Games 1-2 (DH)  |  Saturday, Feb. 25  |  Noon  |  Live Stats  |  Live Video
Game 3  |  Sunday, Feb. 26  |  Noon  |  Live Stats  |  Live Video

NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State baseball team continues an eight-game homestand to begin the 2017 season this weekend, when the Spartans welcome Niagara University to Marty L. Miller Field for a three-game series. The teams are slated to play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon, and another single game Sunday, also beginning at noon.

NSU and Niagara have never met before on the baseball diamond.

The Spartans (3-1) are coming off a 4-3 mid-week home loss to North Carolina A&T on Wednesday. The Spartans got two hits from junior outfielder Troy White, but were done in by an untimely two-run error in the fifth inning. Sophomore right hander Chase Anderson threw three shutout innings with three strikeouts, running his scoreless streak to 7.2 innings to start the season.

The Spartans, who swept Villanova in a three-game set in their first weekend series of the year last weekend, have put up solid numbers across the board. They boast a .365 batting average as a team and a 2.50 team ERA. Alex Mauricio leads the team's regular hitters with a .545 clip so far (6-for-11) with three doubles. MEAC Co-Rookie of the Week Adam Collins has a team-best six RBI to go with a .375 average.

On the mound, Mauricio (1-0, 0.00 ERA) and Anderson (1-0, 0.00 ERA) have yet to be scored upon. Michael Parmentier is ranked third nationally in strikeouts per inning innings, at a gaudy 21.2 (11 strikeouts in 4.2 innings pitched). The starting rotation trio of Alex Mauricio, Jonathan Mauricio (0-0, 2.25) and Devin Hemmerich (1-0, 2.57 ERA) allowed three runs combined in last weekend's series with Villanova.

Niagara, a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), comes into the weekend 0-3 after a trio of setbacks at Big 12 powerhouse Baylor in Waco, Texas last weekend. The Purple Eagles lost by scores of 7-3, 6-3 and 21-6. First baseman Peter Battaglia led the way at the plate for Niagara last weekend, with four hits in 10 at-bats (.400 average), while catcher Joel Brophy posted a .375 mark (3-for-8) and preseason All-MAAC selection Tanner Kirwer batted .357 (5-for-14) with a home run and four RBI.

Niagara, which was picked to finished 16-37-1 last season, was picked to finish ninth out of 11 teams in the preseason MAAC poll. 

Live statistics and live video for all three games are available at the top of the page. The links are the same for all three games of the series.