North Carolina A&T (15-27, 10-10 MEAC) vs. N.C. Central (16-15, 8-8 MEAC)
Date: Friday, April 30 – Sunday, May 2 
Time(s): Fri: 4 p.m.; Sat: 1 p.m. DH; Sun: 1 p.m.
Facility: War Memorial Stadium, Greensboro, N.C. 

PROBABLE STARTERS: LF Justin Rodriguez (.305, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 28 runs); CF Shane Faulk (.286, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 10 runs); RF Camden Williamson (.263, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 13 runs); 3B Justin Williams (.303, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 25 runs); SS Dustin Baber (.274, 0 HR, 18 RBI, 24 runs); 2B Tony Mack (.176, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 15 runs); 1B Zach McLean (.288, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 13 runs); C Ryne Stanley (.248, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 18 runs); DH Cameran Brantley (.303, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 34 runs) 

PROBABLE ROTATION: 
Friday – RHP Cole Parks (4-2, 3.32 ERA, 46 K) 
Saturday (Game 1) – LHP Derek Martinez (1-4, 6.03 ERA, 34 K) 
Saturday (Game 2) – RHP Michael Johnson (2-6, 4.97 ERA, 36 K) 
Sunday – LHP Ethan Chavis (0-3, 13.29 ERA, 13 K) 

AGGIES OVERVIEW: A&T has won six of their last eight conference games, including two-straight weekend series victories over Florida A&M and northern division foe Coppin State. The only two Aggies over the .300 mark are juniors Justin Rodriguez (.305) and Justin Williams (.303). They both have a team-high 32 RBI, but Williams leads the club with his six home runs. Parks paces the A&T arms with his 3.32 ERA. In his last two starts since moving into the Friday slot, he is 2-0 and has given up just four runs, two earned, on six hits with 18 strikeouts in 13.0 innings pitched. Senior closer Evan Gates leads the pitching staff with 60 strikeouts. Head coach Ben Hall, in his seventh season, has an overall record of 134-189. He is 17-21 against NCCU since taking over, but 11-9 over their last 20 meetings. 

EAGLES OVERVIEW: N.C. Central is coming off a weekend series split against Florida A&M. The Eagles boast the best team ERA in the conference at 5.50, led by junior right-hander Austin Vernon's 2.25 ERA. Vernon is 3-2 on the year and has a team-high 73 strikeouts. Preseason all-conference first-team selection Ryan Miller comes in right behind him with an eye-popping 7-0 record coupled with a 2.29 ERA. Vernon and Miller have the two lowest ERAs in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Offensively, graduate Kokko Figueiredo is the lone Eagle with a plus-.300 average (.309). He leads the team with 34 hits and 22 RBI, tied with junior Luis DeLeon. Junior Cort Maynard has a team-high five home runs. Skipper Jim Koerner is in his 10th year at the helm of the Eagles and has an overall record of 202-259-1.  

LAST MEETING: These two teams last met on April 11, a 12-7 win for A&T in Durham. 

HOME SWEET HOME: The Aggies are 7-5 at home this season and have won three of the last four at The War. They are scoring an average of seven runs per game over that span. 

LEADING THE WAY: The Aggies lead the conference in several offensive categories: runs scored (226), hits (336), RBI (207), doubles (58), home runs (29), total bases (489), walks (189), sacrifice bunts (25) and sacrifice flies (20).

WHO'S HOT: Junior infielder Zach McLean is the reigning MEAC player of the week. The High Point native hit .438 in five games last week with five extra-base hits, including three doubles and two home runs. McLean also had a 1.000 slugging percentage with nine RBI. He has been the hottest bat in the Aggie lineup in the 11 conference games he's played, batting .444. McLean has reached base safely in 11-straight games. Against NCCU, in two starts, McLean is batting .500. 

News & Notes: 

• The Aggies are an even 4-4 against NCCU this season, with two weekend series splits between the clubs.  
• A&T holds three of the top four spots in the MEAC for hits (Williams, 44, 2nd; Baber, 40, 3rd; Brantley, 39, 4th). 
• Williams leads the MEAC in home runs (6), RBI (32) and total bases (69).  
• Brantley is tied for first in the country with 39 walks drawn and third in the MEAC in on-base percentage (.460).  
• The Aggies have nine players with one or more three-hit games, led by Baber and Williams (3). 
• A&T has had six players receive weekly conference honors this year – McLean, Williams, Brantley (Player of the Week); TJ Ash and Trevor Sheehan (Rookie of the Week) and Johnson (Pitcher of the Week). 
• The Aggies were picked to win the league in the MEAC preseason poll voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.