NORFOLK, Va., May 18, 2021—
Norfolk State infielder/pitcher Danny Hosley was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball Player of the Year, presented by TowneBank, the conference announced today.
North Carolina Central redshirt sophomore Ryan Miller earned Pitcher of the Year honors, while
Chet Sikes of North Carolina Central was named Rookie of the Year.
North Carolina Central’s Jim Koerner received Coach of the Year accolades.
All awards were voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.
Hosley was a star for the Spartans this season at the plate and on the mound. His .387 batting average leads the conference among players with at least 100 at-bats (and is 34
th nationally), and his 2.98 ERA is tied for third in the league. Hosley ranks fourth in the MEAC in strikeouts with 70, and at the plate, he racked up 41 hits, 20 RBIs, seven doubles, two triples and a home run. His nine stolen bases tied for eighth-most in the MEAC, and opponents hit just .213 against him (third-best in the MEAC). He ranked second in the league in innings pitched (66.1) and tied for third in wins (six). Hosley, whose six complete games rank second in the nation, was twice named MEAC Player of the Week and earned Pitcher of the Week honors four times.
Miller had a MEAC-best ERA of 2.24 this season (39
th in the nation), and he also led the conference with 10 wins (without any losses). Opponents hit just .195 against Miller in 2021, second-best in the MEAC, and he also pitched a league-high 68.1 innings on the season. His 71 strikeouts were third-most in the MEAC, and Miller tossed two complete games. He was named MEAC Pitcher of the Week four times.
Sikes was fourth on the team in batting in 2021, hitting .296 with 32 hits, 21 runs scored and 11 RBIs. He had seven doubles and two home runs on the season, and his .402 on-base percentage was tied for third on the Eagles. Sikes also slugged .417 on the season, and in the field, he had a .975 fielding percentage, committing just seven errors in 32 total games played.
Koerner led the Eagles to 25 wins in 2021 – the most in the conference – and the Southern Division regular-season title after ending the regular season with a four-game sweep of Florida A&M. North Carolina Central won 17 conference games this season and will be the Southern Division’s No. 1 seed in the MEAC Baseball Championship. NCCU’s 25 wins are tied for the second-most in the program’s modern era (2016) and just three shy of tying the record of 28 set in 2018.
Joining Hosley and Miller on the All-MEAC First Team are Coppin State catcher Mike Dorcean, Delaware State outfielder Trey Paige and utility man Cole Garey, Norfolk State first baseman Mason Velasquez, second baseman Alsander Womack and outfielder Dionte Brown, North Carolina A&T State third baseman Justin Williams and outfielder Justin Rodriguez and North Carolina Central pitchers Austin Vernon and Scott Meylan.
The 2021 MEAC Baseball Championship begins Thursday at 12 p.m. at Marty L. Miller Field on the campus of Norfolk State. The tournament concludes with the championship game on Saturday at 12 p.m., streamed live on FloBaseball.
For more information on the 2021 MEAC Baseball Championship, including bracket and full schedule, visit Championship Central at
www.MEACsports.com.