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Eagles ready to lace them up

NCCU baseball team hopes to set a precendent this year

Published: Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Updated: Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Since being revived in 2006, the N.C. Central University baseball team has seen great triumphs and humbling defeats.

In its first season, the team amassed a record of 21-24 and won the CIAA regular season title.

In the second season and its first at the Division I level, the team finished with 6 wins and 30 losses.    

None of their victories were over Division I teams, with the low point being a 22-0 drubbing at the hands of Duke University.

Last season, the Eagles finished with a disappointing 6-35 record to complete its second Division I season.

However, the team did manage to win its first Division I game which came against Savannah State on March 7, 2009.

With 18 letter winners returning the NCCU baseball team aims to reach new heights in 2010.

The team will get a steady dose of southern hospitality because it will not venture past the Mason-Dixon line this season.

The Eagles lost two of the program’s most important pioneers and 3-year starters Oliver Jenkins and Robert Landis in addition to 6 other players leaving the program.

However, the Eagles are more experienced than they have ever been as a result of many young players logging major innings since the program’s inception.

The NCCU hitters will be led by sophomore outfielder Akeem Hood, who led the Eagles in batting average and stolen bases (.322, 16 stolen bases).        

On the mound, the Eagles will rely on sophomore Brandon Strickland who logged the most appearances and led the Eagles in wins with 2.

NCCU will start the season with five home games, three of which are part of the Inaugural Eagle Baseball classic, which will match the Eagles against Iona, Delaware State and Navy.

Throughout the season the Eagles will face five future MEAC foes and battle ACC opponents North Carolina State and Virginia Tech.

The Eagles’ entire schedule is filled with Division I opponents with the exception of one team, the Virginia State Trojans the two time CIAA champions. The team will arguably face its toughest opponent in 15th ranked East Carolina.
 

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