SoCon Announces Weekly Baseball Awards

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)