2021 MEAC Softball Postseason Awards

NORFOLK, Va. — The North Carolina Central University softball team was recognized with three players earning 2021 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) postseason awards as announced by the league office Tuesday, including senior pitcher Kiara Hurley and senior first baseman Joirea Dumas both collecting First Team All-MEAC honors and senior outfielder Tamiera Sanchez being voted Third Team All-MEAC.
 
The Eagles finished the regular season with a 9-7 league record and qualified for the upcoming MEAC Softball Championship for a fourth consecutive season. The conference announces its postseason awards ahead of the tournament that will begin on Thursday, May 13, in Norfolk, Virginia.
 
Hurley has factored in 10 of NCCU's 11 wins this season on her way to garnering First Team All-MEAC praise. She finished the regular season with seven wins and three saves to go along with a 3.51 ERA and 88 strikeouts over 171.1 innings pitched.
 
The southpaw from Maumee, Ohio, earned three MEAC Pitcher of the Week awards this season after dominating league opposition. Hurley finished with a 7-3 record and two saves in 15 league appearances, including a sub-1 WHIP (0.97) and a .216 batting average against opponents.
 
Hurley, who was a MEAC All-Tournament selection in 2019, will enter postseason play ranked among the league leaders in nearly every pitching statistic, including wins (T-4th), saves (1st), strikeouts (2nd), innings pitched (1st), ERA (7th) and walks allowed per seven innings (4th).
 
Hurley becomes the first NCCU softball player to be voted All-MEAC twice after first receiving Second Team attention in 2019.
 
Dumas has been NCCU's top hitter throughout the season, earning First Team All-MEAC laurels after leading the Eagles with a .336 batting average, .576 slugging percentage, nine doubles, seven home runs and 25 RBI.
 
The slugging first baseman from Atlanta, Georgia, finished the regular season leading the league with seven home runs. Dumas also ranks in the top-5 of the MEAC in RBI (T-2nd), hits (2nd), slugging percentage (4th) and total bases (1st).
 
Dumas had an 11-game hit streak this season and became the first Eagle in the DI era to hit home runs in three consecutive games.
 
Sanchez had a hot bat against conference competition to move her way onto the All-MEAC Third Team. She led the Eagles with a .395 batting average in 16 league games, scoring nine times and finishing with five RBI and three doubles.
 
The corner outfielder has hit safely in her last three games and was NCCU's team MVP in 2020.
 
On the season, Sanchez has a .247 batting average with 11 runs, six RBI and five doubles.
 
MEAC Postseason Awards for NCCU since joining the league in 2011-12

First Team All-MEAC
Kiara Hurley (2021)
Joirea Dumas (2021)
Olivia Daniel (2019)
Dalika Wallace (2019)
Courtney Mirabella (2018)
Ava Dolan (2018)
 
Second Team All-MEAC
Kiara Hurley (2019)
Emerie Germ (2015)
Casey Hargett (2015)

Third Team All-MEAC
Tamiera Sanchez (2021)
Nadia Blevins (2019)