The Matchup: Towson (7-16) vs. Coppin State (5-13)
The Game: March 31 – 1 p.m.
Place: John B. Schuerholz Park – Towson, Md.
Broadcast: Towson Sports Network
Live Stats: towsontigers.com
 
TOWSON, Md. – Before the start of league play, the Towson University baseball team will play a final mid-week game at Schuerholz, hosting Coppin State on Wednesday, March 31 at 1 p.m. (Time was changed to 1 p.m. after this release)
 
The game will be broadcast on the Towson Sports Network.  Live stats will be available via towsontigers.com.
 
This is Towson's last game before taking on Delaware to start Colonial Athletic Association play.
 
Towson, from the CAA, took a series victory over George Mason with three wins in four games over the weekend, going to 7-16 overall.  Coppin State, which has played eight games in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, fell in three of four to Norfolk State last weekend to come in at 5-13 overall and 3-5 in its league.
 
Towson leads the all-time series vs. Coppin State, which started back in 1986, 10-1-1, having played each year since 2014.  The Eagles' lone victory came in the last meeting, a 5-2 win in Towson on April 17, 2019.
 
Projected Starting Pitcher - Towson:
Game 1 - Nolan Bolt, RHP (0-0, 7.30 ERA, 12.1 IP, 15/13 K-BB)
 
Projected Starting Pitcher - Coppin State:
Game 1 - Tim Ruffino, LHP (0-1, 12.71 ERA, 11.1 IP, 12/11 K-BB)
 
FIELDS NAMED PRESEASON HM ALL-CAA
Javon Fields was selected as 2021 Preseason Honorable Mention All-CAA in the preseason coaches poll.  Fields was previously 2020 Preseason All-CAA and 2019 CAA All-Rookie Team.
 
He has started nearly every game in his Towson career as the team's centerfielder, hitting .293 last season.
 
LAST TIME: TOWSON WINS 3 OF 4 VS MASON
Including two walk-off victories and a walk-off defeat, Towson took three of four vs. George Mason, the first series win of the year.
Key stat:
--Towson wins Games 1, 4 in walk-off fashion
Top Towson batter:
--#4 Javon Fields: .417, HR, RBI, 3 BB
Top Towson pitcher:
--#17 Danny Madden: W (1-2), 6 IP, R, 5 K
 
SEILS, CAMPER NAMED TOP-10 CAA DRAFT CLASS PROSPECTS
Two Tigers, Josh Seils and Burke Camper, were ranked in the top-10 among CAA players in their respective Major League Baseball classes by Perfect Game USA.  Among CAA players, Seils is ninth in the 2021 draft class while Camper is ninth in the 2022 draft class.
 
Seils was eligible for the MLB Draft last year but returned to Towson.  The junior pitcher is Towson's Friday starter, has 117 career strikeouts and threw 6.1 innings with two runs against #7 Miami last year.
 
Camper was one of the CAA's top freshmen last year, hitting .314 with three doubles and 11 RBI in 15 games, split between catcher and designated hitter.
 
GO!
Towson has had a strong start on the basepaths, stealing 41 bases in 50 attempts.  Javon Fields is 8-for-9 on stolen bases while Danny Becerra is 9-for-11.  As of March 22nd, Towson is 10th in DI in total stolen bases.
 
REPPING THE HOME STATE
14 who suit up for the Black & Gold hail from the Old Line State of Maryland.  This includes several players from the Baltimore metropolitan area: Nick Brown, Alex Parker, Trent Gast-Woodard, Bryce Frederick and Ryan Schechner.
 
BRING BACK THE STAFF...
Towson returns 12 pitchers who accounted for 127.2 of the 128 innings thrown during the 2020 season.  They combined for a 4.29 team ERA under pitching coach Miles Miller, 1.3 points better than in 2019.  Two Tigers, Austin Weber and Nick Ramanjulu, ranked top-10 in the CAA in ERA at 2.94 and 3.22 respectively.
 
NEWCOMERS ADD TO THE LINEUP
Several newcomers have been key parts to the Towson lineup in 2021.  Danny Becerra, transfer from San Diego Mesa, is the team's starting shortstop and leads the team in batting average (.272).  Billy Godrick, grad transfer from Fordham, locks down right field and hits .256 with 17 free passes and six steals.  Illinois State transfer Nolan Young is the second baseman, hitting .256 with a team-best 12 RBI.
 
TIGERS IN THE PROS
Towson has two players in the minor leagues.  Richie Palacios, a third round pick by Cleveland in 2018, is the #31 rated-prospect in the system, missing 2019 due to shoulder surgery.  Brady Policelli, a 13th round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2016, was a spring training invite in 2019 and 2020 after earning FSL All-Star honors in 2019. Gavin Weyman pitched in the independent United Shore Professional Baseball League in 2020 for the second straight year.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:
Coppin State is led by head coach Sherman Reed, Towson alum of 1983.  As a team, the Eagles hit .277, led by redshirt freshman catcher Mike Dorcean, who hits .433 with four home runs and 11 RBI.  Left-handed redshirt freshman Tim Ruffino is the expected starter, standing with an 11.71 ERA in 11.1 innings, striking out 12.