Delaware State University second baseman Scott Davis was named the 2011 MEAC Baseball Player of the Year, as announced by the conference on Tuesday. Bethune-Cookman's Scott Garner was selected as the Pitcher and Rookie of the Year. Head Coach Mervyl Melendez of Bethune-Cookman earned Coach of the Year accolades.
All awards are voted on by the conference's head baseball coaches and sports information directors.
Davis leads the MEAC and is fourth in the nation with a .439 batting average in 46 games. Named as an All-MEAC first-team selection this season he recorded 72 hits, one home run, one triple, 17 doubles and 30 RBI in 164 plate appearances. The junior led the MEAC and was seventh in the nation with a .533 on base percentage. Defensively, the second baseman collected 108 putouts and 121 assists.
Garner led the MEAC with a 2.38 ERA and tied for first with seven wins (7-2) to earn MEAC Pitcher and Rookie of the Year accolades. The rookie was also atop the MEAC for hits (48), earned runs allowed (17) and runs (26). The one-time MEAC Rookie of the Week recorded 38 strikeouts and 15 walks in 11 appearances and 64.1 innings. This marks the first time that the Rookie of the Year was also named Pitcher of the Year during the same season.
Melendez earns his sixth straight Coach of the Year honor, ninth overall, after leading the Wildcats to an unblemished 18-0 mark for the second consecutive year. Bethune-Cookman posted a 32-22 record overall and earned the top seed heading into the conference championship tournament. The Wildcats have won 43 consecutive games against MEAC opponents including conference and championship tournament play. During his 11 years at the helm, the Wildcats have won 10 MEAC championship titles and 10 NCAA Regional appearances.
The defending MEAC champion Bethune-Cookman Wildcats led the conference with seven student-athletes earning all-conference first and second team selections. Delaware State and Norfolk State each had five all-conference nods.
The 2011 MEAC Baseball Championship tournament begins at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18, with #2 Delaware State facing #5 Maryland Eastern Shore at the Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida.
#1 Bethune-Cookman will matchup against #6 Florida A&M for game two beginning at 2 p.m., and #3 North Carolina A&T will take on #4 Norfolk State in final game of the day beginning at 6 p.m. The action continues on Thursday and Friday beginning at 10 a.m. A complete bracket is available on www.MEACsports.com.
The championship finale is set for Saturday, May 21 at 2 p.m.
Admission for the 2011 MEAC Baseball Championship is $5 for children (13 and under) and students and $10 for adults. Discounted ticket packages are available for all three days at a cost of $10 for children and students and $20 for adults. Tickets can be purchased at the Jackie Robinson Ballpark, 105 E. Orange Ave., Daytona Beach, Florida beginning on May 18.