DURHAM, N.C. – Winners in three-of-their-last-four games, North Carolina Central University heads back down to the Sunshine State to battle the Rattlers of Florida A&M in MEAC weekend action beginning on Saturday, March 22 at 1:00 p.m. with a doubleheader, followed up by the series finale on Sunday, March 23 at 1:00 p.m. from Moore-Kittles Field in Tallahassee, Fla.
 
NCCU (8-12-1, 5-4 MEAC) enters the weekend series looking to win their third consecutive conference weekend, after beating both Bethune-Cookman and Savannah State in the last weekends.  The maroon and gray are currently in second place in the Southern Division, two games behind the 4-2 in league play Aggies of North Carolina A&T.
 
The Eagles are coming off a heart-stopping 3-2 extra inning victory over Furman after trailing for most of the game, a Paladin error opened the door for the maroon and gray in the midweek win in 10 innings.
 
NCCU is currently second in the MEAC hitting .269 as a team with 30 doubles on the year and are tied for No. 1 in the conference with eight home runs.  The pitching staff is third in the league with 113 strikeouts, four behind Florida A&M.
 
Offensively, the maroon and gray are getting a ton of production from leading hitter Tyson Simpson (Burgaw, N.C.) who is seventh in the MEAC in batting average at .378 with one home run and 19 RBI.  Senior backstop Carter Williamson (Roanoke,Va.) tops the conference with 23 RBI on the year.
 
Head coach Jim Koerner will send right handed sophomore Alex Dandridge (Arlington, Texas) who has thrown 24.1 innings in his first season at NCCU.  Dandridge (0-3, 7.40 ERA) has 12 strikeouts on the year.
 
Senior righty Terry McNabb (Davidson, Sask.) takes the mound for game two, which is slated for seven innings under MEAC rules.  McNabb (1-3, 4.67 ERA) will make his sixth start of the year and has recorded 27 strikeouts, which is tied with five others in the league for second place.
 
The series finale will see freshman lefty Andrew Wilson (Pilot Mountain, N.C.) toe-the-rubber for the maroon and gray.  Wilson (1-1, 6.48 ERA) continues to improve in his rookie season as he makes his fifth start of the year on Sunday.
 
Florida A&M (6-13, 3-3 MEAC) is led by senior Bennie Robinson at-the-dish, as the first baseman is hitting .387 on the year with three home runs and 15 RBI.
 
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