DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University baseball program closed the curtain on the 2021 regular season in a big way with a sweep over Florida A&M to clinch the MEAC Southern Division title, and both Kokko Figueiredo (Fortuna, Calif.) and Austin Vernon (Raleigh, N.C.) have been recognized for their individual performances.
 
Figueiredo was named Co-Player of the Week by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, and Vernon earned a National Player of the Week nod from Collegiate Baseball for the second consecutive week, both organizations announced on Monday, May 17.
 
Figueiredo batted .500 (7-for-14) and slugged an eye-catching 1.143 with three homers and five RBI.  He went 3-for-4 in the series finale and drove in three RBI on a home run and a walk.  He drew two free passes during the series, and kept a .588 on-base percentage.  Defensively, he made three putouts with six assists at second base without an error.
 
Vernon left his mark in his final regular season start at home, and tossed 13 strikeouts to tie an NCCU modern era single-game record in the opening game of the series.  He's now just the third Eagle to reach that number, and the first since Glenn Frye against Coppin State in 2011.  The first 11 outs recorded by Vernon were all strikeouts from the first to the fourth inning.  With those 13 strikeouts, he also set a new NCCU modern era single-season record with 100 strikeouts, passing Devin Sweet's mark of 87 in 2018.
 
NCCU (25-18, 17-11 MEAC) will now head to Norfolk, Virginia for the MEAC Baseball Championship, and play its first game on Thursday, May 20 at noon against Delaware State.