Florida A&M’s baseball team springs into a 1 p.m. Saturday home doubleheader against North Carolina A&T at Moore-Kittles field. The Rattlers look to bounce back from the losses they suffered in the Daytona tournament last weekend.
The team has lost seven straight games and will be looking for their first conference victory of the season.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams began conference play last week. Play kicked off with FAMU playing Bethune-Cookman last Saturday.
FAMU is 0-3 in the MEAC this season. They lost three games against Bethune-Cookman last Saturday and Sunday. BCU is first in the division with three wins and no losses.
Playing the best team in the MEAC will give FAMU valuable experience when facing other conference opponents. North Carolina A&T is fourth in the division. (7-16, 1-1 in the MEAC) and leads the MEAC with a .300 batting average.
The Rattlers are relived not to see BCU pitching attack for the rest of the season. The Wildcats have the lowest era in the conference at 4.39. NC A&T gives up 3 more runs per game than BCU.
The team has an ample amount of opportunities to win the conference this season. BCU is the only team with a winning record in the conference this year. Conference play beginning, and one team with a winning record, leaves a window of opportunity for the Rattlers.
New head coach Brett Richardson already has shown vast improvement from last year’s team. The Rattlers have nearly reached last season’s win total. Through this season, the Rattlers have won eight games. Last season’s win total was 10 games.
There are only seven teams in MEAC baseball conference. The men and women basketball team have eleven teams in the MEAC conference. Fewer teams in the conference increase their percentage chances to win the MEAC tournament. The Rattlers aim for a top spot in the conference to ensure a lower ranked opponent in the first round.
Under Richardson the Rattlers are very optimistic. Throughout the season the team will have numerous chances to make its mark in the conference.