DURHAM, N.C.- (NCCUEaglePride.com) – The North Carolina Central University baseball program will host one of the top baseball programs in the Tar Heel state on Wednesday as the Charlotte 49ers make the short jaunt from the Queen City to battle the Diamond Eagles in their second meeting in the last two years. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. on March 23.
The Niners and the Eagles met last season with Charlotte taking that contest 13-1, and NCCU enters the contest on the heels of a three-game sweep at the hands of Buffalo and have lost seven straight since their first win of the season.
On a brighter note, junior Akeem Hood (Raleigh, N.C.) is coming off a stellar weekend at the dish batting .500 in the three game set going 7-for-14 with two doubles and six runs scored. Hood had an on-base percentage of .533 as he went the entire weekend without striking out. In fact, the outfielder has hit safely in 14 straight games for the Diamond Eagles.
Prior to Charlotte’s Tuesday evening contest with in-state foe Wake Forest, the Niners entered the week 15-5 and were just 0-2 away from home and receiving votes in the NCBWA (National College Baseball Writers Association) Poll. NCCU will be the fourth team inside the Great North State’s lines that Charlotte has taken on with contests against No. 17 North Carolina (L 4-2), a two-game set with UNC Asheville (W 3-2, W 6-5), a single game against Duke (L 4-1) and Wake Forest (Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m.).
The Niners will send redshirt junior Joe Yermal (0-1, 4.15 ERA) to the hill on Wednesday, while NCCU will send senior right hander Douglas Dalley (Durham, N.C.). Dalley has made two starts this year and has six strikeouts on the season.
After 19 games, the Eagles have already made vast improvements from last season as NCCU still has more than a handful of players batting over .300 with Hood still leading the way at .391. There are three members of the team that have already recorded 20-plus hits with freshman Dylan Drayton (Raleigh, N.C.) leading the team with 28. Senior Blake Murray (Wendell, N.C.) leads the squad with 14 RBIs while the freshman duo of Carter Williamson (Roanoke, Va.) and Tyson Simpson, Jr. (Burgaw, N.C.) are tied with 11 RBIs apiece.
The contest is slated for a 3:00 first pitch at the Durham Athletic Park and admission is free for all baseball fans.
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