Oh say, can you swing?: Former Eastside star Mershon hitting all the right pitches at MSU

Former Eastside star David Mershon surprised his teammates and the crowd at Mississippi State’s March 8 game vs. Evansville, performing the national anthem before the game.

Before Mississippi State’s March 8 game against Evansville, David Mershon looked for a quiet spot in the locker room.

Not just a quiet spot—a secret location, a place where none of his teammates could hear him.

The former Eastside baseball star turned Bulldog found a room in the back of the team’s clubhouse. While the rest of his team talked to one another and locked in on the game at hand, Mershon was practicing.

He wasn’t working on his swinging, however.

Try his singing.

“I just needed to find somewhere quiet,” said Mershon. “Somewhere I could run through my song just one time before the game.”

Mershon kept quiet and got through his song one time. He sang softly under his breath so no one in the clubhouse heard.

What happened next, he said, he wanted to keep a surprise from his teammates.

As the Bulldogs walked onto the field, all seemed normal. They lined up on the base paths, just as they’d done before every game. But when it was time to sing the national anthem, a few players noticed there was no one standing on the field to perform.

That’s when Mershon stepped out of line and stepped to the mic.

His teammates looked at one another, grinning and laughing. They shook their heads in disbelief.

“Not one person on the team knew that it was happening,” said Mershon, laughing. “It was a complete surprise to them. I’d told my coach that I might do it at some point, but I didn’t actually tell him the day it was happening, either.”

Mershon grabbed the mic and belted out a rousing rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, drawing raucous applause from his team and the stadium filled with Bulldog fans.

Mississippi State’s sophomore rising star said the music has always been in him.

“I went to Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Taylors growing up. I was part of their children’s choir,” said Mershon. “We sang Gregorian Chants and things of that nature. I was part of a couple of choirs for my school co-op, and we went to nursing homes to sing Christmas carols sometimes for the older folks there.

“Music’s just something that’s been ingrained in me for a while now.”

As for singing the national anthem, Mershon said it’s something he’s always wanted to do. He mentioned seeing St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright perform the anthem before a game last season and being inspired.

Plus, Mershon’s patriotism is something he never shies away from. When Mississippi State (secretly) presented him with the opportunity, he couldn’t say no.

“I love America. The national anthem is a great way to show that. Plus, I think about all the wars and hardships and all the people who had to die for my freedom,” said Mershon. “My oldest brother, Nick, served in the Navy for nine years. He was a diver. I saw what kind of sacrifice it took for him and his family.”

Mershon—after his freshman season at Eastside — played on Greer’s 2019 Legion championship-winning baseball team. Legion head coach Chad Hart had never heard Mershon’s singing for himself, he said, but he does recall rumblings about his second talent.

“I heard the guys on the team talking about it in the dugout that year,” said Hart. “But I never got to hear David sing for himself until I saw that national anthem video. It was impressive.”

And for as good as Mershon is at singing, it’s fair to say he’s even better at hitting the right pitches on the field.

Mershon was a three-time All-State player during his time at Eastside and helped the Eagles to two state championships in his high school career. During his senior season, he kept an absurd .500 batting average.

He’s found success at nearly every level, and at Mississippi State, so far, it’s been more of the same.

As the Bulldogs’ starting shortstop, Mershon is batting .333 this season with two home runs and 23 RBIs. He’s helped Mississippi State to a 21-12 record halfway through the season. The Bulldogs are currently ranked No. 22 in the nation.

“I was fortunate enough to play the second half of the season [at Mississippi State] last year and get a whole lot of experience,” said Mershon. “Then this summer, I went out and played in the New England League out in Rhode Island. That helped a lot. I’ve grown as a player a lot this past year. It’s been awesome.”

Mershon doesn’t plan on stopping his growth as a player anytime soon. He says his ultimate goal is to bring a College World Series title home to Starkville.

Just don’t count on any more singing along the way.

“I’ll tell you this much,” said Mershon with a smile. “Being out there in the middle of everyone, thousands of people in the stands looking at you, singing all by yourself?

“That’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done. That’s way more nerve-racking than playing a baseball game, I promise you that.”