NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State hosts defending MEAC champion Bethune-Cookman in a pivotal three-game conference series this weekend at Marty L. Miller Field.
The teams play a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, then conclude the series with a single game at noon on Sunday. All three games will be webcast at www.nsuspartans.com. The games, which require a subscription to view, include a live video stream and play-by-play commentary by Ross Gordon of the NSU Sports Network and NSU sports information director Matt Michalec. To sign up, visit www.nsuspartans.com and select the All-Access link under the Inside Athletics Tab, or navigate directly to www.nsuspartans.com/showcase.
The third-place Spartans (14-18, 6-2 MEAC) enter the weekend having won six of their last eight games, including conference series wins over Coppin State (3-0) and Maryland Eastern Shore (2-1). After scoring 46 runs in their last two contests – wins over CSU (28-16) and Virginia State (18-2) – the Spartans now lead the MEAC with a .301 team batting average. Four Spartans rank among the MEAC's top 10 in batting: senior outfielder John Rasberry (.423, second in MEAC), DH/outfielder James Taylor (.374, third), first baseman Brandon Hairston (.363, sixth) and third baseman Ryan Montgomery (.356, eighth). Outfielder John Lynch leads the MEAC with 20 stolen bases and is tied for third with 29 runs scored.
NSU's pitching staff boasts the No. 3 team earned-run average in the MEAC, at 4.97. Freshman left hander Ryan VanAssche leads the MEAC with a 2.60 ERA and paces NSU in victories (4-3 record). Junior righty Ryan Shook is sixth in ERA (3.93) and leads the league with 55 strikeouts. Sophomore righty Jordan Egan is third with a 3.41 ERA and fifth with 42 strikeouts.
Despite losing two mid-week games at Florida Gulf Coast this week, the Wildcats enter the weekend with a 19-17 overall record, 6-0 and in first place in the MEAC after sweeping season series from Florida A&M and North Carolina A&T in their first two conference weekends. BCU has won 11 of the last 12 MEAC baseball championships, including five in a row, and has won its last 25 MEAC regular-season games. B-CU boasts a .278 team batting average, fourth-best in the league. Shortstop Brashad Johnson leads the team with a .339 average, good for 11th in the MEAC. The Wildcats also feature the preseason MEAC Player of the Year in catcher Peter O'Brien, who is batting .288 with a MEAC-best 10 home runs and 40 RBI. The Wildcats lead the conference in home runs with 36.
On the mound, B-CU is led by freshman righty Scott Garner, who is second in the conference behind VanAssche with a 2.83 ERA. Relief ace Jordan Dailey has four saves and a 1.74 ERA, though he hasn't pitched enough innings to qualify for the conference rankings.
The Wildcats lead the all-time series with NSU, 55-14. BCU has won 16 in a row over the Spartans dating back to the 2005 season.
In addition to the doubleheader Saturday, the Norfolk Department of Recreation, Parks & Open Space and the Police Athletic League will host their annual cookout and registration drive for the 2011 Badges for Baseball Program at Marty L. Miller Field from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. The RPOS and PAL partner with the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program in the Badges for Baseball initiative, which aims to get youth involved in playing baseball to prevent crime and improve the relationship between law enforcement personnel and disadvantaged children.
All youth who register are invited to stay for the NSU-BCU doubleheader, and Norfolk police chief Sharon Chamberlin will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
