Delaware State (10-11) vs. Howard (10-19)
Saturday, March 28, 2009 12 p.m. (DH)
Washington, D.C. -- Banneker Field
Live Stats: www.dsuhornets.com

Sunday, March 29, 2009 12 p.m.
Washington, D.C. -- Banneker Field
Live Stats: N/A

The Matchup
This Saturday, March 28, the Hornets travel to Washington, D.C, to start MEAC play against the Howard Bison (10-19). The two teams will play a doubleheader starting at noon on Saturday and a single game at noon on Sunday.

The Series
The Hornets are 31-8 all-time against the Bison. These two teams met four times last season with each team winning twice. DSU won the last meeting and the most important one in the semifinals of the MEAC tournament. Led by Brittney Ruark's seven-inning, four-strikeout performance, the Hornets won the contest 2-1.

First in the Nation
Freshman Casey Beighly (as of 3/25) is first in the nation in fewest strikeouts with 0. She is one of only two players in the MEAC (Hannah Mills - UMES -- walks) to lead the nation in any offensive category.

Sophomore Andrea Waters
Waters is ranked in the top 20 in two offensive categories (only player in MEAC to do that). She is ranked 12th with 0.16 triples/game and 17th with three triples this season.

Rookie Sensation
Although she has only played/started in 15 of the team's first 21 games, Freshman Breanne Parr is second on the team with a .356 batting average and a .511 slugging percentage.

Iron Woman
Sophomore Andrea Waters has now started 75 consecutive DSU games. This the most since Jillian French started 128 consecutive team games from 2002-2004.

Pitcher Brittney Ruark
With her sixth victory of the season against Vermont on March 21, Ruark has 32 career wins, only three behind Jessica Murrary (35) for first all-time at DSU. Ruark is also third all-time with 338.0 innings pitched. She is just 13.2 innings behind Traci Slate for second all-time.

Howard Player to WatchJR -- Courtney Young ? OF
The reigning MEAC Player of the Year is no stranger to attention. Last season, she dominated the league by batting .482 with seven homeruns and 37 RBI. This season she is again on a torrid place, leading the team with a .381 batting average with five homeruns and 15 RBIs in 29 games.

In the Dugout
Head Coach Jeff Savage returns for his 10th season at the helm. He hasn't posted a losing record since 2000 when the team went 17-30. He has never recorded a losing season in MEAC play.

Defending Champions
In 2008, the Hornets finished the regular season as the number three seed in the MEAC. With clutch pitching and defense, DSU went 4-0 in the MEAC Tournament to capture its first conference title and NCAA Tournament birth in school history.

Ending The Season Strong
The Hornets finished the 2008 campaign winning their final six out of eight games.

Freshman Frenzy
DSU brings in seven newcomers this season, which is the most since 2002 when there were also seven newcomers.

Offensive Production
In 2008, the Hornets were near the top of the nation in both runs/game (sixth -- 6.11) and doubles/game (third -- 1.94)

Home Cooking
Last season, the Hornets tied a school record for most home wins with 13 (13-10). The last time they accomplished this feat was 2001 when they went 13-5.

Road Warriors
In 2008, the Hornets posted an impressive 12-10 road record. That was the most for the squad since 2004 when the team went 15-6.

Success In The Classroom
In 2008, DSU was ranked 48th in the nation with a 3.2 team GPA. The Hornets beat out teams such as Dartmouth, Georgetown, Delaware, as well as all of the MEAC schools.