DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University will be hosting rival North Carolina A&T University in a three-game series over the weekend with both squads trying to secure the fourth and final Southern Division bid to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Championship.
 
NCCU needs to sweep all three games against NCAT and for first place Savannah State University to win at least one game against last place South Carolina State University to advance to the MEAC Championship for the first time in program history as the fourth seed. However, the Aggies can eliminate the Lady Eagles and capture a tourney bid with just one win over NCCU. If NCAT won the series and got some help the program could potentially finish with a better seed than No. 4.
 
Savannah State, Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University have already claimed three of the four playoff berths in the Southern Division for the MEAC Softball Championship that will be played on May 8-10 in Ormond Beach, Florida.
 
Saturday, May 2 at 1:00/3:00 PM
N.C. A&T at N.C. Central
Durham, N.C. (Parkwood Athletic Field)
NCCU AUDIO
 
Sunday, May 3 at 2:00 PM (Senior Day)
N.C. A&T at N.C. Central
Durham, N.C. (Parkwood Athletic Field)
NCCU AUDIO
 
To keep up with the series, listen to the game broadcast at NCCUEaglePride.com or follow @NCCUAthletics on Twitter.
 
North Carolina Central University Softball
 
The Lady Eagles had a week to prepare for the big series having not played since losing at North Carolina State University on Thursday, April 23. NCCU is 16-26 overall and 2-9 in the MEAC. The Lady Eagles do boast a winning record of 8-6 at Parkwood Athletic Field.
 
NCCU will celebrate Senior Day before its regular season finale on Sunday by honoring catcher Emerie Germ and second baseman Tiphani Jackson.
 
The Lady Eagles, who are amidst their best season since joining the NCAA Division I ranks, have a trio of players batting over .300 including junior Casey Hargett (.360), Germ (.357) and sophomore Dominique Wilson (.325).
 
Hargett has hit safely in her last five games and also leads NCCU with 26 runs and nine doubles. Germ paces the Lady Eagles with six home runs and 25 RBI. Wilson follows closely behind with five homers, 19 RBI and 18 runs.
 
NCCU's lineup is batting .274 and is getting additional support from junior Demiree Briones (.256, 4 HR, 13 RBI) and sophomore Brianna Hampton (.250, 22 RBI).
 
Wilson headlines the Lady Eagles pitching staff with a 4.11 ERA that ranks fourth best in the MEAC and 98 strikeouts that is the fifth most in the league. Wilson (6-11) has two shutouts and 13 complete games. Junior London Booker (9-15, 5.80 ERA) sits atop NCCU's rotation in innings pitched (128) and wins (9).
 
NCCU defeated NCAT in last year's series opener, 6-5, in Greensboro, North Carolina but then lost the next two contests – 4-3 and 8-0 – to drop the series (2-1).
 
North Carolina A&T University Softball
 
The Aggies are three-games ahead of NCCU in the MEAC Southern Division standings with a league ledger of 5-7. NCAT (13-27 Overall) has lost seven of its last eight games including its last three contests.
 
Four Aggies are batting within 30 points of each other to pace NCAT's offense that has a team average of .266. Freshman center fielder Raven Gray has made an immediate impact for the Aggies leading the squad with a .320 average. Gray has speed and has used it to produce five triples and 15 stolen bases. The switch-hitting duo of junior first baseman Kimberly Brunson (.304) and second baseman Zebresha Blakeney (.303) provide a potent right side of the infield while junior shortstop Alejandra Barcenas is batting .293 primarily from the leadoff position.
 
Blakeney led the Aggies in stolen bases in 2013 and 2014 and is battling Gray for that honor again this season with 16 thefts so far in 2015. Brunson and Barcenas have 21 RBI apiece and only trail team-leader sophomore Dasia Moore (.234), who has 23 RBI. Gray, Blakeney, Barcenas have all scored 24 times for a well-balanced NCAT offense that is scoring just over four runs per game. Brunson (5 HR), Barcenas (4) and Moore (4) have accounted for 13 of the Aggies 16 homers.
 
Sophomore Maiven McKnight (7-12, 4.27 ERA, 123 IP, 45 SO) and junior Janika May (6-15, 6.11 ERA, 130.2 IP, 59 SO) have split the pitching duties for the Aggies.
 
NCAT has won all three league series against NCCU since the Lady Eagles joined the league by taking two of three games each time to hold a 6-3 all-time MEAC mark over NCCU in the in-state rivalry.