FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
The MEAC Conference announced its 2010 pre-season baseball award winners on Wednesday. The B-CU Wildcats were named the unanimous pick to win the team championship for a fifth straight season.
Wildcat sophomore LHP Ali Simpson was named the pre-season pitcher of the year and senior C. J. Lauriello was named the co-player of the year in the voting by conference head baseball coaches and sports information directors.
Three other B-CU players earned first-team pre-season honors: Sophomore catcher Peter O’Brien, sophomore shortstop Alejandro Sanchez, and DH Ryan Durrence.
Bethune-Cookman opens its 2010 season at Major League Baseball’s Urban Classic Tournament in Compton, California with the Wildcats playing Cal St. Northridge, UCLA and Southern University in the 3-game event. B-CU plays Cal-Northridge, Feb. 19, 2 p.m. PST in the opener, followed by a 6 p.m. start vs. UCLA on February 20 and February 21, 2 p.m. vs. Southern University.
B-CU’s trip out West includes a game at UC-Riverside February 22, 3 p.m. PST and then a trip to Lubbock, Texas for two games against the Red Raiders of the Big 12 and two games vs. the Pac 10’s Washington State (in Lubbock).
2010 MEAC Preseason Baseball Predicted Order of Finish
As voted on by the conference’s Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors
(First place votes in parenthesis)
Team…………………………………………. Points
1. Bethune-Cookman (14)…………….. 196
2. Norfolk State……………………………. 112
3. North Carolina A&T………………….. 110
T4. Delaware State………………………. 100
T4. Florida A&M…………………………… 100
6. Maryland Eastern Shore……………. 52
7. Coppin State……………………………. 30
2010 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Baseball Preseason All-Conference Awards
As voted on by the conference’s Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors
Co-Players of the Year: Xavier Macklin, North Carolina A&T and C.J. Lauriello, Bethune-Cookman
Pitcher of the Year: Ali Simpson, Bethune-Cookman
FIRST TEAM Pos Name School Cl. Ht. Wt. Hometown
P Ali Simpson Bethune-Cookman So. 6-2 170 Campbell River, B.C.
P Jason Barker Norfolk State Sr. 6-0 195 Chesapeake, Virginia
RP Brandon Pennick Delaware State Sr. 5-11 200 Phoenix, Arizona
C Peter O’Brien Bethune-Cookman So. 6-3 215 Miami Gardens, Florida
1B Abe Eubank Delaware State Sr. 6-3 215 Medford, Oregon
2B Jared Jeffries Florida A&M Sr. 5-9 165 Decatur, Georgia
3B Derrick Shaw Florida A&M So. 6-0 185 Orlando, Florida
SS Alejandro Sanchez Bethune-Cookman So. 5-11 175 Pembroke Pines, Florida
OF C.J. Lauriello Bethune-Cookman Sr. 5-9 180 Miami, Florida
OF Xavier Macklin North Carolina A&T So. 5-11 195 Rocky Mount, North Carolina
OF Darryl Evans Florida A&M Sr. 5-10 175 Merrillville, Indiana
DH Ryan Durrence Bethune-Cookman Jr. 6-2 215 Jacksonville, Florida
