2019 MEAC Softball Postseason Awards
NORFOLK, Va. — North Carolina Central University had a program-best four players be voted to the 2019 All-MEAC Softball Teams as announced by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) office Tuesday afternoon, including junior third baseman
Dalika Wallace, sophomore designated player
Olivia Daniel, sophomore pitcher
Kiara Hurley and sophomore outfielder
Nadia Blevins.
Wallace and Daniel were both selected to the First Team, Hurley was placed on the Second Team and Blevins made the Third Team. It was the first All-MEAC Team honors for each player, including Wallace in her third season with the maroon and gray and the other three in their first season at NCCU as transfers.
Wallace had a breakout regular season, leading the MEAC with 38 RBI and eight home runs. She also ranks in the top-10 of the league with a .352 batting average (9th), .694 slugging percentage (2nd), .504 on-base percentage (2nd), 11 doubles (5th), 34 runs (5th), 0.59 walks per seven innings (2nd) and 15.4 toughest to strikeout (8th).
The resident of Newport News, Virginia, moved over to third base to start the season and went on to earn two MEAC Player of the Week awards. Wallace reached base in 18 straight games and has stolen all 11 bases she attempted to swipe. In a three-game series sweep of South Carolina State University, Wallace had 11 RBI.
Daniel immediately became one of the MEAC's top hitters in her first season at NCCU after transferring in from University of Rhode Island. She ranks seventh in the MEAC with a team-best .367 batting average. Daniel has five home runs and 29 RBI on her way to a .516 slugging percentage. She hit safely in 29 games, including 14 multi-hit outings.
The local native of Creedmoor, North Carolina, increased her performance in league play. Daniel sported a .438 batting average with 17 RBI in 15 conference clashes. She collected three hits in wins against South Carolina State and Savannah State University while driving in five runs in another win against Bethune-Cookman University.
Hurley took over as NCCU's primary pitcher after transferring to Durham from Western Michigan University. The southpaw led the Lady Eagles with 16 wins, 3.22 ERA, 22 complete games, three shutouts and 117 strikeouts over a team-best 173.2 innings pitched. Hurley ranked third in the MEAC in total strikeouts and her 16 wins and 3.44 strikeouts-to-walk ratio was the best in the league.
The product of Maumee, Ohio, earned six wins against MEAC Southern Division opposition and finished conference play with a 2.33 ERA, .176 opponents' batting average against and a 0.75 WHIP. Hurley, who had a one-hit shutout against Saint Peter's University and eight strikeouts against South Carolina State, capped her regular season with a complete-game victory over nationally-ranked University of North Carolina. Hurley was recognized as the MEAC Pitcher of the Week twice.
Blevins, who was all-conference as a rookie at William Peace University last season, continued her stellar play in her first season at NCCU. The speedster patrolled a large area in the outfield, tracking down many balls that looked to be going for hits in center while still batting .252 in 44 starts.
The resident of Four Oaks, North Carolina, led the Lady Eagles with 27 stolen bases on just 29 attempts, which helped her score 24 times. Her 0.61 stolen bases per game is fourth best in the MEAC. Blevins racked up four thefts in a win against University of Maryland Eastern Shore and was a perfect 8-of-8 on stolen base attempts in league play.
