SoCon Announces Weekly Baseball Awards

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)