Norfolk State Softball
Friday: NSU vs. Coppin State, 6 p.m., NSU Softball Field
Saturday: NSU vs. Coppin State (DH), 1 p.m., NSU Softball Field
Live Video | Live Stats

NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State softball team will open up conference play this weekend against Coppin State at home at the NSU Softball Field. Due to weather concerns, the series will now start on Friday and conclude on Saturday.
 
The two teams will play a single game on Friday at 6 p.m. The contest was originally set to be played on Sunday but was moved up due to rain in the forecast for the area that day. Saturday's doubleheader is still scheduled for its normal 1 p.m. time.
 
Live stats and a live video feed will be available for all games.
 
The first official conference games of the year will find the 5-10 Spartans facing a CSU squad that carries a 0-10 record on the year.
 
NSU enters the weekend with the best ERA of any team in the MEAC at 4.20. Sophomore Megan Przeslawski ranks second in the conference with a 3.23 ERA. Junior Devon Bitler and freshman Shelby DesChamps are tied for third in the league with 10 walks apiece.
 
The Spartans are looking to bounce back after falling twice on Wednesday at North Carolina A&T, with the Aggies rallying late in both games to claim victories. NSU has won the legaue's player of the week award each of the last two times. This week it was junior Kayla McNair, who leads the team with a .324 average and 10 RBI.
 
Despite a collective .237 batting average, NSU has a respectable .351 on-base percentage this season, aided in part by 63 walks.
 
MEAC Schedule
In other games this weekend in the MEAC Northern Division, Hampton will host Morgan State, while UMES will play at home against Delaware State. Howard will not begin MEAC play until next weekend due to the odd number of teams in the North.
 
Series History
NSU has a big lead in the all-time series against Coppin State, 44-10. The Spartans outscored the Eagles 26-6 in sweeping all three games last year. Norfolk State has now won 11 in a row over CSU dating back to the 2012 season.
 
About Coppin State
The Eagles have yet to win a game this year but have only played 10 after beginning the year on Feb. 12 and 14 with four losses against fellow MEAC schools North Carolina A&T and UMES. They then went nearly a month in between contests. CSU went 5-31 last year and 5-13 in conference play for a sixth-place finish in the Northern Division.
 
Danielle Smith leads the way with a .548 average in 31 at bats this year. Megan Narvaez (.368, six RBI), Melanie Benge (.360, four RBI) and Alanna Williams (.333, three extra-base hits, six RBI) also provide offense, but every other player on the team has a batting average of .200 or less on the season.
 
Melanie Benge has pitched 28.2 innings, the most on the team, but is 0-6 with an 8.79 ERA. Dakota Gartell (8.81 ERA, 20.2 innings) has appeared in nine of the team's 10 games. In fact, the Eagles as a team have allowed 98 runs in 60.0 innings, and the pitching staff has combined for a 9.80 ERA.
 
Up Next
NSU will host Drexel on Tuesday at 2 p.m. for a non-conference doubleheader at the NSU Softball Field before heading on the road the next two weekends in MEAC play.