Softball | 4/10/2015 12:37:00 PM
BALTIMORE – Coppin State's softball team opened its season in February.
Two months later, the Eagles will finally open at home when it hosts reigning Northern Division co-champion Delaware State in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) weekend series.
The Eagles (3-17 overall, 3-3 MEAC) and Hornets (7-21, 1-4) will play a doubleheader Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and conclude the series with a single-game Monday at 4:00 p.m.
It has been two months of frustration, bus rides, van trips and schedule adjustments for the Eagles, who had a scheduled home stand last month postponed by weather. So finally, the Eagles will get to enjoy the friendly confines of campus. It's an important weekend series as both teams are jockeying for playoff positioning in next month's MEAC Tournament in Ormond Beach, Florida.
Coppin State will play nine home games this season, all against MEAC Northern Division competition. The Eagles meet Norfolk State on April 22-23 in a mid-week series that was rescheduled from last month. They conclude the season against Morgan State during the first weekend of May.
Delaware State ended Coppin State's season last year with a 5-2 victory in Florida. The Hornets won all four matchups last year against the Eagles, including a 3-1 win during a nationally televised ESPNU appearance in Dover.
This season, Coppin State has been led by the sizzling bat of senior
Candice Van Horn, who is hitting .420, which is third in the MEAC. Van Horn is also third in the MEAC in slugging percentage (.540) and on-base percentage (.760). The versatile Van Horn has also had success as a pitcher and been a rock behind the plate as a catcher. She has had at least one hit in seven of Coppin State's last eight games.
Junior
Danielle Smith hit her team-leading fourth home run of the season leading off against Drexel during the Eagles' 9-1 loss Wednesday afternoon. It was her second lead-off homer of the season as she slugged one against USC-Upstate. Smith is hitting .290 overall, which is second on the team. Junior
Shelby Mendoza has at least one hit in 10 of Coppin State's last 11 games.
The Eagles have been happy to face conference competition as Van Horn is hitting a team-best .611 against MEAC schools. Smith (.474) and
Alanna Williams (.476) are also hitting over .400 in its six conference contests. Williams hit for the cycle against Maryland Eastern Shore on March 31.
Delaware State dropped a doubleheader to Towson Wednesday night by scores of 10-2 and 9-1. The Hornets have been led by utility player Vanessa Washington, who sits third on the team in batting (.351), while leading DSU in hits (28), doubles (10 – second in the MEAC), homers (3) and slugging percentage (.547 – ninth in the MEAC), along with being third in walks (8) and third in RBI (15).
In MEAC play this season, the Hornets have been swept by first-place Hampton and registered a split against Morgan State.
Coppin State, which already endured a 25-day layoff, will play once next week when it travels to George Washington on Wednesday, April 15 in a game beginning at 3:00 p.m.
