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Merced enjoys the friendly confines of Estes Field

Junior SS blasts seven home runs in eight games

Posted 3/23/22

  Last Monday as the Central Methodist baseball team took the field for the first time at home for the 2022 season, players were sure to be a little nervous. Holding on to a 14-3 record at the …

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Merced enjoys the friendly confines of Estes Field

Junior SS blasts seven home runs in eight games

Posted

 Last Monday as the Central Methodist baseball team took the field for the first time at home for the 2022 season, players were sure to be a little nervous. Holding on to a 14-3 record at the time, the Eagles ran up against the Graceland Yellowjackets. The Eagles, ranked No. 8 in the NAIA, wanted to run through the eight-game homestand to prove to the Eagle faithful they were all the rankings said they were. And that they did, racking up 93 runs in eight games while holding their opponents to 13.

With the NAIA abolishing the 10-run mercy rule, games will no longer be stopped after five innings if a team is ahead by 10 or more runs as they have been in the past. The blowouts will continue until the full seven innings are completed.

One of the architects of the eight-game home winning streak was shortstop Robbie Merced. The 6’2” junior has feasted on the pitching of Graceland and Evangel. Last Monday, he broke the ice by smashing three home runs in the first game. Then, to show the first game was no fluke, he hit another in the second. He encountered a dry spell on Tuesday as he was held to no hits in the first game and “only” two hits in the second. He drove in six runs, however with those two hits. 

On Sunday, Merced blasted a grand slam in the first game while driving in a total of seven runs in the opener. In the nightcap, all he did was go two-for-two with a home run. 

Monday’s first game was another relatively quiet game for Merced. He went only two-for-three with two RBI. He came on strong in the second half of the twin bill, going two-for-two with a double and another home run.

The Eagles stand at 22-3 on the season and 8-0 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

Merced has not just been a hero at home. On the year, normally batting from the five spot in the lineup, he has scored 32 runs and gotten 40 hits in 77 at-bats for a .519 batting average. 

Merced is tied for the team lead in triples with junior Logan McDonald and sophomore Bobby Nichols, and leads the team with 18 total home runs and 58 runs batted in. Normally power hitters like Merced put up big strikeout numbers. Not Merced. He’s only K’d 13 times this season.

CMU travels to Baldwin City Kansas to take on Baker for a four-game set starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday with games three and four on Sunday.

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