NORFOLK, Va., — North Carolina Central infielder Corey Joyce was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball Player of the Year, the conference announced today. 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 begins Wednesday at 12 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Fla.
As voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directorsPlayer 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 StateFIRST 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 Alviarez | 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. |
Courtesy: MEAC
