NORFOLK, Va. (NSU Athletics) – The Norfolk State baseball team plays its final home games of the regular season this weekend when the Spartans host a four-game MEAC Northern Division series against Delaware State.
The teams play a single game at 3 p.m. Thursday and a doubleheader at noon Friday at Marty L. Miller Field. NSU’s 13 seniors will be honored before Friday’s doubleheader. Due to on-campus commencement activities, Saturday’s series finale will be played at 11 a.m. at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton.
Live stats will be available for all four games. Live video will be available only for Thursday and Friday.
NSU and DSU enter the weekend as the top two teams in the conference’s Northern Division, a key point because only the top two teams in each division advance to next week’s MEAC Tournament. The Spartans have already clinched a spot in the tournament, and DSU needs one win this week to secure its spot.
Scouting the Spartans
The Spartans (19-25 overall, 15-9 MEAC) have played just one game in the last 10 days, as its series at Coppin State scheduled for May 7-9 was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the Coppin State program. NSU returned to action Tuesday night at VMI, a game the Spartans lost 9-5 despite finishing with 10 hits. Dionte Brown, Alsander Womack, Mason Velasquez and Jacob Council had two each. Womack (.333, fifth) and Brown (.319, seventh) both rank in the MEAC top 10 in batting average and are the top two in the MEAC in stolen bases – Brown is first with 17, and Womack is second with 14.
The Spartan pitching staff enters the weekend with the No. 3 team ERA and second in the conference in total strikeouts. Lefty James Deloatch is among the hottest NSU pitchers as of late, having allowed two earned runs or fewer in four straight starts. He is fourth in the MEAC in wins (5) and ERA (3.33) and sixth in strikeouts (53).
Senior Salute
NSU will honor 13 of its seniors prior to Friday’s games. They are: RHP Scott Mahoney, Michael Portela, Alex Wright and Seth Hockett; LHP Ridge Walker and Tyrin Everette; 1B Mason Velasquez and Korey Singh; C Adam Collins; UTIL Khie Simms, Jaran Davis and Danny Hosley; and 2B Alsander Womack. The group has had a hand in two MEAC Northern Division titles and appearances in the MEAC Tournament championship so far to date.
Scouting the Hornets
DSU (14-23, 12-15) brings a formidable offense to Norfolk for the second time this year. The Hornets are second in the MEAC with a .278 team batting average and a conference-leading 73 doubles. Infielder Trey Paige is the MEAC’s top hitter with a .383 mark and is tied for the top spot in the conference with seven homers. Fellow infielder John Weglarz is hitting .346, No. 3 in the MEAC.
The Spartans have won five of eight games with DSU this year.