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DURHAM, N.C. – Fresh off the doubleheader sweep of Virginia State University, the North Carolina Central University turns its focus to a critical MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) weekend against the arch-rival Aggies of North Carolina A&T beginning with doubleheader action on Saturday, April 6 at 1:00 p.m., ending on Sunday, April 7 with the series final slated for a 1:00 p.m. start at War Memorial Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.
 
NCCU (20-12, 8-4 MEAC) currently sits atop the MEAC’s Southern Division just a half-game ahead of Savannah State who is currently 7-4.  Only two games separate the Eagles and the Aggies who are currently 5-6 in league play.

Since bringing the program back, the Eagles are 6-5 all-time against the Aggies, having won six of the last nine contests since becoming full members of the MEAC.
 
NC A&T (9-20, 5-6 MEAC) enters the weekend having dropped mid-week contests to Campbell (10-2) and Radford (13-3) but took two-of-three from Florida A&M to end the month of March.  At this point of the year, the Aggies as a team lead the MEAC in home runs with 10, and have ripped 58 doubles, while the pitching staff sits seventh in the league with a 6.35 ERA.
 
The Aggies are led by senior first baseman Kelvin Freeman who is currently third in the league in batting average (.347), seventh in hits (34), and first in home runs (6).  His teammate, second baseman Luke Tendler, tops the MEAC in doubles as they form a dangerous duo in the middle of the order.
 
The maroon and gray are led by senior Luis Diaz (Geneva, N.Y.) who sits ninth in the conference with a .345 batting average, tied for third in hits with 40, tied for second in runs scored with 30, and tied for third with two triples on the year.  In the doubleheader sweep of the Trojans on Wednesday, Diaz drove in five RBI that included his first round-tripper of the year.
 
On the hill for the Eagles to open the series will be senior lefty Michael Romano (Spotsylvania, Va.) who is coming off a solid performance against East Carolina last Friday night going 7.0 innings and allowing on three earned runs with two strikeouts.  Romano (2-4, 4.85 ERA) will look to improve upon his last performance against the Aggies as he gave up seven earned runs in the 8-3 loss in game one. 
 
NC A&T head coach Joel Sanchez will send out left handed senior Brent Moore (3-4, 3.63 ERA) in the first contest.  Moore earned his first win of the year against NCCU throwing a complete game five-hitter surrendering just one earned run with a walk and a strikeout.
 
Game two will see senior Glenn Frye (Lillington, N.C.) take the hill for career start No. 40 as an Eagle.  Frye (3-3, 3.72 ERA) threw six innings and earned a no-decision back on March 2, as the maroon and gray won 8-7 in 13 innings.  Frye has 183 career strikeouts, needing 17 to record 200.
Junior righty Josh Ganus (2-4, 3.98 ERA) will make his eighth start of the year for the Aggies in the second contest of the day slated for seven innings.  Ganus last only 4.2 against the Eagles, but gave up no earned runs because of numerous Aggies errors.
 
The series finale will see junior Terry McNabb (Davidson, Sask.) look to recover from his outing against UNCG as he was chased in the first inning after giving up seven runs on six hits.  McNabb (3-3, 3.73 ERA) was solid in the previous series against A&T, throwing a complete game shutout surrendering four hits with three strikeouts as the game was called in the seventh because of the MEAC 10-run rule.
 
He will be opposed by junior right handed hurler Tyler Boone (1-2, 4.32 ERA).  Boone came on in-relief in the game two 8-7 extra inning loss by NC A&T, going 7.1 innings, walking five batters, and allowed two unearned runs, but he did not figure in the decision.
 
The NCCU Sports Network will have wall-to-wall coverage of the weekend series beginning on Saturday, April 6 at 12:45 p.m. with the Champps Pregame Show as play-by-play voice Chris Hooks will call all the live action from War Memorial Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.  Listeners are encouraged to interact with Hooks on Twitter by following @NCCUAthletics and by using the hashtag #NCCUBaseball.  Fans can also send Hooks an e-mail at whooks@nccu.edu.
 
For more information about NCCU athletics, visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com or download the NCCU Sports Network app available in the App Store, Google Play and Amazon.