A Closer Look - Season 2 (Skylar Mercado)
After facing several obstacles along the way, transfer junior Skylar Mercado finally feels comfortable in his role at USC Aiken.
Mercado began his collegiate career at the University of Maine where he saw playing time immediately as a freshman shortstop.
“I went to Maine because they offered me a generous scholarship and ensured that I would be starting as a freshman. I think any kid coming out of high school wants to hear those things,” Mercado said.
After only three games, Mercado suffered a shoulder dislocation against the Miami Hurricanes and would be sidelined for the remainder of the season despite trying to play through the pain.
“After suffering a shoulder injury my freshman year, it seemed to be in my best interest to transfer to a smaller Junior College in order to get back to where I wanted to be physically wise,” Mercado said.
This led him to make the decision to transfer to Florence Darlington Tech. Mercado returned to the starting lineup for the Stingers and made his way to recovery.
“I had a few friends down south and that made the transfer process really easy,” Mercado said when asked why he felt Florence Darlington was the right choice for him.
After a season at short stop for the Stingers, USC Aiken reached out to Mercado about coming to play for the Pacers.
Mercado grew up in the Bronx of New York, where he attended several Yankees games with his father. This is where he grew to fall in love with the game of baseball. He spent several late nights and early mornings playing catch with his father in any open space they could find.
“My parents are the reason I am in Aiken today. My dad always instilled in my dreams. He took me everywhere I needed to go when it came to games, practices and trainers. When he passed away, my mom took over all of those duties and never thought twice about helping me get to where I needed to go,” said Mercado.
Mercado’s father, Steve Mercado, was a New York City firefighter during the time of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centers. His father lost his life in an effort to protect others, and Skylar vowed to him that he would do all that he could do to take baseball as far as he could.
“I promised my dad, myself and my family that I would never stop trying to succeed in baseball and USC Aiken gave me an opportunity to keep fulfilling that promise,” Mercado said.
After one official visit, Mercado knew that he would be becoming a Pacer the following spring season.
“I loved everything that USCA had to offer, especially the facilities. The coaches were all so positive and welcoming on my visit, and the team made me feel really comfortable. I also loved that down south the weather enables you to practice outside in the colder months,” Mercado said.
Head Coach Kenny Thomas stated, “Skylar is a great defensive player for us and has shown great improvement on his offense while playing for his Junior College.”
On opening day with the Pacers, Mercado went 3-3 with two doubles and a single. He tallied one run for the Pacers. This is a sign of the explosive offense that Mercado will be able to provide for the team.
