DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University baseball team prepares for an important series with Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Southern Division rival Savannah State University that will stretch from Friday March 25 to Saturday March 26 at the Durham Athletic Park.

NCCU (10-12, 3-3 MEAC) can tie Florida A&M University at the top of the division with a sweep, and SSU (6-16, 1-2 MEAC) can overtake the Eagles for second place if they win all three games.

The Eagles come into this series with reigning MEAC Pitcher of the Week Andrew Vernon (Raleigh, N.C.) in tow, after tossing eight strikeouts over five complete innings in his first career start against Bethune-Cookman on Sunday, March 20.   Vernon currently leads the pitching staff and ranks fifth in the MEAC in total strikeouts with 28, and is also tied for fifth with 10 batters set down on a called third strike.

Conrad Kovalcik (Detroit, Mich.) rolls into the weekend after a big day at the dish against Campbell on Tuesday, March 22 where he went 3-for-5 with five RBI and three runs scored from a towering solo home run and a grand slam.   Kovalcik is at the top of the MEAC in the power categories as he is currently tied for first with seven home runs, second with 20 RBI and second in slugging percentage with a .676 mark.

Jonathan Moore (Cairo, Ga.) is one of the top hitters for SSU with a .348 batting average and 11 RBI.  Moore is responsible for 14 runs scored and has three doubles and a home run to his credit.  He has also been efficient on base for the Tigers, and he is tied for the team lead with five stolen bases on six attempts.

Trevor McKenna (Brooksville, Fla.) has been the leader in the rotation for the Tigers with a 3.16 ERA over five starts.  He has thrown a team high 31.1 innings and he is at the summit of the league with 31 strikeouts.  McKenna has thrown one complete game this year in a 3-2 win over Alabama A&M in seven innings with six strikeouts.

First pitch of Friday's doubleheader is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at the Durham Athletic Park, and all games of the series will be carried live on the NCCU Sports Network available at NCCUEaglePride.com.  Live Twitter updates can also be found by following @NCCUAthletics.

For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.