NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State pitching trio of Matt Outman, Jonathan Mauricio and Alex Mauricio was voted to the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State baseball team, the organization announced on Thursday.
Outman earned one of three first-team slots as a starting pitcher. Jonathan Mauricio was voted to the second team as a starting pitcher, while his younger brother, Alex, was selected as a second-team relief pitcher.
Outman, the two-time MEAC Pitcher of the Year, earned all-state honors for the second year in a row. A second-team pick in 2015, the left-handed Outman capped his Spartan career by going 7-4 with a 3.00 ERA in 2016. Outman tossed three shutouts among his four complete games, compiling 71 strikeouts in 90 innings pitched. The two-time MEAC Pitcher of the Week and Senior CLASS Award first-team All-American ends his career tied for first in school history in career wins (23), fifth in strikeouts (211) and tied for sixth in both innings pitched (241.) and ERA (3.02).
Jonathan Mauricio flourished in his first season as a member of NSU’s weekend pitching rotation. Mauricio, who joined Outman as a first-team All-MEAC pick, led the conference in ERA (2.29) while finishing tied for second in wins, with a 6-2 record as a junior in 2016. The right hander pitched three complete games, including two shutouts, and struck out 59 batters in 59 innings pitched. Opponents batted just .235 against him.
Alex Mauricio paced the MEAC with five saves and posted a 3-1 record with a 3.23 ERA in 30.2 innings pitched as a sophomore this spring. Mauricio allowed just 22 hits in his 16 appearances, which equated to a .210 opponents’ batting average. The righty also struck out 22 batters. Mauricio, who was also NSU’s everyday third baseman, was named to the John Olerud Award Watch List as one of the nation’s top two-way players late in the season.
The trio of Spartan pitchers helped NSU post a team ERA of 3.66, the lowest in the school’s Division I era. That mark ranks 46th among the country’s 295 D-I schools, and tops among all state schools. NSU’s staff also broke the school record with 417 strikeouts and tied the program record with nine shutouts in 2016.
All 13 baseball-playing Division I institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia had at least one player selected to the all-state first or second teams. Virginia led the way with six selections, followed by James Madison with four and NSU and William & Mary with three apiece. U.Va. catcher Matt Thaiss was voted VaSID Player of the Year and Cavalier righty Connor Jones was tabbed Pitcher of the Year. D.J. Artis of Liberty was voted Rookie of the Year, while Coach of the Year honors went to William & Mary’s Brian Murphy.