FAMU Rattlers Face Coppin State to Open the MEAC Tournament (Bracket)

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Florida A&M (24-24, 14-10 MEAC) opens the MEAC Baseball Tournament against Coppin State (11-32, 9-15 MEAC) on Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm on Marty L. Miller Field in Norfolk, Va. The Rattlers enter the Tournament as the No. 2 seed out of the Southern Division and are on a five-game winning streak. The Eagles are the No. 3 seed out of the Northern Division.

This will be FAMU’s first appearance in the MEAC Tournament since 2011. Florida A&M went 0-2 in the tournament that year with losses to Bethune-Cookman and Maryland Eastern Shore. The last win for the Rattlers in the MEAC Tournament came in a 12-2 opening round win over UMES in 2009. The Rattlers also defeated NorfolkState 15-2 in that tournament, but fell twice to North Carolina A&T.

Since the two MEAC divisions don’t face each other during the regular season, this will be the first meeting between Florida A&M and CoppinState since May 1, 2011. The Rattlers won that meeting 7-5. FAMU is 15-3 over CSU going back to the 2006 season.

FAMU is in the same bracket with Northern Division No. 1 Seed Delaware State (30-15, 17-7 MEAC) and SavannahState (19-30, 11-13 MEAC) who enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed out of the Southern Division.

2014 MEAC Baseball Tournament Bracket

WHO’S HOT (Last 10 Games):

3B, Ryan Kennedy - .350 (14-for-40), 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 7 Runs, .550 SLG%
C, Jeremy Barlow - .344 (11-for-32), 1 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 2 Runs
DH, Michael Birdsong - .323 (10-for-31), 3 2B, HR, 8 RBI, 4 Runs, .516 SLG%
LF, Marlon Gibbs - .316 (12-for-38), 1 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 6 Runs
P, David Duncan – 3 App, 3-0, 2.03 ERA, 13.1 IP, 3 Runs, 12 K’s, 3 BB, 1 CG SHO

By The Numbers:

                             FAMU     CSU

Batting Avg.      .275        .228
Avg. Runs Gm   4.8          3.7
2B                        74           44
3B                        6             7
Home Runs      19            6
SLG%                 .360       .285
Stolen Bases   51-62      22-43
Opp. BA            .276        .321
FLD%                .958         .948
Team ERA       4.97        6.45

PITCHING PROBABLES:

Wednesday:

Florida A&M – RHP, Kendal Weeks (2-1, 3.97 ERA)
Last Start: May 4, ND vs. NC A&T, 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 Runs, 6 BB, 1 K
Coppin State – TBA

Rattler Quick Strikes:

• Florida A&M last won the MEAC Championship in 1994.
• In head coach Jamey Shouppe’s first season, FAMU has already won more games (24) than the last two seasons combined (14). The 24 wins are the most for FAMU since the Rattlers went 24-30, 10-9 MEAC in 2009.
• The Rattlers finished 14-10 in the MEAC and tied with Bethune-Cookman for first place in the MEAC Southern Division. This is just the third time in program history that FAMU has won more than 10 MEAC games (2003, 2007 & 2008) and the most MEAC wins in the history of the program
• With the success of the 2014 season, the Rattlers have ended four long losing streaks to in-state rivals. With its 4-3 win over then No. 6 Florida on April 23 FAMU recorded its first victory in program history over the Gators, snapping an 18-game losing streak. Florida A&M had also lost 20 straight to Jacksonville before a 6-5 win over the Dolphins back on April 8 at Moore-Kittles Field. Florida A&M also ended a run of 13 consecutive losses to both Bethune-Cookman and North Florida this season.
• FAMU has won 11 straight games decided by one run.
• The Rattlers have had 30 games this season decided by three runs or less and are 18-12 in those contests.
• 1B Bennie Robinson finished 3^rd in the MEAC with a .390 average. First in hits (76) and doubles (15).
• 3B Ryan Kennedy finished the regular season with eight home runs, which was tied for 2nd in the MEAC and only one behind the conference leader.
• In his last 11 appearances, reliever William Carrasco is 3-2 with an ERA of 2.12 with 19 strikeouts in 34 innings of work including two saves.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @FAMUAthletics.

By Michael Morrell/Special to FAMU Athletics
COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION