Friday, February 20
Macon, Ga.
6:00 P.M.
Columbia
at
Mercer
Baseball Opens 2026 Season at Mercer This Weekend
2/19/2026 2:27:00 PM | Baseball
The Lions start the campaign with three games in Macon
NEW YORK — Columbia baseball opens the 2026 season with a three-game series at Mercer this weekend. First pitch on opening day from OrthoGeorgia Park is set for 6 p.m. on Friday. Saturday's game starts at 2 p.m., followed by the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Game 1 (Friday, February 20)
Pitching Probables
Columbia: RHP Alex Sotiropoulos (2025 Stats - 5-3, 6.64 ERA, 36 K, 39.1 IP)
Mercer: RHP Garrett Lambert (2026 Stats - 0-0, 2.08 ERA, 3 K, 4.1 IP)
Live Stats
Game 2 (Saturday, February 21)
Pitching Probables
Columbia: RHP Tomas Lopez (2025 Stats - 2-0, 0.73 ERA, 17 K, 12.1 IP)
Mercer: RHP Miguel Hugas (2026 Stats - 1-0, 1.08 ERA, 1 K, 5.0 IP)
Live Stats
Game 3 (Sunday, February 22)
Pitching Probables
Columbia: RHP Thomas Santana (2025 Stats - 5-4, 5.84 ERA, 60 K, 61.2 IP)
Mercer: LHP Jess Ackerman (2026 Stats - 1-0, 4.91 ERA, 5 K, 3.2 IP)
Live Stats
Scouting the Bears
Mercer improved to 3-1 after an 8-0 win over Georgia State on Wednesday. Logan Shepherd powered Mercer at the plate with a two-home run performance during the midweek contest, marking the second time in less than a week he has homered twice in a game.
Mercer posted a 35-25 overall record in 2025, finishing 12-9 in conference play and reaching the SoCon Tournament Championship round.
Keys to the Series
"Offense usually takes a little longer to come around, so we've been stressing the pitching and defense as the keys to this weekend," head coach Brett Boretti told GoColumbiaLions.com before the team's trip to Macon. "We need to limit the amount of free bases we give up and put pressure on the other team to beat us and not beat ourselves. I would like to see us be aggressive at the plate and on the bases."
Series History
This will mark the first meeting between the two programs and just the third time Columbia has faced a Southern Conference opponent.
The Lions are 1–1 all-time against Southern Conference schools, with both matchups decided by narrow margins. Columbia outlasted UNCG, 8-7, in 2014 before falling to Samford, 10–8, in 2023.
Opening Day
The Lions will look to secure their second consecutive opening day victory after setting the tone for the 2025 campaign with a 10–5 win in 10 innings at Kennesaw State. Sotiropoulos earned the victory in his collegiate debut, tossing 2.1 innings and allowing one run on one hit with a walk.
Preseason Poll
Columbia was picked to finish first in the 2026 Ivy League Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's sports information directors and media members. Columbia has never been picked to finish worse than third in the Ivy League Baseball Preseason Poll. The Lions earned 118 total points and nine first-place votes, narrowly edging Yale, which finished second with 116 points and seven first-place votes. Columbia is anticipating a competitive season ahead.
"Our pitching staff has a chance to be really good," said Boretti. "The experience, arms, and innings pitched we have returning are our strengths. As we work with that, we will try to shore up the defense as best as we can. Offensively, we have a lot of guys coming back in the lineup, but we will probably be more aggressive on the basepaths and put more in motion."
The Schedule
Columbia's 41-game slate features 15 of which will be played at Robertson Field at Satow Stadium.
The Lions face a challenging road swing against a pair of Big 12 teams coming off of NCAA Tournament appearances. Columbia opens a three-game set at Kansas State on February 27, followed by three games at West Virginia, which reached the Super Regionals in 2024, from March 6–8.
The top four finishers will qualify for the Ivy League Tournament, to be held May 15–18, on the campus of the regular-season champion.
Columbia is aiming for its second consecutive NCAA Regional berth, which begins on May 29, followed by the NCAA Super Regionals (June 5–8) and ultimately the College World Series in Omaha (June 12–22).
The Roster
Columbia returns seven All-Ivy League selections across its lineup and pitching staff from 2025, led by first-team honorees Jack Kail and Cole Fellows. Fellows captured the Blair Bat as the Ivy League's top hitter in conference play after batting .329 against Ancient Eight opponents.
All-Ivy League honorable mentions Tate Vogler and Hunter Snyder remain key contributors on both sides of the ball. Vogler emerged as a steady presence at first base during Ivy League play, batting .297 with 13 doubles, one home run, 20 RBI and 27 runs scored. Snyder hit .306 across 40 games with 37 hits, 26 RBI and a .430 slugging percentage while also scoring 26 runs.
In the outfield, Ben Fishel looks to build on a strong first-year campaign after hitting .303 in 33 games with 26 runs scored and a .411 slugging percentage.
Behind the plate, Anthony Temesvary and Owen Estabrook are expected to anchor catching duties.
On the mound, two-time All-Ivy League selection Thomas Santana and sophomore Alex Sotiropoulos, a second-team honoree last season, headline the Lions' pitching staff. Junior Tomas Lopez also brings postseason and international experience after earning a spot on Brazil's roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Lopez delivered in key moments last spring, tossing two scoreless innings with five strikeouts in the Ivy League Tournament and adding two shutout frames in Columbia's NCAA Regional win over No. 12 Southern Miss.
Columbia also welcomes 11 newcomers to the roster, further strengthening the program's depth and adding versatility on both sides of the ball.
"We graduated 11 guys, which is a substantial group of guys that left," Boretti said. "We've got a great trio of captains with Jack Kail, Cole Fellows and Thomas Santana. They are guys who have been playing here for all four years that they've been here. Our team looks up to them, and they've done a great job passing along our culture to the newer guys we've brought in."
A Tradition of Excellence
Since 2012, Columbia has led the Ivy League with 168 conference wins, 11 wins over ranked opponents, seven NCAA Tournament wins, and seven Ivy League Championships. In that span, the Lions have also produced 12 Major League Baseball Draft selections and have had 18 players in MLB organizations.
2025 Recap
Columbia is coming off its 17th Ivy League Championship, finishing 2025 with a 30-19 overall record and a 16-5 conference mark. Under head coach Brett Boretti, the Lions have captured eight Ivy League titles, seven of which have come since 2013.
In 2025, the Lions established themselves as one of the league's most complete offensive teams in 2025, finishing tied for the conference lead in batting average (.289) while leading the league in home runs (77), runs (417), hits (506), RBIs (383), total bases (881) and slugging percentage (.503).
The Lions also showed strong plate discipline with 251 walks and ranked among the top teams in on-base production (.394). The Lions also ranked second in on-base percentage (.394).
The Lions proved to be hard to beat at home, posting a 12-1 record at Robertson Field at Satow Stadium.
On Deck
Following the season-opening series at Mercer, the Lions will travel to Manhattan, Kansas, to take on the Big 12 foes from February 27-March 1.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia baseball, follow @CULionsBaseball on X and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Game 1 (Friday, February 20)
Pitching Probables
Columbia: RHP Alex Sotiropoulos (2025 Stats - 5-3, 6.64 ERA, 36 K, 39.1 IP)
Mercer: RHP Garrett Lambert (2026 Stats - 0-0, 2.08 ERA, 3 K, 4.1 IP)
Live Stats
Game 2 (Saturday, February 21)
Pitching Probables
Columbia: RHP Tomas Lopez (2025 Stats - 2-0, 0.73 ERA, 17 K, 12.1 IP)
Mercer: RHP Miguel Hugas (2026 Stats - 1-0, 1.08 ERA, 1 K, 5.0 IP)
Live Stats
Game 3 (Sunday, February 22)
Pitching Probables
Columbia: RHP Thomas Santana (2025 Stats - 5-4, 5.84 ERA, 60 K, 61.2 IP)
Mercer: LHP Jess Ackerman (2026 Stats - 1-0, 4.91 ERA, 5 K, 3.2 IP)
Live Stats
Scouting the Bears
Mercer improved to 3-1 after an 8-0 win over Georgia State on Wednesday. Logan Shepherd powered Mercer at the plate with a two-home run performance during the midweek contest, marking the second time in less than a week he has homered twice in a game.
Mercer posted a 35-25 overall record in 2025, finishing 12-9 in conference play and reaching the SoCon Tournament Championship round.
Keys to the Series
"Offense usually takes a little longer to come around, so we've been stressing the pitching and defense as the keys to this weekend," head coach Brett Boretti told GoColumbiaLions.com before the team's trip to Macon. "We need to limit the amount of free bases we give up and put pressure on the other team to beat us and not beat ourselves. I would like to see us be aggressive at the plate and on the bases."
Hear from captains Cole Fellows and Thomas Santana as the Lions get ready to head to Georgia to face Mercer to open up the 2026 campaign.#RoarLionRoar 🦁 // #OnlyHere 🗽 pic.twitter.com/3Ootk0te8v
— Columbia Baseball (@CULionsBaseball) February 19, 2026
Series History
This will mark the first meeting between the two programs and just the third time Columbia has faced a Southern Conference opponent.
The Lions are 1–1 all-time against Southern Conference schools, with both matchups decided by narrow margins. Columbia outlasted UNCG, 8-7, in 2014 before falling to Samford, 10–8, in 2023.
Opening Day
The Lions will look to secure their second consecutive opening day victory after setting the tone for the 2025 campaign with a 10–5 win in 10 innings at Kennesaw State. Sotiropoulos earned the victory in his collegiate debut, tossing 2.1 innings and allowing one run on one hit with a walk.
Preseason Poll
Columbia was picked to finish first in the 2026 Ivy League Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's sports information directors and media members. Columbia has never been picked to finish worse than third in the Ivy League Baseball Preseason Poll. The Lions earned 118 total points and nine first-place votes, narrowly edging Yale, which finished second with 116 points and seven first-place votes. Columbia is anticipating a competitive season ahead.
"Our pitching staff has a chance to be really good," said Boretti. "The experience, arms, and innings pitched we have returning are our strengths. As we work with that, we will try to shore up the defense as best as we can. Offensively, we have a lot of guys coming back in the lineup, but we will probably be more aggressive on the basepaths and put more in motion."
The Schedule
Columbia's 41-game slate features 15 of which will be played at Robertson Field at Satow Stadium.
The Lions face a challenging road swing against a pair of Big 12 teams coming off of NCAA Tournament appearances. Columbia opens a three-game set at Kansas State on February 27, followed by three games at West Virginia, which reached the Super Regionals in 2024, from March 6–8.
The top four finishers will qualify for the Ivy League Tournament, to be held May 15–18, on the campus of the regular-season champion.
Columbia is aiming for its second consecutive NCAA Regional berth, which begins on May 29, followed by the NCAA Super Regionals (June 5–8) and ultimately the College World Series in Omaha (June 12–22).
The Roster
Columbia returns seven All-Ivy League selections across its lineup and pitching staff from 2025, led by first-team honorees Jack Kail and Cole Fellows. Fellows captured the Blair Bat as the Ivy League's top hitter in conference play after batting .329 against Ancient Eight opponents.
All-Ivy League honorable mentions Tate Vogler and Hunter Snyder remain key contributors on both sides of the ball. Vogler emerged as a steady presence at first base during Ivy League play, batting .297 with 13 doubles, one home run, 20 RBI and 27 runs scored. Snyder hit .306 across 40 games with 37 hits, 26 RBI and a .430 slugging percentage while also scoring 26 runs.
In the outfield, Ben Fishel looks to build on a strong first-year campaign after hitting .303 in 33 games with 26 runs scored and a .411 slugging percentage.
Behind the plate, Anthony Temesvary and Owen Estabrook are expected to anchor catching duties.
On the mound, two-time All-Ivy League selection Thomas Santana and sophomore Alex Sotiropoulos, a second-team honoree last season, headline the Lions' pitching staff. Junior Tomas Lopez also brings postseason and international experience after earning a spot on Brazil's roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Lopez delivered in key moments last spring, tossing two scoreless innings with five strikeouts in the Ivy League Tournament and adding two shutout frames in Columbia's NCAA Regional win over No. 12 Southern Miss.
Columbia also welcomes 11 newcomers to the roster, further strengthening the program's depth and adding versatility on both sides of the ball.
"We graduated 11 guys, which is a substantial group of guys that left," Boretti said. "We've got a great trio of captains with Jack Kail, Cole Fellows and Thomas Santana. They are guys who have been playing here for all four years that they've been here. Our team looks up to them, and they've done a great job passing along our culture to the newer guys we've brought in."
A Tradition of Excellence
Since 2012, Columbia has led the Ivy League with 168 conference wins, 11 wins over ranked opponents, seven NCAA Tournament wins, and seven Ivy League Championships. In that span, the Lions have also produced 12 Major League Baseball Draft selections and have had 18 players in MLB organizations.
2025 Recap
Columbia is coming off its 17th Ivy League Championship, finishing 2025 with a 30-19 overall record and a 16-5 conference mark. Under head coach Brett Boretti, the Lions have captured eight Ivy League titles, seven of which have come since 2013.
In 2025, the Lions established themselves as one of the league's most complete offensive teams in 2025, finishing tied for the conference lead in batting average (.289) while leading the league in home runs (77), runs (417), hits (506), RBIs (383), total bases (881) and slugging percentage (.503).
The Lions also showed strong plate discipline with 251 walks and ranked among the top teams in on-base production (.394). The Lions also ranked second in on-base percentage (.394).
The Lions proved to be hard to beat at home, posting a 12-1 record at Robertson Field at Satow Stadium.
On Deck
Following the season-opening series at Mercer, the Lions will travel to Manhattan, Kansas, to take on the Big 12 foes from February 27-March 1.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia baseball, follow @CULionsBaseball on X and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
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