Scott Garner

2013 MEAC Baseball All-Academic Honorees Include 12 Wildcats

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Jackie Robinson Stadium

Jackie Robinson Stadium

Norfolk, Va., Twelve (12) members of the Bethune-Cookman baseball team were named to the 2013 MEAC Baseball All-Academic Honors List.

In total, the MEAC honored eighty-one (81) sophomores, juniors, seniors and transfer students from member schools with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.

Congratulations to all of the honorees for their performance both on the diamond and in the classroom.

2013 MEAC BASEBALL ACADEMIC HONORS LIST

BETHUNE-COOKMAN (12)

Paul Biocic

Jordan Dailey

Montana Durapau

Scott Garner

Gabriel Hernandez

Joshua Johnson

David Lee

Lenny Martinez

Juan Pizarro

Ali Simpson

Brandon Turner

Jake Welch

Click here for full story: http://www.meacsports.com//ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=12091&DB_OEM_ID=20800&ATCLID=207991860

(Baseball) Wildcats look to remain atop MEAC standings

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Jackie Robinson Stadium

Jackie Robinson Stadium

Daytona Beach – A quick glance at the MEAC’s Southern division standings reflects Bethune-Cookman in a familiar position atop the table.  However, a closer look at the standings reveals a more telling story.  Two games in the loss column is all that separates first place BCU from 4th place North Carolina A&T.  Savannah State is a game better than the Wildcats in the conference loss column (but the Tigers have a lower winning percentage against conference foes) and North Carolina Central is just a single game behind the Cats.

Jason Beverlin’s squad will look to cushion their lead and maintain their stranglehold on the conference when they take on North Carolina Central in a three-game set beginning today at 1:00 PM at Historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Daytona Beach’s City Island.

BCU (20-17, 10-5 MEAC) has won a season high six consecutive games with five of those victories occurring on the road.  Anthony Stokes has paced the Wildcats offensively over the winning streak logging three home runs and 11 RBIs during the run.

The Wildcats defeated Jacksonville University 5-3 in their last outing (on Tuesday, April 9th).  David Lee recorded three RBIs in the win for the Cats.

NCCU (21-15, 9-6 MEAC), who enters the weekend just a game behind the Wildcats in the MEAC’s Southern Division, are 1-2 against BCU this season and 2-6 against the Wildcats since re-joining the MEAC.  NCCU dropped 2 of 3 games against rival NCA&T last weekend.

The pitching matchups are slated as follows:

Game One:  NCCU’s Junior righty Terry McNabb  vs. B-CU righty Scott Garner (3-4, 5.33 ERA)   Garner is coming off a complete game, 4-1 victory over Florida A&M in his last outing.

Game Two (doubleheader 7 inning contest):  righty Glenn Frye (3-3) against BCU lefty Ali Simpson (3-4, 5.77 ERA).  Simpson also pitched solidly in his last outing allowing no runs in seven innings of work against FAMU.  BCU won that contest 4-0.

Game Three (Sunday): Michael Romano (2-5, 5.43 ERA) vs. BCU right hander Montana Durapau (5-3, 4.07 ERA).  Durapau earned his 5th win of the year in his last outing against cross-county rival Stetson.

Live Stats will be available from the link.  Also, NCCU will provide live audio coverage of this weekend’s matchups on the  NCCU Sports Network .

(Baseball) Wildcats earn victory over #16 Arizona State

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SONY DSCWhat a difference a year makes

In Jason Beverlin’s first year as skipper of Bethune-Cookman’s baseball team, the Wildcats looked overmatched when squaring off against Top 25 programs.  Such was not the case this past weekend when the Wildcats faced off against the 16th ranked Arizona State Sun Devils in Tempe, Arizona. 

Junior Righthander Montana Durapau gave the Wildcats a strong outing in Friday’s Opening Night contest.  Durapau yielded just three earned runs while striking out five in seven innings of work.  The Cats were 1 out away from winning Game One (and the series) but surrendered an unearned run in the bottom of the 9th that forced the contest into extra innings. 

The Sun Devils eventually prevailed 5-4 in the 11th inning.

The second game of the series saw the Wildcat bats heat up early but simmer down late.  ASU pulled away for a comfortable 15-7 win in Game 2. 

BCU (1-2) secured its first win of the 2013 campaign in the weekend cap upsetting the Sun Devils 7-6.  2011 MEAC Pitcher of the Year, Scott Garner (1-0) earned the victory going 6 1/3rd, striking out six Sun Devils batters, walking one, while allowing five earned runs.

Senior closer Jordan Dailey entered the contest with 2 outs in the bottom of the 7th.  Dailey held ASU scoreless over the final 2.1 innings preserving the victory and earning his first save of the year in the process.

The Biocic brother’s Chris and P.J. scored a pair of runs each in the victory.

Sunday’s win was the Wildcats’ first victory over a Top 25 program since defeating Auburn in 2011.

Beverlin’s squad will look to carry the momentum of Sunday’s victory into Tuesday’s home-opener against the University of North Florida at Jackie Robinson ballpark.  First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.