The Alabama State baseball team will open the final stretch of home games of the 2012 season when the Hornets host Mercer in the first of a two-game series Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
 
Gameday Central on Bamastatesports.com will have live stats to Tuesday's game.
 
Alabama State (16-26) will play six of its next seven games at home in the next nine days. After hosting Mercer Tuesday and Wednesday, ASU will host Mississippi Valley State in a three-game series Saturday and Sunday before playing at Jacksonville State Tuesday, May 1 before hosting the Gamecocks Wednesday, May 2 in the final home game of the season.
 
The Hornets return home after losing a three-game series at #26-ranked Oklahoma, where the offense could not get on track. Alabama State scored just one run in the series, part of a bigger problem offensively in which the Hornets have hit just .167 in their past seven games.
 
Alabama State's pitching and defense has been solid in recent games. The Hornets forced Oklahoma to strand 30 runners on base in the series, as the Sooners had just one big inning in the three games, scoring four runs in the seventh inning of Sunday's 7-0 win.
 
“Our pitchers were able to work out of jams the whole weekend,” head coach Mervyl Melendez said. “Defensively, we played great and gave ourselves opportunities to be in every game. Our players are doing a great job playing the game. We just need to be more confident at the plate. Overall, I believe we are in good shape right now. I like the way we are playing the game.”

The Hornets host a Mercer team (24-18) which has lost four of its past five games, including two of three to Atlantic Sun Conference foe East Tennessee State. Among the Bears' victories this season is a win at SEC-member Mississippi State.

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