Greenville, S.C. – The Furman softball team returns to Southern Conference play this weekend with a three-game series versus the Mercer Bears at Sikes Field in Macon, Ga.
 
Game one of the series is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday with the second game slated to begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the series opener. The series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday. All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+ and fans can follow live statistics through StatBroadcast at FurmanPaladins.com.
 
The Paladins enter the weekend at 18-18 overall and 3-3 in league play. Furman currently holds fourth place in the league standings with Chattanooga and UNC Greensboro tied for first with perfect 6-0 conference records and Mercer is in third place at 4-2. This weekend's series will cap a nine-game road trip for the Paladins who are slated to play nine of their final 12 SoCon games at home following the Mercer series.
 
After suffering a three-game sweep at the hands of UNC Greensboro last weekend in Greensboro, N.C., Furman rebounded in a big way with a 4-3 victory over 17^th-ranked Clemson on Tuesday night at McWhorter Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Junior Lauralee Scott hurled a complete game to earn the victory and improve to 7-2 in the circle. Her effort at Clemson, along with her work versus USC Upstate and UNCG last week, helped her earn SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week accolades, it was announced on Wednesday.
 
Furman's victory over the Tigers marked its first in eight all-time meetings against Clemson and the program's first triumph over a ranked opponent since scoring a 5-1 win over No. 14 Indiana in Clearwater, Fla., on March 10, 2019. The Paladins, who also notched a 13-8 victory over Louisville in February, improved to 2-1 against Atlantic Coast Conference opposition this season.
 
Mercer, 15-19 overall and 4-2 in the SoCon, took two-of-three games at Western Carolina last weekend before dropping an 8-1 decision at No. 5 Georgia on Wednesday night. The Bears hold a 26-21 lead in the all-time series versus Furman and took two-of-three last season in Greenville.