NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State baseball team looks to extend its recent momentum into MEAC play, as the Spartans put their four-game winning streak on the line this weekend in their first MEAC Northern Division series of the year, against Delaware State. Game times are 3 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at Marty L. Miller Field.

Live statistics and live video for all three games will be available through NSUSpartans.com.

The Spartans (4-10) are playing their final home games of the month before embarking on three straight weekends away from Norfolk.

Scouting the Spartans
NSU is coming off its first mid-week win of the year on Tuesday, a 10-4 victory at Longwood. NSU out-hit the Lancers 15-5, matched their season highs in hits (15) and runs (10) and also recorded a season-high 15 strikeouts by their pitching staff.

Caleb Ward went 3-for-5 with six RBIs, the most by a Spartan in three years, and Kevin Alicea struck out 13 in 7.1 innings of work to earn his first career pitching win at NSU. Adam Collins also had three hits and Stephen Baughan hit a two-run homer that gave NSU the lead for good.

After a slow start to the year, the Spartan bats have come alive lately. NSU is hitting .349 in its four-game win streak, led by Alsander Womack (.467), Baughan (.400), Ward and Brandon Crosby (both .385). Baughan and Crosby have both driven in eight runs in their past four games. Womack enters the weekend tied for the MEAC lead with a .400 batting average.

NSU starting pitchers have tossed at least six innings in all four victories. Alicea (13) and Chase Anderson (12) both have double-digit strikeout games to bookend wins in the current streak.

Scouting the Hornets
Delaware State is 5-8 on the year and has lost four of its last five games after a 7-4 loss to La Salle on Wednesday. The Hornets have gotten strong starting pitching this year, particularly from the duo of left hander Garrett Lawson and right hander Sean McGrath. Lawson is 2-2 with a 2.96 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 24.1 innings pitched this year. McGrath is 1-1 with a 3.50 ERA.

Miguel Rivera paces the Hornet offense with a .400 average. DSU bats .216 as a team.

Senior Darnell Maisonet, who pitches and plays outfield, was a preseason All-MEAC selection.

NSU and the Hornets won the first six MEAC Northern Division titles once the conference split into divisional play in 2012. The Hornets won each year from 2012-14 and the Spartans claimed the crown from 2015-17 before Coppin State won the division last season.