NORFOLK, Va., April 8, 2019—North Carolina A&T State junior Dustin Baber and Bethune-Cookman redshirt senior Brandon Wilkes were selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball Co-Players of the Week, the conference office announced today. Maryland Eastern Shore’s Brantley Cutler earned Rookie of the Week honors, while Bethune-Cookman junior Anthony Maldonado and Florida A&M junior Josh Hancock were named Co-Pitchers of the Week.
 
Baber (5-10, 175, Jr., Babson Park, Fla.) hit a conference-best .538 (7-for-13) this past week and led the MEAC with a .647 on-base percentage in four games for the Aggies – including a series win at Florida A&M. Baber scored three times and drove in six runs for the week, which he started with a 2-for-5 performance with two RBIs at USC Upstate. He opened the FAMU series with a 3-for-3 effort, driving in a run, and on Saturday, he was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.
 
Wilkes (6-2, 210, r-Sr., Holly Hill, Fla.) was a key cog in the Wildcats offense as Bethune-Cookman racked up a 4-0 week. He had nine RBIs and four runs scored in those four games (one in each game), slugging .846 and recording a .526 on-base percentage. Against North Florida, he was 1-for-3 with an RBI, run scored, two walks and two stolen bases – and that one hit was a triple. He had three RBIs each in the first two games of the series against Savannah State – including a three-run home run in game one, and he wrapped up the series with a 2-for-5 effort with two RBIs and a run scored.
 
Cutler (6-1, 170, Fr., Washington, D.C.) was .385 (5-for-13) at the plate in five games this past week, of which the Hawks won three. He scored three times – all in the first game of a midweek doubleheader sweep of Mount St. Mary’s, a game in which he was 3-for-4 at the plate with his first career triple. He also drove in a run in the second game of that doubleheader.
 
Maldonado (6-4, 200, Jr., West Palm Beach, Fla.) struck out a career-high 12 batters on Saturday in tossing a seven-inning complete-game shutout as the Wildcats won via run rule the series opener against Savannah State. He gave up just three hits on the afternoon, and he also pitched a scoreless inning of relief in a win against North Florida, recording a strikeout.
 
Hancock (6-6, 230, Jr., Altamonte Springs, Fla.) tossed a total of 10 scoreless innings this past week, including a complete-game shutout over first-place North Carolina A&T State on Sunday. He struck out five batters and scattered five hits in that contest, and he also threw a scoreless inning on Tuesday against No. 21 Florida.
 
Other Top Performers
Matt Day (CSU) stole three bases for the week – including two on Saturday against Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
Nazier McIlwain (CSU) had two hits in each game against Maryland Eastern Shore and drove in a pair of runs in the finale on Sunday.
 
Corey Treyes (CSU) picked up his fourth save of the season on Saturday against Maryland Eastern Shore and threw a combined 5.2 innings of scoreless relief across three appearances.
 
Austin Warrington (DSU) threw 4.1 innings of scoreless relief, giving up just two hits and striking out five in a win over Norfolk State.
 
Tucker Rayburn (FAMU) hit a home run against No. 21 Florida, before turning in a 3-for-5 effort on Sunday with a double, triple and three RBIs against North Carolina A&T State.
 
Dwayne Marshall (MDES) tossed seven innings and struck out a career-high 10 in Friday’s win over Coppin State.
 
Evan Gates (NCAT) struck out nine in five innings of one-hit ball against Florida A&M.
 
Vinny Bailey (NCCU) had six RBIs in a two-game sweep of Davidson, including a 3-for-4 game on Sunday.
 
Jonathan Mahoney (NSU) struck out a career-high 11 in a win over Delaware State.
 
Caleb Ward (NSU) drove in eight runs in four games this past week, including seven in a series win over Delaware State.