ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – Savannah State first baseman Torrian Wright was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Year, the conference announced on Thursday from the site of the 2014 MEAC Championship in Ormond Beach, Florida.
Wright was also added to the All-Conference First Team. She was named the Preseason MEAC Player of the Year earlier this season.
The sophomore out of McDonough, Ga. concluded the regular season with a .343 batting average, .535 on-base percentage and led the MEAC in home runs (13) and RBI (40).
Nationally, Wright is ranked 26th in home runs per game. During the season Wright moved as high as 10th in the national rankings for home runs per game.
In her freshman debut, Wright set the Division I school record for home runs (16) and RBI (51) in a single season.
SSU sophomore Amanda McDowell was named to the All-Conference Second Team after a stellar season in the circle.
McDowell leads the team from the mound with a 14-7 overall record and a 6-2 conference mark. She opens with 2014 MEAC Championship with a 4.95 overall ERA, and a 3.76 ERA against MEAC teams.
The Cheney, Washington native leads the MEAC in strikeouts with 166 and was named MEAC Pitcher of the Week two times during the regular season.
SSU's Amber Hallman was also named to the All-Conference Second Team. The junior out of Kennesaw, Ga. concluded the season with a .307 batting average, 25 runs, 39 hits and a .395 on-base percentage.
Hallman has anchored third base for the Lady Tigers since her freshman season. She closed out the regular season with a .927 fielding percentage, 62 putouts and 78 assists.
Hampton's Jailynn Jackson earned the MEAC Pitcher of the Year award for the second consecutive year. She finished with a 10-1 conference record and a 2.51 ERA.
Tara Tursellino of Delaware State was named the Rookie of the Year. Tursellino batted .235 with 32 hits.
Delaware State's head coach Janice Savage was named MEAC Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Hornets to a share of the 2013 MEAC Northern Division Title, and the No. 1 seed into the 2014 MEAC Championship.
The MEAC post-season accolades are voted on by head coaches and sports information directors from the conference.
The 2014 MEAC Softball Championship tournament gets underway Thursday, May 8 at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex in Florida. Admission is $7 per day or $12 for the three-day tournament. A complete tournament bracket can be found on www.MEACsports.com.
Savannah State, the No. 3 seed out of the Southern Division, opens the tournament against the No. 2 Northern Division seed Hampton University, May 8 at 1:30 p.m. Live stats for the game can be found at www.sssuathletics.com.
2014 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Softball All-Conference Awards
Player of the Year Rookie of the Year
Torrian Wright, Savannah State Tara Turesllino, Delaware State
Pitcher of the Year Coach of the Year
Jailynn Jackson, Hampton Janice Savage, Delaware State
First TeamPos Name School Class Ht. HometownP Jailynn Jackson Hampton Sr. 5-8 Virginia Beach, Va.
P Jamie Shulle Norfolk State Sr. 5-7 Maxwell, Texas
C Sandy Hawthorne Delaware State So. 5-5 Smithtown, N.Y.
1B
Torrian Wright Savannah State So. 5-6 McDonough, Ga.
2B Danielle Budden Hampton Fr. 5-4 Jackson, N.J.
3B Whitney Williams Norfolk State So. 5-6 Fort Oaks, N.C.
SS Candice Van Horn Coppin State Jr. 5-10 Drums, Pa.
OF Morgan Boyd Norfolk State Sr. 5-3 Chesapeake, Va.
OF Jessica Madrid Delaware State So. 5-6 Santa Ana, Calif.
OF Nicole Gazzola Delaware State So. 5-6 Coram, N.Y.
UTL Amber Fullwood Florida A&M Fr. 5-5 Land O'Lakes, Fla.
Second TeamPos Name School Class Ht. HometownP Tara Tursellino Delaware State Fr. 5-6 Moreno Valley, Calif.
P
Amanda McDowell Savannah State So. 5-11 Cheney, Wa.
C Sabrina Edmonds North Carolina A&T Sr. 5-8 Riverside, Calif.
1B Kayla McNair Norfolk State Fr. 5-4 Virginia Beach, Va.
2B Alina Moriarty Norfolk State Jr. 5-3 Chesapeake, Va.
3B
Amber Hallman Savannah State Jr. 5-6 Kennesaw, Ga.
SS Margaret Wilkins Hampton Sr. 5-10 Tustin, Calif.
OF Calesha Shelley Bethune-Cookman Jr. 5-3 Suisun City, Calif.
OF Claudette Tanabe-Smith Morgan State Jr. 5-5 Lemon Grove, Calif.
OF Heather Dunning Norfolk State So. 5-6 Virginia Beach, Va.
UTL Robyn Mitchell Norfolk State Jr. 5-3 Chesapeake, Va.
