Baseball | 3/24/2015 11:13:00 AM
BALTIMORE – The Coppin State baseball team will finally enjoy the comforts of its cozy abode when it hosts Lehigh University in a non-conference contest Wednesday afternoon at Joe Cannon Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
It's the long overdue home opener for the Eagles.
The combination of a harsh winter and way too much snow rendered the field at Cannon Stadium unplayable during the early part of the season, forcing head baseball coach
Sherman Reed into a series of schedule adjustments and long van rides. The Eagles have had seven of their first eight games at Cannon Stadium moved.
The nomadic Eagles (1-15 overall) have brought the Travel Channel to life by playing two "home" series in North Carolina and swapping home weekends against Delaware State. They have spent so much time on the road that they probably feel like a team on a barnstorming tour – just riding vans, pulling up to a field and playing.
"It's very exciting to be able to play at home considering all the traveling that we've been doing," junior centerfielder Jack Kraft said. "Coach has been calling us 'Road Warriors because we're (one of the few teams) in the country that hasn't played a home game yet."
Despite losing three consecutive games against Delaware State, the Eagles offense produced all types of offense. Coppin State averaged 10.3 runs and 12 hits per game against the Hornets. The Eagles had 10 extra base hits. They also patiently drew 22 walks during the weekend, an average of over seven per game.
Coppin State scored a season-high run total during a 15-14 setback. Coppin State hit .333 as a team against Delaware State. For the season,
George Dragon is Coppin State's leading hitter at .356, which is sixth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Kraft leads Coppin State with 11 runs batted in.
"Even though our record says otherwise, we've actually been playing well," Kraft said. "We play all sides of the ball very well. We just haven't been able to put it together at the same time. I'm still very confident in our team. We just need to continue building on what we have because it's all there and we just have to piece it together."
The Mountain Hawks (3-12) are fueled by one of the top hitters in Division I in junior Mike Garzillo, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Week. Garzillo leads the Patriot League with a .441 batting average and .746 slugging percentage for the season. His batting average ranks seventh in all of Division I, while his slugging percentage sits tenth-best in the nation.
The Mountain Hawks were victorious in all three games they played at Coppin State a season ago. Lehigh swept a doubleheader (9-3, 8-2) in March before earning a 4-3, 10-inning victory on April 22. The Mountain Hawks are 16-1 all-time against the Eagles. Coppin State will visit Lehigh on Wednesday, April 15.
Coppin State returns to the road this weekend when it visits Norfolk State in a critical three-game conference series at Marty Miller Field.
