MEAC Announces 2019 Baseball All-Conference Teams and Honors

NORFOLK, Va. — North Carolina Central infielder Corey Joyce was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball Player of the Year, the conference announced. Delaware State junior Garrett Lawson earned Pitcher of the Year honors, while Ryan Miller of North Carolina Central was named Rookie of the Year. Norfolk State head coach Keith Shumate received Coach of the Year accolades.

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

Joyce, the 2018 MEAC Player of the Year, led the MEAC in runs scored (48) this season, and his .343 batting average ranked fourth in the league. He boasted a .527 slugging percentage (third in the MEAC) and a .444 on-base percentage (fourth in the MEAC), and Joyce was tied for sixth in hits (58) and tied for seventh in RBIs (32). His four triples in 2019 were tied for third-most in the MEAC, and Joyce was also tied for fourth in the league with five home runs.

Lawson leads the MEAC in both ERA (1.85) and opponents’ batting average (.196) in 2019, the only pitcher in the conference rankings with a sub-2.00 ERA and an opponents’ average under .200. In 78.0 innings pitched this season, Lawson has 97 strikeouts – which is tied for the MEAC lead and tied for 32nd nationally – and he has struck out a MEAC-best 40 batters looking. Tied for second in the MEAC with seven wins, Lawson has only allowed 27 runs (16 earned) all season – both MEAC bests. His 1.85 ERA is also 18th-best in the NCAA.

Miller ranked 23rd in the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio in his rookie season at 5.83, and his 73 strikeouts were the fourth-most in the league. The three-time MEAC Rookie of the Week had a 3.15 ERA in 2019, fifth in the MEAC, and recorded six wins in 12 starts (17 appearances overall) and also ranked fifth in the conference in earned runs allowed with just 25. In 71.1 innings pitched this season, Miller only walked 13 batters.

Shumate led the Spartans to the Northern Division regular-season crown – their fourth in the last five seasons – at 17-7 in league play after Norfolk State was picked to finish second this year. Norfolk State won 10 of its last 12 conference games, and the Spartans have won 14 of their last 21 overall.

Joining Joyce and Lawson on the All-MEAC First Team are Bethune-Cookman’s Joe Fernando, Coppin State’s Justin Banks, Delaware State’s Jared Gillis, Florida A&M’s Jeremiah McCullom, Norfolk State’s Justin Hayes and Alsander Womack, North Carolina A&T State’s Tim Luth, Dawnoven Smith and Ryne Stanley and North Carolina Central’s Carter Williams.

The 2019 MEAC Baseball Championship runs from May 15-18 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Fla. The tournament concludes with the championship game on Saturday, May 18th at 1 p.m., live on FloSports For more information on the 2019 MEAC Baseball Championship, including bracket and the full schedule, visit www.MEACsports.com.

2019 All-MEAC Baseball Teams
As voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors

Player of the Year: Corey Joyce, North Carolina Central

Pitcher of the Year: Garrett Lawson, Delaware State
Rookie of the Year: Ryan Miller, North Carolina Central
Coach of the Year: Keith Shumate, Norfolk State

FIRST TEAM

Name Pos. Ht. Class School Hometown
Garrett Lawson SP 6-3 Jr. Delaware State Dover, Del.
Tim Luth SP 6-2 Sr. North Carolina A&T State Dunedin, Fla.
Jeremiah McCullom RP 6-1 So. Florida A&M Houston, Texas
Ryne Stanley C 6-0 r-Jr. North Carolina A&T State High Point, N.C.
Justin Banks 1B 6-2 Jr. Coppin State Fairfield, Calif.
Joe Fernando 2B 6-1 Sr. Bethune-Cookman Brooklyn, N.Y.
Jared Gillis 3B 6-1 Jr. Delaware State Middletown, Del.
Corey Joyce SS 6-1 Jr. North Carolina Central Lexington, N.C.
Carter Williams OF 6-3 Jr. North Carolina Central Brown Summit, N.C.
Justin Hayes OF 5-8 r-Sr. Norfolk State Chesapeake, Va.
Dawnoven Smith OF 6-1 Sr. North Carolina A&T State Jacksonville, N.C.
Alsander Womack UTL 5-8 So. Norfolk State Waxhaw, N.C.

SECOND TEAM

Name Pos. Ht. Class School Hometown
Anthony Maldonado SP 6-4 Jr. Bethune-Cookman West Palm Beach, Fla.
Devin Rivera Ozuna SP 6-4 Sr. Coppin State Washington, D.C.
Leon Hunter RP 6-3 Sr. North Carolina A&T State Garner, N.C.
Adrian Hill C 5-9 Sr. Delaware State Dover, Del.
Stephen Baughan 1B 6-3 Jr. Norfolk State Richmond, Va.
Jalen Atterbury 2B 5-7 Sr. Savannah State Decatur, Ga.
Corey Treyes 3B 5-9 Jr. Coppin State West Covina, Calif.
Nate Sterijevski SS 5-11 Sr. Bethune-Cookman Celrmont, Fla.
Caleb Ward OF 6-2 r-Jr. Norfolk State Hampton, Va.
Josten Heron OF 6-2 r-Jr. Bethune-Cookman Miami, Fla.
Seyjuan Lawrence OF 5-8 Jr. Florida A&M Tampa, Fla.
Nazier McIlwain UTL 5-11 Sr. Coppin State Passaic, N.J.

THIRD TEAM

Name Pos. Ht. Class School Hometown
Josh Hancock Sp 6-6 Jr. Florida A&M Altamonte Springs, Fla.
Ryan Miller SP 6-2 Fr. North Carolina Central Blandon, Pa.
Brandon Wilkes RP 6-2 r-Sr. Bethune-Cookman Holly Hill, Fla.
Conner Walker C 6-3 So. Coppin State Bothell, Wash.
Tucker Rayburn 1B 6-0 Jr. Florida A&M Minneola, Fla.
Octavien Moyer 2B 5-9 Jr. Florida A&M Navarre, Fla.
Caleb Coyle 3B 5-10 Sr. North Carolina Central Wake Forest, N.C.
Dustin Baber SS 5-10 Jr. North Carolina A&T State Babson Park, Fla.
Jason King OF 5-10 Sr. North Carolina A&T State Baltimore, Md.
Carlos Alvarez OF 6-0 r-Jr. Coppin State Caracas, Venezuela
Jared Weber OF 6-3 Fr. Florida A&M Wakulla, Fla.
Josh Brammell UTL 5-6 Jr. North Carolina Central Harrison City, Pa.

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