DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University travels to Savannah State University for its final road series of the 2016 regular season for three games from April 30 to May 1, and it will be a series with potential postseason implications.
NCCU (21-24, 8-10 MEAC) and SSU (10-32, 5-10 MEAC) are locked in a battle for the third spot in the Southern Division for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament held May 19-21, and with a series win the Eagles can create some separation.
The Eagles took two out of three against the Tigers in Durham earlier this season, and NCCU will look for the same result down at Tiger Stadium. Coming down the home stretch
Trevor Theissen (Franklin, Wisc.) is having a solid season in his senior year. He's currently hitting .302 with 14 extra base hits including his second career triple which he ripped to left-center to drive in a run against Duke University on Wednesday night, April 27. As a middle infielder he's recorded 50 putouts with 78 assists, and carries a strong fielding percentage of .941.
On the mound, the Eagle pitching staff leads the MEAC in total strikeouts with 346, led by
Andrew Vernon (Raleigh, N.C.) who is currently fourth in NCAA Division I in strikeouts per nine innings with an average of 12.94. Next to Vernon there are a pair of Eagle starters with four wins,
Alex Dandridge (Arlington, Texas) and
Cameron Scalzo (Rochester, N.Y.).
The bullpen has been strong for NCCU as well, as it combined with starter
Jonathan Figueroa (Chicago, Ill.) to hold Duke scoreless for eight consecutive innings with just two hits allowed. Leading the relievers are
James Dey (Charlotte, N.C.) and
Justice Sampson (Fayetteville, N.C.). Dey has one of the lowest ERAs on the staff at 3.18 with a save and 24 strikeouts over 17 complete innings, and Sampson is tied for the league lead in saves with four over 24 appearances.
The Tigers haven't had the best run lately as they have seen the win column just once since a series win over North Carolina A&T State University on April 3. Trey Sikes (Hinesville, Ga.) has been one of the bright spots for SSU however, as he's generated a team-high 25 RBI with a .301 batting average. Sikes has knocked a total of 44 hits with 11 doubles, two triples and one homer.
Ryan McCranie (Covington, Ga.) has been a workhorse for the Tigers on the hump, though his 1-5 record does not reflect his team-leading 2.55 ERA of qualified pitchers. He's gone through 42 and one-third of an inning with 27 strikeouts, second on the club to Trevor McKenna (Brooksville, Ga.) who has 48.
All games this weekend will be carried live on the NCCU Sports Network available at NCCUEaglePride.com, and live Twitter updates can be found by following @NCCUAthletics.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.
