NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State baseball team embarks on a key four-game MEAC road series this Friday and Saturday against Coppin State. The teams play a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. Friday, and another starting at noon on Saturday. All games will be played at Joe Cannon Stadium in Anne Arundel, Md.

The teams were originally slated to play a three-game series in Maryland on March 29-30, but those dates were rained out. The teams instead played a doubleheader at NSU's Marty L. Miller Field on March 31. In turn, this weekend's series was switched from NSU to Maryland, and the team's will make up the one game that wasn't played last month during this weekend's regularly scheduled series.

The Spartans won both games last month, beating CSU 12-1 and 1-0 in their doubleheader.

Every series from here on out is key as MEAC Northern Division foes CSU, NSU, Delaware State and Maryland Eastern Shore jockey for positioning in next month's tournament. DSU (8-4 MEAC) is currently in first place, followed by NSU (8-6), CSU (6-8) and UMES (4-8).

NSU's offense continues to be paced by senior outfielder/first baseman Ross Cardwell, who has a team-high .330 batting average, two home runs and 20 RBI. Shortstop Justin Lee is second in the MEAC and tied for 38th in stolen bases, with 15. The pitching staff is led by the trio of freshman Devin Hemmerich (tied for MEAC-lead with four saves), sophomore Matt Outman (team-high four wins) and junior Stephen Butt (MEAC-best 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings).

The Eagles, who have lost five in a row, are led at the plate by shortstop David Hamlett (.301, 34 hits, 13 RBI) and outfielder Jack Kraft (.288, 32 hits, 18 RBI). The Eagles bat .223 as a team and have a team ERA of 7.04.