Mershon Finds Ways To Spark MSU
April 25, 2024 | Baseball
Bulldog infielder contributes in many ways to the success of State.
STARKVILLE – With his curly blonde hair and sneaky quick feet, it's hard for anyone to overlook Mississippi State shortstop David Mershon.
The sophomore has been a vital member of the Diamond Dawg family since he stepped foot on campus, demonstrating an impressive ability on the field and serving as one of the biggest voices of motivation in the locker room.
But Mershon isn't the team's leading home run hitter or the student-athlete blasting doubles off of the outfield wall. Rather, he does the small things that end up making some of the biggest differences in each game. It's in his blood.
"I credit a lot of that to the way I was brought up and the way that I was taught to play the game," Mershon said. "That's how my dad played. He taught us all to play hard-nosed, play as hard as we can, find any way we can to help our team win."
The native of Taylors, South Carolina, had a more nontraditional upbringing when compared to other student-athletes in his cleats. Mershon was homeschooled, spending plenty of time with his six siblings and learning much of the game from his father, a former professional player.
"I grew up in a baseball family," Mershon said. "I had my dad play pro ball. My oldest brother played and my older brother is currently finishing his last year at Ohio State."
Mershon's talents were evident from an early age. His dominant presence through his travel ball clubs quickly caught the eye of State, and it wasn't long before he knew that he wanted to play in the Maroon and White.
"I committed after the summer of my freshman year," Mershon said. "I played a lot of travel ball and that's how I got scouted to get here."
The switch-hitter secured his starting spot for good by the end of his freshman season – a year in which he secured a .280 batting average, recorded 12 stolen bases and 20 walks and earned one SEC Freshman of the Week honor following a couple of stellar outings in the team's series victory against LSU.
Mershon's presence on the base paths and poise at the plate have only gotten better as his time with the Bulldogs has gone on. So far this season, the 5-foot-8 speedster has stolen a team-high 18 bases on 19 attempts and has walked 26 times. On top of that, his batting average has jumped to .343 and he has demonstrated his strength with nine doubles, two triples and two home runs.
The talented baserunner has garnered plenty of praise — and a bit of worry, at times — from his teammates. Outfielder Bryce Chance explained that he loves watching his younger teammate play.
"He's a dirtbag [and] he's a little Energizer bunny running around the field," Chance said. "It's fun to watch him work because he goes out there, and I know sometimes he scares me. I know he scares Coach [Chris] Lemonis. It's fun to watch him do that."
Defensively, Mershon has posted a near-perfect fielding percentage in a position that can be incredibly difficult to play. The infielder has continuously wowed fans with his leaping catches and strong putouts, seeming at times to make impossible plays. It's something that he's put a lot of focus into.
"I've worked really hard on [defense]," Mershon said. "My senior year of high school and last year I wasn't the strongest defensively. I would say the potential was always there, but I worked on it a lot this summer especially and this offseason to keep improving."
Mershon is doing much more than making big plays from his spot on the field. In those rare moments when Dudy Noble Field is quiet, fans can hear him chattering to his pitcher and fellow defenders. Standout pitcher Khal Stephen does not always hear exactly what his defender is saying, but he enjoys the support.
"It's nice to have a confident voice behind you, just being able to trust the eight guys on the field out there with me," Stephen said.
Getting to share this encouragement helps Mershon as well.
"It helps me stay locked in, and I think being the best version of yourself and being the most open version of yourself allows other people to do that," Mershon said. "That's just kind of what I want from them out there, to just be relaxed and have fun and play the game."
There's another defining part of Mershon's life, one that certainly can't be overlooked: his strong faith. He comes from a devout Catholic family and grew up going to Mass nearly every day. Even now, he makes sure to set aside time to practice his faith while navigating a busy life as a student-athlete.
"I'm very grateful for it, and it's the most important thing in my life and I want to honor and glorify God with that," Mershon said.
There are only a few weeks of SEC action left before postseason play begins, and Mershon and the Diamond Dawgs are looking to make one final push. MSU currently sits in third place in the SEC West standings and is on track to make some noise in the coming weeks. Mershon says that the ball club will work tirelessly to keep on picking up victories.
"We want to win as many as we can," Mershon said. "We're going to do everything in our power to do that. It's our mindset."
With a student-athlete like Mershon at the helm, State is poised for a successful end to the 2024 season. If he and his teammates keep on doing the little things to win, then it will undoubtedly pay off in a big way quite soon.
