Nicole Mercado Class: Senior Hometown: LaHabra, Calif. High School: Sonora HS Height: 5-2 Position: OF/2B Birthdate: 08/04/1985 Experience: HS B/T: L/R

Will see the majority of her time in the outfield in 2007, but may also see time in the infield

2006
Saw action in all 59 games with 58 starts... Tallied nine multi-hit and seven multi-RBI games... Posted team highs in multiple categories, including hits (54), triples (5), runs (26) and at bats (184)... Set career highs in batting average (.293), triples (5), home runs (1) and RBI (23)... Five triples was highest total among Big Ten competitors... Longest hitting streak of the season came in an eight-game stretch, beginning April 14 at Wisconsin through April 22 at Penn State... Tallied 11 hits and three runs during the stretch... Began the season with a three-game hitting streak to help MSU capture its first tournament title of the year at the Pirate Classic (ECU)... Went 1-for-3 at the plate, adding three RBI in season-opening victory vs. Army on Feb. 17... Tallied three hits and three runs combined vs. No. 12 Georgia and Southern Illinois at the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Feb. 24... Went 3-for-4 vs. Harvard, posting one double and first-career home run on March 5... Added two runs and two RBI vs. Harvard... Began a seven-game hitting streak with one hit vs. Chattanooga on March 19... Streak ended vs. Western Kentucky, posting one hit and two RBI on March 25... In doubleheader sweep vs. IPFW on March 29, tallied three hits, four runs and two RBI... Tallied three hits and two runs in Spartan victory vs. Minnesota on April 1... Tallied one hit and two runs in series sweep over Purdue (April 7-8)... Went 5-for-7 at the plate in series split with Iowa on April 16... Added one run, one triple and one RBI vs. the Hawkeyes... Tallied two of MSU's three hits vs. Penn State (April 21-22)... In Spartan victory over Illinois on April 30, tallied one hit and one run... Posted one hit in Big Ten Tournament loss to No. 13 Michigan.

2005
Named to the Second-Team All-Big Ten squad... Made 30 starts in right field, 17 starts in center field and one start at second base... Posted seven multi-hit and three multi-RBI games... Hit .236 with 33 hits, seven doubles, two triples and 13 RBI in 51 appearances... Tallied two stolen bases... Started 14 Big Ten contests hitting a team-best .378 with 14 hits, including three doubles, two triples and nine RBI... During Big Ten play, held a 1.000 fielding percentage in 14 appearances... Recorded six-game hitting streak from April 17-29... In the season-opening victory vs. No. 16 Florida, drew two walks, adding one run scored in the upset... Tallied one double, one run and one walk to help MSU halt a nine game winless streak and defeat Eastern Kentucky 5-1 on March 6... Went 2-for-2 in Big Ten win vs. Indiana on April 1, posting a career-high three RBI and one triple... Went 2-for-4, adding one double and one run vs. Ohio State on April 9... Followed OSU effort with a 2-for-5 performance at the plate vs. Penn State, adding one double and one run in the 2-1 Spartan win... Set season-best with four putouts vs. No. 15 Northwestern on April 30... Against No. 1 Michigan on May 1, went 2-for-2 at the plate.

2004
Started 57 of the 61 games in which she played... Led the team in triples with three... Was fifth on the team with 58 hits, hitting .296 on the season... Accumulated streaks of 17 and 21 games without a fielding error (April 25-May 22, Feb. 14-March 13)... Recorded an RBI in three straight games from March 11-12, including multi-RBI outings against Cal State Fullerton and in game one at Loyola Marymount... Went 10-for-21 during a five-game hitting streak between March 9-12, which included 3-for-5 efforts against both UC Riverside and Loyola Marymount... Recorded two triples in game two against UC Riverside on March 9... Had back-to-back doubles in games versus Florida and at Cal State Fullerton on March 11... Went 3-for-4 with two RBI in game two against Wisconsin on April 11... Went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in a victory at Ohio State on April 16... Recorded a 14-game hitting streak from April 4-23, good for a tie for seventh on MSU's all-time list... Was 2-for-4 with an RBI against Western Michigan on May 6... Went 2-for-4 against Northwestern on May 8... Was 3-for-5 against Washington with one run scored and an RBI in the NCAA Regional... Was 6-for-16 (.375) in the four-game NCAA Regional in Athens, Ga., scoring three runs.

Pre-MSU
Won four letters for coach Michelle Rodriguez at Sonora High... Captained the softball team in 2002 and 2003... Named first-team all-league as a senior... Earned second-team all-league honors as a sophomore and junior... Named team's defensive player of the year as a sophomore and junior... Named to the Michelle Carrew Classic All-Tournament team... Hit .350 as a senior... Posted six doubles, two home runs and hit .323 as a junior... Principal's List and honor roll student.

Club Softball
Played for Gordons Panthers 18-under Gold ASA team that participated in nationals from 2000-2003... Team took second in 2002, third in 2001 and fourth in 2003.

Personal
Born Aug. 4, 1985... Daughter of Ron and Darlene Christner... A criminal justice major.