NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk State utility player Alex Mauricio was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball Player of the Year, the conference announced today. Teammate Devin Hemmerich earned Pitcher of the Year honors, while Corey Joyce of North Carolina Central was selected Rookie of the Year. North Carolina A&T State head coach Ben Hall received Coach of the Year accolades.

All awards were voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.

Mauricio was named Player of the Year after finding success at the plate and on the mound this season. As a hitter, he led the Spartans in batting average (.374), slugging percentage (.573) and on-base percentage (.457). Mauricio totaled 49 hits and 27 runs scored, including a career-high four runs scored in a win over Longwood.  As a pitcher, the junior won four games in 10 appearances, registering a 3.28 ERA in 57.2 innings pitched. Mauricio ranks second in the MEAC in batting average, doubles (17) and hits allowed (50) while leading the conference in slugging percentage. He is currently a semifinalist for the College Baseball Hall of Fame’s John Olerud National Two-Way Player of the Year award.

Hemmerich started 12 games and recorded nine wins, including six complete-game victories, for the Spartans this season. The senior finished the regular season with a MEAC-best 1.74 ERA over 98.1 innings pitched. A five-time MEAC Pitcher of the Week and one-time Collegiate Baseball News National Player of the Week selection, Hemmerich broke Norfolk State’s career strikeout record. He amassed a MEAC-high 111 strikeouts this season, bringing his career total to 308. He ranks second nationally in complete games, fourth in total victories, seventh in strikeouts and 14th in ERA. Hemmerich ranked first in the MEAC in almost every pitching statistic, including ERA, opposing batting average (.191), innings pitched, strikeouts, wins and runs allowed (23).

Joyce led the Eagles in slugging percentage (.513), RBI (43), triples (3) and home runs (5) in his first collegiate season. The two-time MEAC Rookie of the Week started 46 games and recorded 65 hits, including a season-high five in a win over Savannah State while racking up 34 RBIs on the year. Defensively, Joyce notched a .943 fielding percentage with 86 putouts and 18 double plays in the infield.

Hall earned Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Aggies to a 15-9 conference record, and 26-23 overall, this season. The Aggies, who were picked to finish fifth in the conference’s preseason poll, finished second in the MEAC Southern Division, clinching the No. 2 seed in the upcoming 2017 MEAC Baseball Championship – the team’s first appearance since 2013.

Joining Mauricio, Hemmerich and Joyce on the All-MEAC First Team are Bethune-Cookman’s Anthony Maldonado, Danny Rodriguez, Jameel Edney, Demetrius Sims and Adonis Lao, Norfolk State’s Brian Beard and North Carolina A&T State’s Noah Dyals, Adan Ordonez and Myles Sowell.

The 2017 MEAC Baseball Championship begins Wednesday, May 17 at 12 p.m. at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, Md. The tournament concludes with the championship game on Saturday, May 20 at 1 p.m. For more information on the 2017 MEAC Baseball Championship, including bracket and the full schedule, visit www.MEACsports.com.

2017 Baseball All-MEAC Teams
As voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors

Player of the Year: Alex Mauricio, Norfolk State
Pitcher of the Year: Devin Hemmerich, Norfolk State
Rookie of the Year: Corey Joyce, North Carolina Central
Coach of the Year: Ben Hall, North Carolina A&T State

FIRST TEAM

SECOND TEAM

THIRD TEAM