East Tennessee State University’s softball team will travel to Macon, Georgia, for its final Southern Conference (SoCon) series of the regular season against Mercer on May 2 and 3.
The upcoming games are significant as both teams hold identical overall records of 19-27, with East Tennessee State at 6-12 in conference play and Mercer at 7-11. The three-game series is scheduled to begin with a doubleheader on May 2 at Sikes Field, followed by the finale on May 3.
In their last meeting during the SoCon Championship on May 8, 2025, East Tennessee State lost to Mercer by a score of 11-3. The two programs first met in April 2006. Overall, Mercer leads the all-time series between the teams.
This season has seen several notable achievements for East Tennessee State. The team earned its first win over Gardner-Webb since the 2024 season and secured its first shutout in league action with a victory over Samford. Additional highlights include winning two conference series this year—the most since their successful runs against Furman and Mercer in the previous seasons—and achieving a sweep of Furman for just the fifth time in program history.
Cheryl Milligan enters her fourth season as head coach of East Tennessee State’s softball program and aims to build upon her current record with support from returning assistant coaches Bill and others. This year’s squad features a mix of experience and new talent: seven freshmen, eight sophomores, nine juniors, five seniors—including key returners such as senior catcher, senior pitcher Barnes, and junior infielder—and seven newcomers.
