DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University softball team will play its next eight games at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, beginning with a non-conference game against Campbell University on Wednesday, March 30 at 3 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to check
NCCUEaglePride.com or the NCCU Eagles Athletics app for updates as the schedule is subject to change.
GAME INFO:
vs. Campbell
DATE: Wednesday, March 30 at 3 p.m.
LOCATION: Thomas Brooks Park, Cary, N.C.
WATCH/LISTEN:
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NC CENTRAL DUGOUT:
The Eagles are coming off a 2-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) road series loss at University of Maryland Eastern Shore. NCCU (6-18 Overall, 3-3 MEAC) is 3-2 at home.
NCCU's top six batters are all hitting within 60 points of each other with freshman
Jaidyn Hamby (9 RBI) leading the group with a .294 batting average. Sophomore
Jaylah Barr has four multi-hit games in the past two weeks to increase her average to .283 while leading the team with five home runs and 14 RBI. Freshman
Jaden Davis (.271) and junior
Diamond Porter (.237) both have five stolen bases and scored 11 times. Senior
Madison Mifsud (.268) produced eight RBI in the three-game series against Eastern Shore to increase her season total to a dozen RBI. Sophomore
Hailey Batista (.237) has team best totals of 15 runs and five doubles to go along with three home runs and nine RBI.
Freshman
Ashanti Eubanks (3-5, 8.60 ERA) picked up the win against the Hawks to take over the team lead in wins (3) and strikeouts (36). Sophomore
Jaylah Barr (0-6, 9.37 ERA) and freshman
Anisa Reynolds (1-3, 10.50 ERA) have also seen a lot of time in the pitcher's circle the past two weeks as NCCU's leader in ERA has not pitched in the last six games. Davis (2-4, 6.19 ERA) holds that honor for the Eagles.
NC Central played three games against Campbell last season and lost all three games in Buies Creek by scores of 1-0, 9-0 and 5-1. The last 19 meetings have been hosted by the Camels with Campbell winning 18 of those 19 contests. The Eagles last hosted the Camels in 2010.
CAMPBELL DUGOUT:
The Camels won the last two games of its home series against Presbyterian College last weekend to rally for the 2-1 Big South Conference series win. Campbell (16-11 Overall, 5-4 BSC) was picked as the preseason favorites to win the Big South title in 2022 after winning the championship last season.
Sophomore Delaney McDilda and freshman Tyra Parker pace the Camels with matching .327 batting averages. McDilda leads the squad with 16 RBI while contributing a .462 on-base percentage, two home runs and four doubles. Parker has scored 10 times and has 11 stolen bases. Junior Claudia Ware follows with a .280 batting average while leading the team with 17 runs and 16 stolen bases. Senior Bri Bryant (.167) is the Big South Preseason Player of the Year, but has only played in four games so far this season.
The Camels have been riding the arms of Isabella Smith and Georgeanna Barefoot as they have combined for 14 of Campbell's 16 pitching wins. Smith (6-5) leads the team in ERA (2.36) and strikeouts (63) while Barefoot (8-3) follows closely behind with a 2.79 ERA and 48 strikeouts while pacing the pitching staff with eight wins.
