Top of the Sun Belt on the Line as Coastal Carolina Hosts Surging James Madison

No. 16 Coastal Carolina returns to Sun Belt action this weekend, hosting James Madison for a critical early-season conference series. The Chanticleers (13-7, 3-0 SBC) currently sit at the top of the Sun Belt standings after sweeping Appalachian State last weekend. They face a hot Dukes squad (11-8, 3-0 SBC) that has won four straight, including their own sweep of Georgia Southern and a mid-week offensive outburst against George Washington University.

The weekend rotation pic.twitter.com/wLqCWb2WUN

— Coastal Carolina Baseball (@CoastalBaseball) March 19, 2026

The Chanticleers dropped a heartbreaker in their mid-week clash with Campbell on Wednesday night, falling 4-3 in walk-off fashion to even the season series at 1-1. After Coastal battled back to tie the game in the top of the ninth, Camels outfielder Mike Murphy provided the heroics, driving the first pitch he saw back up the middle to score Lukas Schramm for the game-winner with two outs. This win marked Campbell’s first win over a ranked opponent since upsetting No. 17 Duke in February 2025.

The Chanticleers’ only hit came off the bat of Trace Mazon in the fifth inning. On the bright side, the Chants showed discipline at the plate, drawing 10 walks and reaching base three times via hit-by-pitch.

The Camels struck first in the second inning, capitalizing on command issues from Coastal starter Jackson Smallets. After loading the bases, Campbell pushed two across without a hit: Elijah Clayton drew a hit-by-pitch to score Joey Morton, followed by a Carlos Lugo walk that plated Murphy. Struggling to find the zone, Smallets was pulled after just 1.2 innings of work, finishing his night with two hits allowed, three walks and a hit batter.

Trailing by three in the seventh, the Chanticleers’ patience at the plate finally paid dividends as they orchestrated a two-run rally to trim the deficit to 3-2. Coastal capitalized on Campbell’s sudden command issues, and with the bases full, a pitch hit Blake Barthol to score Cruz Harlan, and Walker Mitchell drew a critical RBI walk to bring Dean Mihos home.

Despite being held to just a single hit, the Chanticleers did not give up and tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the ninth. Barthol delivered a clutch sacrifice fly, allowing Harlan to tag up and slide home to knot the score and give Coastal a new life.

Murphy’s walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Camels past Coastal. Before Murphy’s plate appearance, both teams combined to go 0-for-23 with runners in scoring position. In three of Coastal’s last four games, they have not scored until the sixth inning or later, as they struggle to get the bats going early.

Chanticleers Head Coach Kevin Schnall stressed the importance of creating quality at-bats and scoring runs early. Scoring first has been a big factor for the program this season, as they are 9-2 when scoring first.

“We’re missing fastballs in the middle of the plate. We’ve got to do a better job capitalizing on fastballs in the middle of the plate… We are just not getting on the board early. We’ve won three of the last four, but it’s not the recipe you want, and we’ve got to get out to better starts,” Schnall said.

Generating early run support will be crucial against a dynamic James Madison offense. The Dukes enter the series hitting over .300 as a team, but their true threat lies in their aggression on the base paths, as JMU currently leads the Sun Belt and ranks fifth nationally with 64 stolen bases.

Riding a four-game win streak, the Dukes arrive in Conway looking to maintain the offensive rhythm established in their 12-7 victory over George Washington Wednesday night. JMU showcased its depth in the mid-week win, tallying 12 hits with four different batters turning in multi-hit performances.

Freshman Cameron Aycock went 3-for-3 at the dish, including a triple, three stolen bases and two runs scored. Junior Ben Barrow also went 3-for-3 at the plate with a triple, four RBIs and two runs scored.

Kyle Langley continued his hot stretch in the win, racking up three RBIs and pushing his hitting streak to 10 games. Langley joins Reece Moody as the only Dukes to reach a double-digit streak this season.

The defining characteristic of the Dukes’ victory was their relentless efficiency with two outs. James Madison delivered with their backs against the wall, going 5-for-13 in two-out situations and driving in eight of their 12 runs when it mattered most.

Sophomore Luke Jones will get the start on the mound for the Chanticleers on Friday night. He enters the game with a team-leading ERA of 2.49 in five starts on the season. His most recent performance came against Appalachian State last weekend, where he tossed 6.0 innings, allowing five hits and two runs.

The Dukes are rolling with left-hander Max Kuhle on the mound. In four starts, Kuhle maintains a 3.60 ERA through 10.0 innings pitched. The Virginia native’s last outing came against Georgia Southern last weekend, where he allowed six hits and three runs in just 3.0 innings of work.

With both teams sitting at 3-0 in conference play, this weekend in Conway carries early-season weight in the conference race. Coastal Carolina will look to rediscover its offensive rhythm and capitalize on scoring opportunities, while James Madison aims to continue its hot streak behind timely hitting and aggressive base running. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Friday at Springs Brooks Stadium, airing on ESPN+.