TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M (27-19, 16-5 MEAC) closes out the 2016 regular season this weekend by hosting North Carolina A&T (13-38, 6-15 MEAC) at Moore-Kittles Field. The two teams will play a single game at 4:00 PM on Friday and a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 PM on Saturday.
With two wins this weekend, FAMU will clinch the MEAC Southern Division title for the second straight season. The No. 1 seed from the Southern Division is important because it will allow Florida A&M to have an opening round bye in next week’s MEAC Baseball Tournament in Salisbury, MD.
If the Rattlers can win two games this weekend it will also mark the third straight season FAMU has won at least a share of the MEAC Southern Division title. All three are in head coach Jamey Shouppe’s first three seasons.
FAMU continues to lead the MEAC in eight offensive categories. Dylan Dillard currently ranks tied fifth all-time in Rattler history with 51 RBI in a single season. Dillard is just seven RBI behind Stanley Peppers (58 in 2000) for fourth all-time on that list. Marlon Gibbs leads the team with 14 doubles this season, which places him tied for seventh all-time for single season doubles in Florida A&M history. One more double will tie him for third all-time.
Three different Rattlers are still hitting over .360 on the season and as a team FAMU has 37 home runs. The 37 home runs are the most in a season since before the 2000 season. Ben Ellzey and Brian Davis are tied for the team lead with a .369 average, while Davis and Dillard are tied for the team lead with six home runs apiece. On top of Gibbs’ 14 doubles, Alec Wong and Davis have 12 themselves.
Florida A&M will start LHP Ricky Page (4-3), LHP JoJo Durden (1-2) and RHP Chase Jarrell (5-3) on the mound this weekend against NC A&T. Page leads the team with 62.1 innings pitched and 49 strikeouts and posts a 1.11 ERA against MEAC competition. In his last outing, Page worked a complete game shutout with a career-high eight strikeouts at North Carolina Central and was named the MEAC Pitcher of the Week on Monday. Sawyer Betts continues to work his way back into the mix as he pitched five no-hit innings of relief at NC Central on Sunday with three strikeouts.
NC A&T enters their final series of the season having swept Savannah State last weekend in Greensboro. It was the first three-game series sweep of the season for the Aggies. The A&T pitching staff comes in with an 8.75 team ERA. Offensively, the Aggies have 94 doubles, nine triples and 32 home runs to with a .274 team batting average. Shortstop Milton Rivera leads the team with a .351 average, 18 doubles and seven home runs.
Friday’s game and Saturday’s second game will be carried live in Tallahassee on WTAL 1450 AM radio. Fans can also listen online at WTAL1450.com, just click on the “Listen” link at the bottom of the page.
As always, fans can also follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @BaseballFAMU and on Facebook. Live stats are also available on the baseball schedule page at FAMUAthletics.com.
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