NORFOLK, Va. — Savannah State’s Torrian Wright was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Player of the Year, the conference announced on Friday. Cortni Jones of Savannah State was Rookie of the Year, while Florida A&M’s Kenya Pereira earned Pitcher of the Year honors. Delaware State’s Amber Jackson received Coach of the Year accolades.
All awards are voted on by the conference’s head softball coaches and sports information directors.
Wright, a 2014 and 2015 MEAC Player of the Year and 2016 MEAC Preseason Player of the Year, led the conference in on-base percentage (.662) and walks (50). She also finished fifth in batting average (.411) and third in slugging percentage (.699). She ranks first nationally in walks and second in on-base percentage. Defensively, she led the Lady Tigers in putouts (224).
Jones finished second in the conference in runs batted in (37) and tied for first in home runs (8). She started 42 games for the Lady Tigers and led the team in runs scored (33). Jones was a three-time MEAC Rookie of the Week honoree.
Pereira appeared in 38 games and notched 12 wins in 164.0 innings pitched. A one-time MEAC Pitcher of the Week selection, Pereira ranked third in the conference in earned run average (3.33), first in opposing batting average (.234), second in innings pitched, fourth in batters struck out (117) and tied for second in wins.
Jackson earned Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Hornets to a 16-2 conference mark and a 25-16 overall record, along with the number one seed from the northern division in the upcoming 2016 MEAC Softball Championship. She is in her second year as the team’s head coach, winning the team’s third-straight division title.
Joining Wright, Jones and Pereira on the first team are Amanda Hallman (SSU), Sandy Hawthorne (DSU), Jessica Nathan (FAMU), Danielle Smith (CSU), Nicole Gazzola (DSU), Raven Gray (NCAT), Annie Bakenhus (B-CU) and Taylor McCoy (Hampton).
The 2016 MEAC Softball Championship tournament gets underway Thursday, May 12 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex in Florida. A complete tournament bracket can be found on www.MEACsports.com.
2016 Softball All-MEAC Teams
As voted on by the conference’s head softball coaches and sports information directors
Player of the Year: Torrian Wright, Savannah State
Rookie of the Year: Cortni Jones, Savannah State
Pitcher of the Year: Kenya Pereira, Florida A&M
Coach of the Year: Amber Jackson, Delaware State
First Team
|
Position
|
Name
|
School
|
Class
|
Hometown
|
|
P
|
Kenya Pereira
|
Florida A&M
|
Jr.
|
Kissimmee, Fla.
|
|
P
|
Amanda Hallman
|
Savannah State
|
Jr.
|
Kennesaw, Ga.
|
|
C
|
Sandy Hawthorne
|
Delaware State
|
Sr.
|
Smithtown, N.Y.
|
|
1B
|
Torrian Wright
|
Savannah State
|
Sr.
|
McDonough, Ga.
|
|
2B
|
Jessica Nathan
|
Florida A&M
|
Sr.
|
Archer, Fla.
|
|
3B
|
Cortni Jones
|
Savannah State
|
Fr.
|
Snellville, Ga.
|
|
SS
|
Danielle Smith
|
Coppin State
|
Sr.
|
Rising Sun, Md.
|
|
OF
|
Nicole Gazzola
|
Delaware State
|
Sr.
|
Coram, N.Y.
|
|
OF
|
Raven Gray
|
North Carolina A&T State
|
So.
|
Forest City, N.C.
|
|
OF
|
Annie Bakenhus
|
Bethune-Cookman
|
Fr.
|
Yucaipa, Calif.
|
|
UTL
|
Taylor McCoy
|
Hampton
|
Sr.
|
Riverview, Fla.
|
Second Team
|
Position
|
Name
|
School
|
Class
|
Hometown
|
|
P
|
Tara Tursellino
|
Delaware State
|
Jr.
|
Moreno Valley, Calif.
|
|
P
|
Sabrina Anguiano
|
Bethune-Cookman
|
Jr.
|
Hacienda Heights, Calif.
|
|
C
|
Tia Bolden
|
Savannah State
|
Jr.
|
Decatur, Ga.
|
|
1B
|
Vanessa Washington
|
Delaware State
|
So.
|
Elk Grove, Calif.
|
|
2B
|
Chloe Oro
|
Delaware State
|
Sr.
|
San Pedro, Calif.
|
|
3B
|
Jasmine Gammons
|
Howard
|
r-Sr.
|
Oviedo, Fla.
|
|
SS
|
Kieifi Myrick
|
Florida A&M
|
r-Sr.
|
Crawfordville, Fla.
|
|
OF
|
Alexis Singleton
|
Savannah State
|
Jr.
|
Sarasota, Fla.
|
|
OF
|
Vanessa Gomez
|
Maryland Eastern Shore
|
Sr.
|
Belleville, N.J.
|
|
OF
|
Hope Sobelewski
|
Hampton
|
Fr.
|
Moreno Valley, Calif.
|
|
UTL
|
Janika May
|
North Carolina A&T State
|
Sr.
|
Beach Park, Ill.
|
Third Team
|
Position
|
Name
|
School
|
Class
|
Hometown
|
|
P
|
Adrienne Guerra
|
Maryland Eastern Shore
|
So.
|
Monrovia, Calif.
|
|
P
|
Kasie Johnson
|
Savannah State
|
Fr.
|
Patterson, Ga.
|
|
C
|
Sarah Kollas
|
Hampton
|
Fr.
|
Orlando, Fla.
|
|
1B
|
Iesha Waters
|
Bethune-Cookman
|
So.
|
Riverside, Calif
|
|
2B
|
Sophia Ortega
|
Bethune-Cookman
|
Sr.
|
Highland, Calif.
|
|
3B
|
Amber Fullwood
|
Florida A&M
|
Jr.
|
Land O’ Lakes, Fla.
|
|
SS
|
Brianna Harris
|
Savannah State
|
So.
|
Jacksonville, Fla.
|
|
OF
|
Whitney Farris
|
Florida A&M
|
Jr.
|
Coral Springs, Fla.
|
|
OF
|
Tashayla Irvis
|
Florida A&M
|
Jr.
|
Lake Wales, Fla.
|
|
OF
|
Al’Asia Davis
|
Howard
|
r-Sr.
|
Seattle, Wash.
|
|
UTL
|
Rochelle Sablay
|
Delaware State
|
Sr.
|
La Mirada, Calif.
|
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