Brand & Brand make all-Appalachian Conference team, honours for Meeberg

Ontario Blue Jays alum Billy Brand (Burlington, Ont.) made the Appalachian Conference First Team, while Billy Brand made the second team too.

West Point, Ga. – Point University Skyhawk players received 15 post-season awards from the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) for the 2019 season. The awards were voted upon and selected by the AAC baseball coaches.

And one player earned two spots.

Confusing?

Senior Billy Brand (Burlington, Ont.) received first team honors as a relief pitcher.

Brand earned second team honors as a starter.

Another Point player earned All-AAC first team honors while three others received All-AAC second team recognition. Senior RF Carnegy Calzado (Bronx, N.Y.) was named to the All-AAC first team.

Brand led the pitching staff with a 1.52 ERA and recorded 31 strikeouts and six walks in 29-2/3 innings pitched. He led the conference and ranked fourth in the NAIA with 11 saves in 22 total appearances and gave up just eight runs and five earned runs all season. Opponents hit just .181 against Brand.

Senior outfielder Braden Mosley from Tennessee Wesleyan is the 2019 AAC Player of the Year, and his teammate, right-hander Cole Bellair, was named Pitcher of the Year. Infielder/outfielder John Michael McRae from Truett McConnell is the Freshman of the Year, and outfielder Tyler Reichenborn from Tennessee Wesleyan was named Newcomer of the Year. Mike Croley of Truett McConnell was voted AAC Coach of the Year. Tennessee Wesleyan is the regular-season and tournament champion for 2019.

Calzado led the team with a .368 batting average, a .548 slugging percentage and five home runs and ranked second on the team with 40 RBI and third with 13 doubles. He scored 26 runs, stole 10 bases and had 57 hits. Calzado hit safely in his last six games and 18 of his last 19 games of the season.

The All-AAC second team also included Brand; junior right-hander Eduardo Munoz (Panama City, Panama); junior catcher David Torres (Dominican Republic) and senior centre fielder Anthony Young (Columbus, GA). Munoz led Point’s starting pitchers with an 8-3 record, a 3.67 earned-run average and 65 strikeouts and just 25 walks in 76 innings in 17 appearances (11 starts), and opponent hitters batted just .247 against him.

Torres batted .339 with six doubles, one home run and 33 RBI, lifted three sacrifice fly balls and was hit by pitches five times. Young batted .306 with 11 doubles, three home runs, 33 RBI, 17 walks; and had three sacrifice flies and four sacrifice bunts, scored 43 runs.

Two Skyhawks also earned selection to the nine-member Gold Glove Team for their combined offensive and defensive prowess. Senior 1B Dayton Cook (Spanish Fort, AL) totaled 409 putouts and 33 double plays and committed just five errors in 440 total chances (.989) in 53 games, and senior 2B Alberto Lozada (Clarksville, TN) fielded 207 total chances with 106 assists, mostly at second base, participated in 22 double plays and committed 12 errors (.942) in 49 games. Cook also batted .344 and led the team with 72 hits, 52 runs scored, 14 doubles, and four triples, stole 13 bases and drove in 33 runs. Lozada batted .300 with five doubles, four home runs, 43 runs scored and 25 RBI and stole 10 bases.

Point junior Mason Graves (Mobile, AL) received Point’s AAC Champions of Character Award. The Champions of Character Award is presented to student-athletes from each of the conference members that best demonstrate the NAIA Champions of Character core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership.

The conference All-Academic team also includes six Skyhawks, including senior shortstop Kyle Kelly (Thomaston, GA), who receives All-Academic honors for the third consecutive season. Kelly also batted a solid .343 with 60 hits, six doubles, 14 stolen bases and 23 RBI and scored 31 runs.

The All-Academic list also includes sophomore C Daniel Cundiff (Athens, AL); sophomore OF Jonathon Davis (Valley, AL); junior RHP Jalen Isom (Riverdale, GA); sophomore IF Hunter Plant (LaGrange, GA); and junior RHP Will Thomas (Bremen, GA).

Awards

Regular-Season Champions and AAC Tournament Champions — Tennessee Wesleyan University

Player of the Year -- Braden Mosley (Sr., OF, Tennessee Wesleyan Univ., Moline, Ill.)

Pitcher of the Year -- Cole Bellair (Sr., RHP, Tennessee Wesleyan Univ., Lockport, Ill.)

Freshman of the Year -- John Michael McRae (IF-OF, Truett McConnell Univ. Hahira, Ga.)

Newcomer of the Year -- Tyler Reichenborn (SR, OF, Tennessee Wesleyan Univ., Brooklyn Park, Minn.)

Coach of the Year -- Mike Croley (Truett McConnell University)

ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM

NAME CL POS SCHOOL HOMETOWN

Billy Brand SR RHP Point (reliever) Burlington, Ont.

ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM

NAME CL POS SCHOOL HOMETOWN

Billy Brand SR RHP Point (starter) Burlington, Ont.

Former Edmonton Cardinals’ RHP Kurt Meeberrg (Edmonnton, Alta.) made the Appalachion Conference all-academic team.

ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM

NAME CL POS SCHOOL HOMETOWN

Kurt Meeberg SR RHP Bryan Edmonton, Alta.