Norfolk State (9-13, 4-2 MEAC) at Coppin State (5-14, 4-2 MEAC)  |  Joe Cannon Stadium  |  Hanover, Md.
NORFOLK, Va. – The two teams currently tied for first place in the MEAC's Northern Division baseball standings meet this weekend when the Spartans travel to Hanover, Md. to face Coppin State for a three-game series. The teams play a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. Sunday at Joe Cannon Stadium, and play a single game at noon on Monnday.
Both teams enter the weekend with 4-2 records in the MEAC North, one game ahead of third-place Delaware State.
The Spartans have won five of their last seven games entering the weekend. NSU (9-13 overall) jumped into a first-place tie with CSU (5-14) after sweeping a three-game set at Maryland Eastern Shore last weekend, while CSU took two of three at Delaware State.
NSU enters the weekend with the top team ERA in the MEAC, at 3.42. Senior left hander
Devin Hemmerich, the MEAC's Pitcher of the Week, tops the conference in ERA (2.11), strikeouts (48), wins (four – tied for first) and innings pitched (47.0). Junior right hander
Alex Mauricio (2-2, 2.67) is second behind Hemmerich in both ERA and strikeouts (34).
Junior third baseman
Justin Burrell continues to lead NSU with a .338 batting average, one home run and 16 RBI.
Brian Beard, coming off a 3-for-4 night at William & Mary on Tuesday, is hitting .278 with a team-leading seven stolen bases. Mauricio checks in at .271 with a team-high seven doubles.
Coppin State has dropped two in a row following a 7-5 loss Wednesday at Towson. The Eagles' offense has been fueled this year by MEAC Player of the Week Nazier McIlwain, a sophomore first baseman. McIlwain is batting .397 with three home runs and 21 runs batted in. He hit two homers in the middle game of the series at DSU last Saturday. Eagles' catcher Brett Helmbrecht is hitting .362.
Freshman right hander Quinn Gleed has two of the Eagles' five wins on the mound this season. He threw a seven-inning complete game in the game one win over DSU last Saturday.
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