Baseball Opens 2017 Season in Southern California

The Coppin State Eagles open their 2017 season Saturday afternoon against Southern California at Dedeaux Field in Los Angeles, CA at 5 p.m. This will be the first ever meeting between the Trojans and Eagles on the diamond. USC went 28-28 last season with a 15-15 PAC-12 record.
 
LIVE STREAM: Pac-12.com/live/USC
 
PROJECTED STARTERS
Game                    Coppin State                      Southern California
Saturday (1)         RHP Jacob Lewis              RHP Mitch Hart                                                
Saturday (2)         RHP Aaron Rea                  RHP Brad Wegman                         
Sunday                 RHP Joshua Hancock       RHP Marrick Crouse                                       
 
2016 SEASON RECAP
Coppin State placed third last season in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Northern Division with an 8-15 conference record. Two Eagles were named to the All-MEAC Baseball Team (Bryant Miranda and George Dragon) and in the 2016 MEAC Baseball Tournament CSU eliminated a pair of teams in Delaware State and North Carolina Central before suffering a heart breaking loss to Norfolk State in extra innings. Bryant Miranda and Darien Percell were both named to the 2016 MEAC Baseball All-Tournament Team.
 
RETURNING EAGLES
16 Eagles from the 2016 season returns led by senior third basemen Bryant Miranda and sophomores first basemen Jamar Criss, second basemen Erik Crossman, first basemen Nazier McIlwain, right handed pitchers Krystian Negron, Aaron Rea, Jahmon Taylor and catcher Malik White.
 
MIRANDA LOOKS TO LEAD EAGLES IN 2017
In 2016 Bryant Miranda ranked second in Coppin State single season history in runs scored (52), fourth in at bats (192) and sixth in hits (64). On the Coppin State all-time career leaders list Miranda ranks 9^th in at bats with 437 totaled in his three-year career. He will look to pass No. 8 Amiel Traynum next on the list with 508 in his career.
 
COPPIN BASEBALL PREDICTED TO PLACE THIRD IN MEAC NORTHERN DIVISION
The Eagles received two first place votes and were also predicted to place third overall in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) northern division, announced by the conference office in February.
 
EAGLES CAREER-LEADERS LIST

• By the end of the 2017 season senior Bryant Miranda will look to enter the Coppin State all-time career leaders' top-10 rankings in runs scores, RBIs and total bases.
• Miranda needs 15 runs scored (83) to pass Travis Thornton and Martin Riley (98). 24 hits (120) to pass Amiel Traynum (144), 14 RBIS (55) to pass both Corey Greene and Kevin Robinson (69) and needs 44 total bases (152) to pass Nevin Savage (196).

 
ARNOLD RETURNS TO LINEUP AFTER SHORT 2016 SEASON
Senior outfielder Clinton Arnold suffered a season-ending injury in 2016 after playing in five games for the Eagles. Arnold made five starts in center field before tearing his laburnum in his throwing arm at Georgia State in late February. He transferred from Northern Kentucky University and red-shirted the 2015 season.
 
BASEBALL AMERICA RECOGNIZES MIRANDA & HANCOCK IN MEAC SEASON PREVIEW
Senior infielder Bryant Miranda was named a MEAC Top-10 Prospect (#7) while freshman pitcher Joshua Hancock was predicted as MEAC Freshman of the Year, the publication announced in early February. Miranda is an infielder and was the Eagles 2016 leader in batting average (.333), runs scored (52), hits (64), stolen bases (16), games started (52) and at bats (192). In the MEAC conference he ranked fourth in runs scored, tied for sixth in stolen bases and tied for ninth in batting average. Miranda recorded the conferences' season-high runs scored total in a game with five versus Fairleigh Dickenson. Hancock is a right-handed pitcher that Baseballamerica.com quotes him "as having a big, athletic frame. He gets sinking action on his upper-80s fastball, which he pairs with a promising curveball. Hancock should be able to step right into the Eagles' rotation."
 
D1 BASEBALL PREDICTS EAGLES PITCHER AS MEAC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Freshman pitcher/outfielder Corey Treyes was predicted to be the 2017 Mid-Eastern Athletic Freshman of the Year, announced by D1baseball.com in January. Treyes is a native of West Covina, CA graduating from Norco high School. He earned honors as the 2016 Perfect Game California Region HM, 2016 Norco HS MVP, 2015/2016 All State Nominee, 2015 Big VIII First Team All-League and 2014 Big VIII Second Team All-League.
 
BLACK COLLEGE NINES' MENTIONS PAIR OF EAGLES AS TOP HBCU IMPACT FRESHMEN PLAYERS
Pitcher Jacob Lewis and infielder Allen Saar were both mentioned in an article by Black College Nines' released on the top HBCU freshmen impact players for 2017. Lewis attended Orchard Park High School in New York and was named a 2015 and 2016 First Team ECIC Division I All-Star. Saar was listed in the large school notables at short stop. The Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania native was named a 2015 Underclassman Player of the Year, 2015-16 All-Conference Team and 2016 First Team All-Star while attending Jersey Shore Area High School.