Preview: Coppin State Eagles at Richmond Spiders

RICHMOND, Va. (Interstat) — The Richmond Spiders look to get back above .500 when they host the struggling Coppin State Eagles in non-conference baseball action Tuesday evening at Malcolm U. Pitt Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. under cloudy skies with temperatures around 60 degrees.

Richmond (9-7) enters after a tough 4-3 loss to Binghamton on Sunday, despite a solid five-inning start from Jackson Hinchliffe. The Spiders had won five of their previous six before the defeat. Hinchliffe, a key arm, has been effective in three of his four outings this season, including five shutout innings against James Madison and 3 2/3 scoreless frames in a win over Cornell.

Coppin State (2-9) seeks to build momentum after splitting a four-game series with Mercyhurst last weekend. The Eagles dropped the series finale 12-7 on Sunday but won the previous two games 14-4 and 2-1.

A player to watch for the Eagles is catcher Nelson Grajales, who drove in three runs in Sunday’s loss. He is 11 for 35 (.314) with nine RBIs over his last 10 games, providing a consistent bat in the Coppin State lineup.

The Spiders’ offense will aim to rebound after being held to three runs on Sunday. They had scored 31 runs in their three games prior.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the projected final score is Richmond 6, Coppin State 2.

Following this midweek contest, Richmond opens Atlantic 10 play at home against Saint Joseph’s this weekend. Coppin State continues its road swing with a three-game series at Fairleigh Dickinson starting Friday.