NORFOLK, Va., May 15, 2013 - North Carolina A&T first baseman Kelvin Freeman was named the 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball Player of the Year, the conference announced on Wednesday. Savannah State Kyle McGowin was selected as the Pitcher of the Year and SSU teammate Mendez Elder was named Rookie of the Year. Head Coach Carlton Hardy of Savannah State earned Coach of the Year accolades.
All awards are voted on by the conference’s head baseball coaches and sports information directors.
Freeman led the conference and was eighth in the nation in home runs (14) and 24th in the nation in slugging percentage (.644). He is 18th in the nation in sacrifice flies (7), and leads the MEAC in runs batted in (54), plate appearances (219), putouts (450), and total bases (116). Also named to the All-MEAC first team, Freeman finished the regular season with a .339 batting average, 61 hits, one triple and 11 doubles.
McGowin ranks second in the conference with an ERA of 1.49 in 96.1 innings pitched. He is the conference leader in strikeouts (111) and ranks sixth nationally in the category. He also ranks sixth nationally and leads the MEAC in wins with 10, setting a school single season record, and has been named to the Golden Spike Awards Watch List and the Diamond Awards Pitcher of the Year Watch List.
Elder leads the team in batting average (.317) with 38 hits, one home run, one triple, five doubles and one RBI for the season. He has started 37-of-38 games and has nine stolen bases along with 53 putouts and three assists. Elder is the second consecutive SSU freshman to earn the Rookie of the Year honor. Last year, pitcher Rex Davis was awarded the honor.
In just the second straight year of conference play for the Tigers, Savannah State head coach Carlton Hardy has garnered the 2013 Baseball Coach of the Year honor. The Tigers earned the MEAC’s top seed in the south and earned the Co-Divisional title, along with Bethune-Cookman, with a 17-7 conference finish. Hardy tallied over 200 career wins this season and lead the Tigers to their second straight winning season with a 29-21 overall finish.
Delaware State led the conference with eight student-athletes earning all-conference first and second team selections. Bethune-Cookman and Savannah State each had three all-conference nods.
The 2013 MEAC Baseball Championship started today, Wednesday, May 15 at 9 a.m. at the Marty L. Miller field on the campus of Norfolk State University.
Norfolk State (N2) defeated North Carolina Central (S3) in game one earlier today. Games two and three will include Savannah State (S1) against Maryland Eastern Shore (N4) and Delaware State (N1) and North Carolina A&T (S4). Bethune-Cookman (S2) and Coppin State (N3) will complete the action on day one beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The championship finale is set for Sunday, May 19 beginning at 1 p.m. A complete tournament schedule of events is available on MEACsports.com.
Only the top four teams in each division can compete in the two-game elimination tournament and vie for the championship title. Florida A&M (6-18 MEAC) was eliminated from post season play.
2013 MEAC Baseball All-Conference Honors
Player of the Year Pitcher of the Year
Kelvin Freeman, North Carolina A&T Kyle McGowin, Savannah State
Rookie of the Year Coach of the Year
Mendez Elder, Savannah State Carlton Hardy, Savannah State
First Team
|
Pos
|
Name
|
School
|
Class
|
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
Hometown
|
|
P
|
Kyle McGowin
|
Savannah State
|
Jr.
|
6-3
|
180
|
Sag Harbor, N.Y.
|
|
P
|
Montana Durapau
|
Bethune-Cookman
|
Jr.
|
5-10
|
175
|
Deltona, Fla.
|
|
RP
|
Jordan Dailey
|
Bethune-Cookman
|
Sr.
|
6-0
|
205
|
Orlando, Fla.
|
|
C
|
Eddie Sorondo
|
Delaware State
|
Jr.
|
6-0
|
190
|
Jersey City, N.J.
|
|
1B
|
Kelvin Freeman
|
North Carolina A&T
|
Sr.
|
6-5
|
235
|
Wilmington, N.C.
|
|
2B
|
JP Frey
|
Delaware State
|
Sr.
|
6-1
|
185
|
Erie, Pa.
|
|
3B
|
Cameron Cecil
|
Delaware State
|
Jr.
|
5-9
|
180
|
Gloucester, Va.
|
|
SS
|
Luke Tendler
|
North Carolina A&T
|
Jr.
|
6-0
|
195
|
Wilmington, N.C.
|
|
OF
|
Josh Johnson
|
Bethune-Cookman
|
Jr.
|
5-10
|
196
|
Tampa, Fla.
|
|
OF
|
Aaron Nardone
|
Delaware State
|
Jr.
|
6-0
|
185
|
Chesapeake, Va.
|
|
OF
|
Luis Diaz
|
North Carolina Central
|
Sr.
|
5-10
|
200
|
Geneva, N.Y.
|
|
DH
|
Mike Alexander
|
Delaware State
|
Jr.
|
5-10
|
180
|
New Castle, Del.
|
Second Team
|
Pos
|
Name
|
School
|
Class
|
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
Hometown
|
|
P
|
Glenn Frye
|
North Carolina Central
|
Jr.
|
6-3
|
200
|
Lillington, N.C.
|
|
P
|
Elliott Gardner
|
Delaware State
|
Sr.
|
6-2
|
190
|
Middletown, Del.
|
|
RP
|
George Michael
|
Delaware State
|
Fr.
|
5-10
|
160
|
Milford, Del.
|
|
C
|
Brandon Schott
|
Maryland Eastern Shore
|
Sr.
|
5-10
|
200
|
Warren, Pa.
|
|
1B
|
Zach Markel
|
Norfolk State
|
Jr.
|
6-2
|
210
|
Elizabethville, Pa.
|
|
2B
|
Joshua James
|
Maryland Eastern Shore
|
So.
|
5-8
|
170
|
Milford, Del.
|
|
3B
|
Joseph McCrary
|
Savannah State
|
Sr.
|
6-1
|
175
|
Stone Mountain, Ga.
|
|
SS
|
Todd Hagan
|
Savannah State
|
Jr.
|
5-9
|
160
|
Bristol, Ga.
|
|
OF
|
Hassan Evans
|
Delaware State
|
Jr.
|
6-3
|
210
|
Brooklyn, N.Y.
|
|
OF
|
Marlon Gibbs
|
Florida A&M
|
So.
|
5-9
|
185
|
Orange Park, Fla.
|
|
OF
|
Cameron Day
|
Norfolk State
|
Jr.
|
6-0
|
205
|
Virginia Beach, Va.
|
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