LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Coppin State's baseball team opened the 2017 season at Southern California on Saturday, February 18
th at Dedeaux Field. Sophomore infielder Nazier McIlwain led the Eagles with four hits, three runs scored and two RBIs despite the Trojans sweeping the weekend series. McIlwain went 2-for-4 in game two with an RBI double base hit.
Game 1: USC 22, Coppin State 2
The Trojans came out and dominated the first game of the three game slated weekend series against the Eagles. Coppin State trailed early but finally got on the board.
The Eagles scored their first run of the season on an RBI groundout by junior infielder
John Bonanca scoring Nazier McIlwain in the seventh inning. McIlwain led the inning off with a single to left field. Finally in the ninth inning Coppin State pounded out a pair of hits by junior outfielder
Andres Santana and freshman outfielder
Corey Treyes. Santana singled up the middle to lead the inning off and later scored on an RBI single to third base by Treyes.
Coppin State used four pitchers in their season opener. Southern California scored three runs in the first inning, 12 in the second inning, three in the third and four in the fourth inning. The Trojans dominated with 20 hits compared to only four by the Eagles.
Game 2: USC 6, Coppin State 2
Southern Cal had a 1-0 advantage over the Eagles after the first inning and then junior catcher
Brett Helmbrecht cracked an RBI single to left-center field to tie the ballgame. Coppin State had three hits in the second inning with Nazier McIlwain singling through the right side and freshman infielder
Allen Saar singing to shortstop.
USC answered with two runs on two hits in the bottom of the inning pulling ahead 3-1. Senior outfielder
Clinton Arnold and senior infielder
Bryant Miranda had their first hits of the season with back-to-back singles up the middle and to right field, respectively in the third inning. The Trojans extended their lead with a run in the fourth inning and two in the sixth inning.
In the ninth inning, McIlwain doubled to right field and came home on an RBI groundout by Helmbrecht.
McIlwain led the Eagles with a pair of hits and scored two runs. Helmbrecht had a breakout game with a pair of RBIs. On the mound, sophomore
Aaron Rea went 4.2 innings striking out one batter.
Corey Treyes was inserted into the lineup and finished the game fanning four batters in 3.1 innings.
Coppin State had six hits while the Trojans held the slight edge with eight.
Game 3: USC 9, Coppin State 4
Sophomore infielder
Jamar Criss homered to left field in the fourth inning giving Coppin State an early 3-0 lead on the final day of their California trip. The Eagles hot start began in the first inning when three hits led to two quick runs.
John Bonanca singled to right field and then
Andres Santana followed with a single to right-center field. CSU added pressure with a stolen base by Santana advancing runners into scoring position with Bonanca taking third base. Then, Nazier McIlwain came up with a two-RBI single to right-center field scoring both Bonanca and Santana.
USC started to trim the deficit with runs in the fourth and fifth inning. The Eagles had the lead until Southern Cal poured in five runs in the sixth inning and then sealed the weekend sweep over Coppin State with two additional late runs.
In the eighth inning, Criss RBI singled up the middle scoring sophomore infielder
Erik Crossman for the Eagles final run.
Brett Helmbrecht recorded a single also up the middle in the ninth inning.
Joshua Hancock got the start and went 4.1 innings striking out four batters and surrendering one hit.
Criss finished with a pair of hits including his fifth career home run as an Eagle. McIlwain added two RBIs and Santana had the first CSU stolen base of the year.
Jamar Criss and Nazier McIlwain both had multiple hit games and multiple RBI games over the weekend to start the 2017 season.
Brett Helmbrecht also had a multi RBI game.
Andres Santana,
Bryant Miranda and the other three Eagles (McIlwain, Criss and Helmbrecht) all reached base in each of the first three games with USC.
Coppin State (0-3) will begin a two game home stretch against Georgetown on Wednesday, February 22md at 3 p.m. and then against Mount St. Mary's on Wednesday, March 1
st at 2p.m. at Joe Cannon Stadium in Anne Arundel, MD.
