Norfolk State Baseball
Saturday: NSU vs. Coppin State (DH), 3 p.m., Marty L. Miller Field
Sunday: NSU vs. Coppin State, 12 p.m., Marty L. Miller Field
Live Stats | Live Video (Same links for all 3 games)

NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State baseball team looks to continue its winning ways this weekend as the Spartans continue their 13-game homestand by hosting Coppin State in a MEAC Northern Division series. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 3 p.m., and a single game on Sunday at noon.

Live statistics and live video will be available for all three games through the NSU athletics web site, nsuspartans.com.

The Spartans have won their last four games to improve to 17-16 overall, their first time being over the .500 mark this season. NSU has also won their last four MEAC North series, going 10-2 in that stretch. NSU sits in first place in the MEAC North standings with a 10-4 league mark, just ahead of Delaware State (9-5).

A big reason for the recent success has been the Spartan pitching staff. NSU pitchers have allowed just 16 hits and four runs in the last 34 innings, a 1.06 ERA, spanning the four-game winning streak. The Spartans are now leading the MEAC in team earned-run average, at 4.07. As a staff, NSU ranks 10th in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (9.3).

Senior left-hander Matt Outman (5-2, 3.26) and junior righty Jonathan Mauricio (3-2, 2.63) have led the starting pitchers as of late. Outman has won his last four starts and Mauricio his last two. Righties Cooper Jones (2-2, 2.81) and Michael Parmentier (0-3, 5.77) have anchored the bullpen. Both are averaging better than 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings, with Parmentier ranking fifth nationally in that category (12.84).

At the plate, senior first baseman/DH Kyle Vaas has been a steady performer for the Spartans, hitting safely in 12 of his last 13 games. He has three multi-hit games in the last six contests, and ranks sixth in the MEAC with a .360 batting average, tops on the team. He is also sixth in the conference in slugging (.607) and seventh in on-base percentage (.458). Reigning MEAC Co-Player of the Week Denathan Dukes has three multi-hit games in his last five games, and is up to a .310 average on the season.

Junior infielders Roger Hall (.315) and Brian Beard (.310) also check in over the .300 mark.

CSU (9-27, 6-9 MEAC) has been led at the plate by outfielder John Kraft, who ranks second in the MEAC with 10 homers and is hitting .354. Infielder Jamar Criss is batting .336 with four homers and 26 RBI, while Bryant Miranda (.331) and George Dragon (.303) are also top threats at the plate.

Krystian Negron (3-3, 4.39 ERA, two saves) anchors the pitching staff for CSU.