and No. 5 seed Chattanooga. UNCG (41-17) will play the winner of the 4 p.m. game from Saturday on Sunday at 10 a.m.

Second-team all-conference selection Nya South hit a solo home run in the first inning, giving UNCG an early lead. The Spartans would increase their lead in the third inning after SoCon Freshman of the Year Avery Bouquin drew a bases loaded walk, making the score 2-0 in favor of the No. 1 seed.

In the fourth inning, first-team all-conference infielder Macy Micheal homered to left field, putting UNCG ahead 3-0. The Spartans got their final two runs off the bat of Hadley Gardner in the fifth. Gardner hit a double to the right center gap, scoring all-freshman pick Jazmin Mejia and Bouquin on the play.

In a game that featured 15 players that were voted onto the SoCon all-conference or all-freshman teams, SoCon Pitcher of the Year Brooklyn Shroyer had the strongest performance. Shroyer got her 20^th win of the season inside the circle, striking out seven batters and allowing just one hit. The native of San Damas, California, has pitched 11 scoreless innings over two games in the tournament so far.

Michael led the UNCG offense, going 3-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored.

No. 5 Chattanooga 7, No. 4 Wofford 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – No. 5 seed Chattanooga continued its run at the 2026 SoCon Softball Championship presented by Chattanooga Tourism Company at Frost Stadium with a 7-0 win over No. 4 seed Wofford.

With the win, Chattanooga (25-27-1) advanced to face No. 2 Samford in an elimination game on Saturday at 4 p.m. Wofford ends its season with a 35-19 record.

After a scoreless first inning, Chattanooga put three on the board in the second. Three straight singles loaded the bases before Zoe Wright hit a double to the left center gap, bringing each runner across home plate.

Two innings later, Chloe Lackey crushed a two-run shot over the left field fence, making the score 5-0 in favor of the Mocs. The team’s final two runs came off a home run by Abi Bunt in the fifth.

Emery Bales came out of the bullpen to get her ninth win of the season inside the circle. Bales pitched four innings, striking out three batters and surrendering just two hits.

Lackey was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, finishing a triple away from the cycle for Chattanooga. Ava Cowart and Jade Gainer each had a pair of hits for the Mocs. Brianna Stanley, Gracie Parker and Desirae Devine all had hits for Wofford.

No. 2 Samford 8, No. 5 Chattanooga 6
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – No. 2 seed Samford rallied back and held on for a hard-fought win over No. 5 seed Chattanooga, 8-6, in the final game of day three at the 2026 SoCon Softball Championship presented by Chattanooga Tourism Company at Frost Stadium on Saturday.

The Bulldogs (28-30) will face No. 1 seed UNCG on Sunday at 10 a.m. with the tournament title on the line. Samford is looking for its first conference tournament title in 10 years. The Spartans are going for their fourth tournament crown.

Chattanooga finished its season with a 25-29-1 record.

Samford got on the board on its first at-bat as Brandy Phillips hit a leadoff home run to left field.

Chattanooga built its lead to four runs in the third inning. The Mocs loaded the bases after two singles, a sacrifice bunt and a walk. Baileigh Pitts then singled to left field, scoring Chloe Lackey to make the score 1-1.

Anna Dovey brought two runners across home plate on the next at-bat, doubling to left center field. The next batter was Abi Bunt, who singled and was thrown out trying to advance to second base, but that was not before Pitts and Dovey crossed home plate, making the score 5-1 in favor of the Mocs.

In the bottom of the fourth, SoCon Player of the Year Olivia Shaw doubled down the left field line, bringing Joi Hubbard and Katie Hart in to score and cutting the lead in half. One inning later, the Bulldogs loaded the bases after three walks before a fielding error allowed two runs to score, tying the game at 5-5 heading into the sixth inning.

Samford continued to have quality at-bats and took the lead in the sixth. Shaw and Katie Campbell drew walks before Ella Nelson laid down a sacrifice bunt, placing both runners in scoring position. Addison Smith hit the tournament’s first triple on the next at-bat, making the score 7-5. Brantley Drake scored Smith on an RBI groundout after that, putting the Bulldogs ahead 8-5.

Lackey led off the final frame with a solo home run on the first pitch she saw, closing the gap to 8-6. Raven Jones and Zoe Wright delivered back-to-back singles on the next two at-bats, placing runners on first and second with zero outs.

Samford got outs on the next two plays via runner’s interference and a groundout. Makinley Turner walked the next batter on four pitches to load the bases, but forced an infield pop out on her next pitch, clinching the Bulldogs’ spot in the championship game.

Turner got the win for Samford inside the circle, throwing four innings out of the bullpen.

Hart and Brooke Wildes both went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Bulldogs. Pitts, Lackey and Jones all had two hits for Chattanooga.

Game 12: No. 1 UNCG vs. No. 2 Samford, 10 a.m.

Day two of SoCon Softball Championships in the books

Unknown — Sat, 09 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

No. 1 UNCG 19, No. 4 Wofford 4
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – No. 1 seed UNCG had an offensive explosion in the first game of day two at the 2026 SoCon Softball Championship presented by Chattanooga Tourism Company at Frost Stadium on Friday, winning, 19-4, over No. 4 seed Wofford.

The Spartans (40-17) advanced to play at 10 a.m. on Saturday against the winner of the Samford and Western Carolina game. Wofford (34-18) will face No. 6 seed ETSU in an elimination game at 4 p.m. later today.

The two teams combined for a total of four hits in the first 2 ½ innings played. UNCG began its offensive outburst in the bottom of the third. Second-team all-conference selection Nya South hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Madelyn McKinnon for the game’s first run. Fellow second-team performer Laney Deane crushed a three-run homer to left field in the next at-bat, making the score 4-0.

The bottom half of the fourth inning was record-breaking for the Spartans. UNCG finished with 12 hits and 15 runs in the inning, both establishing new records for the SoCon Tournament. The frame was highlighted by three-run home runs from first-team all-conference selection Macy Michael and second team pick and SoCon Freshman of the Year Avery Bouquin.

Wofford got all of its runs in the fifth inning. First-team all-conference selection Brianna Stanley hit a bases-clearing double, giving the Terriers their first three runs. Two batters later, Kaytlin Greenwood hit an RBI single, bringing Madison Thieke across home plate for the game’s final score.

SoCon Pitcher of the Year Brooklyn Shroyer (19-6) threw four innings for UNCG, recording eight strikeouts and giving up three hits.

Six different Spartans had two or more hits. Bouquin finished the game with five RBIs, while Michael and Deane each had four.

UNCG set conference tournament records for most runs in a game (19), most RBIs (19) and largest margin of victory (15). The two teams combined for the most runs scored in a SoCon Tournament game (23).

No. 2 Samford 14, No. 3 Western Carolina 1
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The No. 2 seed Samford Bulldogs defeated the No. 3 seed Western Carolina Catamounts, 14-1, in five innings on Friday during the 2026 SoCon Softball Championship presented by Chattanooga Tourism Company at Frost Stadium.

Samford (27-29) will now face the No. 1 seed UNCG at 10 a.m. on Saturday, with the winner of that game advancing to the championship round. Western Carolina (34-23) will face No. 5 Chattanooga in an elimination game later today at 7 p.m.

The Bulldogs began the game with three straight singles, before Addison Smith had an RBI single to bring the first run of the game across home plate. Brantley Drake and Brooke Wildes each singled on the next two at-bats, driving in three more runs to give Samford a 4-0 lead.

In the top of the second inning, Western Carolina scored their run. After hitting a double to lead off the frame, Maya McPherson scored on a wild pitch later in the inning.

Samford got four more runs in the second. The first coming from an RBI single by Ella Nelson. Drake and Wildes once again drove in runs, Drake on a double and Wildes on a single.

Olivia Shaw and Katie Campbell, both first-team all-conference selections, each drove in a run during the third inning, making the score 10-1. One inning later, Shaw blasted a two-out grand slam to left field, stretching the Bulldogs lead to 14-1.

Shaw, who is the SoCon Player of the Year, went 4-for-4, including the grand slam and two doubles, while logging five RBIs and three runs scored. Drake finished with four RBIs.

No. 4 Wofford 5, No. 6 ETSU 4
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – No. 4 seed Wofford rallied back to defeat No. 6 seed ETSU, 5-4, during the third game of the day at the 2026 SoCon Softball Championship presented by Chattanooga Tourism Company at Frost Stadium.

Wofford advances to Saturday’s 1 p.m. game against either No. 3 seed Western Carolina or No. 5 seed Chattanooga. ETSU ends its season at 22-30.

ETSU got on the board in the top of the first inning. Whitney Boone hit an RBI single, scoring one run before an error allowed a second run to score. Leinani Lutu singled on the next at-bat, bringing Boone across home plate to put the Bucs ahead, 3-0.

The score stayed the same until the bottom of the fifth inning. Following a walk and a pair of fielder’s choices which placed runners on first and second, Kaytlin Greenwood doubled to left center, scoring Abbi Campbell and Addison Lucier, cutting the score to 3-2. After that, the Terriers loaded the bases following a pair of walks and a fielder’s choice.

With the bases juiced, first-team all-conference selection Desirae Devine delivered a double to the left center gap, clearing the bags and making the score 5-3 in favor of Wofford.

In the next half inning, ETSU cut the lead in half. Riley Martens began the frame with a double and a single from Maddison Stowell placed runners on the corners. After that, Hailey Porter, an all-freshman team selection, hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Martens to make the score 5-4. However, a strikeout and a fielder’s choice out ended the frame following the run.

In the seventh inning, Lutu hit a one-out double and advanced to third base on a groundout. Wofford pitcher Abby Greenwood then forced a popout, ending the inning and the game.

Greenwood (14-6) went the distance inside the circle, logging her 14^th complete game of the season.

Lucier was 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Terriers at the plate. Lutu and Martens both had a pair of hits for the Buccaneers.

No. 5 Chattanooga 7, No. 3 Western Carolina 6
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – No. 5 seed Chattanooga won a thriller over No. 3 seed Western Carolina, 7-6, in the final game of day two at the 2026 SoCon Softball Championship presented by Chattanooga Tourism Company at Frost Stadium on Friday.

The Mocs overcame a three-run deficit in the game’s final inning to advance. Chattanooga (24-28-1) will now play in Saturday’s 1 p.m. game versus No. 4 seed Wofford, which will be an elimination game. Western Carolina ends its season at 34-24.

Chattanooga scored the first runs of the game on one swing of the bat. Following singles from Ava Cowart and Annika Segedi, Baileigh Pitts crushed the first pitch she saw over the left field fence. The Mocs led 3-0 after three innings of play.

Western Carolina took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Sydnee Bumgarner came in as a pinch hitter and drew a leadoff walk, which was followed by a single from Lily Bell.

After the runners advanced to scoring position, Maya McPherson reached on an error as Courtney Marks, who re-entered the game for Bumgarner, and Bell crossed home plate on the play. Tate Stewman stepped into the batter’s box after that and hit a home run to right field, scoring two runs and putting the Catamounts ahead 4-3.

In the sixth inning, Western Carolina extended its lead to 6-3. After three singles loaded the bases, Taylor Waitley drew a walk. Two batters later, McPherson also drew a bases-loaded walk, setting the stage for the dramatic final frame.

Raven Jones doubled to begin the inning. Following an error and a single by Cowart, the Mocs had the bases loaded with zero outs. Abi Bunt got an RBI infield single during the next at-bat, closing the gap to two runs. Pitts followed with an RBI single of her own, making the score 6-5.

On the next at-bat, Mia Leone hit a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing Cowart in to score and tying the game at 6-6. Following a walk to reload the bases, Chloe Lackey singled through the left side, scoring Segedi and completing the rally.

Taylor Long, who threw 192 pitches, tossed her 16^th complete game of the season. She finished with 11 strikeouts and surrendered just two earned runs.

Pitts was 4-for-4 with four RBIs and a run scored. Cowart and Jones both had two hits for the Mocs. Bell led the Catamounts at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Friday, May 8
Game 5: No. 1 UNCG 19, No. 4 Wofford 4
Game 6: No. 2 Samford 14, No. 3 Western Carolina 1
Game 7: No. 4 Wofford 5, No. 6 ETSU 4
Game 8: No. 5 Chattanooga 7, No. 3 Western Carolina 6

Saturday, May 9
Game 9: No. 1 UNCG vs. No. 2 Samford, 10 a.m.
Game 10: No. 4 Wofford vs. No. 5 Chattanooga, 1 p.m.
Game 11: Game 10 winner vs. Game 9 loser, 4 p.m.

Sunday, May 10

Game 12: Game 9 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 10 a.m.
Game 13 (if necessary): Game 12 winner vs. Game 12 loser, 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 12