NORFOLK, Va., June 13, 2018–Norfolk State junior outfielder Justin Hayes was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-Region Team on Thursday, when the ABCA announced its Division I all-region honorees.
Hayes earned a spot on the All-East Region Second Team at outfield after a season in which he hit .347 and was named First Team All-MEAC. He led the Spartans with 35 runs, 58 hits and 28 stolen bases, while adding eight doubles, a homer and 12 RBIs.
The league leader in stolen bases, Hayes also ended the year third in batting average and fifth in on-base percentage (.438). He currently ranks seventh in the nation in stolen bases per game (0.62), 20th in total stolen bases and No. 127 in batting average.
A two-time MEAC Player of the Week, Hayes was the only player in the conference named to any of the eight All-Region teams. It also marked the second straight year Norfolk State had an ABCA All-Region pick and the third time in four years, along with Matt Outman in 2015 and Devin Hemmerich in 2017.
Hayes, however, became the first position player for the Spartans to earn ABCA All-Region accolades.
The Chesapeake, Va. native joined teammate Alsander Womack in earning postseason honors this year after Womack was named to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's Freshmen All-American Team last week.