Coppin State?s baseball team, which is coming off a season in which it went an NCAA-record 0-44, was picked to finish last in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference this year.
But the Eagles received one first-place vote ? from their coach, Harvey Lee.
Lee?s confidence will go a long way toward the Eagles? efforts to snap their losing streak, which was extended with a season-opening, 10-1 loss at William & Mary on Wednesday.
A win would do wonders for the Eagles.
“[It would mean] everything, especially the returning guys, and to me too,” Lee said. “I want to get my first college win under my belt.”
The Eagles open their home schedule today at 5 p.m. against St. Peters, which, coupled with Farleigh Dickinson, will make up the three-team field for this weekend?s Coppin State Invitational at Joe Cannon Stadium ? the Eagles home field in northern Anne Arundel County.
The Eagles feature a 27-player roster in which 17 are freshmen, and are led by sophomore second baseman Henry Williams, who hit .339 with two home runs last season.
“It?s an awesome class,” Williams said of the freshmen. “The pitching staff, though they?re young, they know the game of baseball. I think I need to step up a lot. We have a lot of freshmen under me getting to know the ropes of the game at the college level. I can relate the most to them, being that I?m only a sophomore.”
Lee has tried to change the culture at Coppin State ? instituting free clinics for inner-city youth leagues. So far, only the James Mosher Little League has taken advantage of the twice weekly sessions.
The team is practicing at Druid Hill Park, and their every move likely will be filmed by a group of Coppin State students who are planning a documentary on the struggling team.
But the biggest change from last season is the team?s attitude, Williams said.
“When they firstgot here, it was talked about,” Williams said of last year. “We try to go by the motto of, ?Don?t dwell on the past and look to the future.? Everyone knows what happened and there?s no need to talk about it. We just need to improve and learn from what we did last year.”
