The Norfolk State baseball program released its 2021 schedule on Wednesday, a 53-game regular-season slate that features 26 home games prior to the MEAC Baseball Championship, which returns to NSU this year.
The Spartans will play a total of 32 MEAC regular-season games this year, the most ever for the Spartans in their history, in a new format that includes four-game weekend series. NSU will compete as part of the Northern Division along with Delaware State and Coppin State, and will also play two conference series against Florida A&M from the MEAC South.
“Despite COVID and the challenges that came with putting together a schedule this year, we feel like we have a very strong schedule ahead of us,” said NSU head baseball coach Keith Shumate. “We have some very competitive non-conference games which should prepare us for a new, tough conference format with four-game weekends.”
The schedule gets underway with four games against cross-town rival Old Dominion. The teams play a standard three-game weekend series Feb. 19-21 and another mid-week game on Feb. 23, all at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex at ODU.
The next two weekends feature a total of six games against another school from the MEAC Southern Division, North Carolina Central. The teams will split six games between the two cities, with NSU playing a doubleheader at NCCU Feb. 27 before the teams play a single game the following day to open the home slate at Marty L. Miller Field. The following week, the schedule flips, with the teams playing a doubleheader at NSU on March 6 and a single contest at NCCU on March 7. The six games do not count toward the conference standings.
Also in March, the Spartans have mid-week games with Longwood (at NSU, March 9), at William & Mary (March 23) and at Richmond (March 30). Other weekend series include a four-game home non-conference set with Morehead State (March 19-21) and the first MEAC series of the season, at Coppin State on March 26-28.
The Spartans have two MEAC series with Delaware State in April (home April 1-3, at DSU April 23-25), a road trip to Florida A&M (April 9-11), a home series with CSU (April 16-18) and mid-week games at Longwood (April 6) and home against VCU (April 13). FAMU returns the favor with a trip to NSU for a series from April 30-May 2.
The rest of the May schedule includes another weekend series at CSU (May 7-9), another home set with DSU (May 13-15) and non-conference mid-week games against William & Mary (at NSU, May 4) and VMI (at VMI, May 11). More additions to the schedule are possible.
The 2021 MEAC Baseball Championship runs May 20-22 at NSU’s Marty L. Miller Field. This marks the seventh time the conference tournament will be played on NSU’s campus, following stints from 2006-08 and 2012-14. This year’s championship will include just four teams, the top two squads from both the Northern and Southern Divisions.
Due to COVID-19 guidelines, home games at Marty L. Miller field are not open to the public. Spectators will be limited to guests of the team members and a limited number of NSU students. NSU will follow all state and CDC guidelines at home games regulating the number of spectators allowed and social distancing, and facial masks are required for all fans. Live video for all home games will be available through Spartan Showcase Video Streaming at www.nsuspartans.com.