ATLANTA—Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year Josh Merrigan and first-team all-conference selection Chad Prain highlight Georgia State's six honorees on the All-CAA baseball teams announced Tuesday.
Merrigan, the freshman center fielder from Marietta, Ga., and Walton High School, was also tabbed to the All-CAA second team, along with designated hitter Chase Raffield and third baseman Caden Bailey.
Three Panthers were named to the CAA All-Rookie team in Merrigan, pitcher-infielder Matt Rose and catcher Joey Roach.
“All of these players are very deserving, and I am happy to see them recognized for their outstanding seasons,” said GSU head coach Greg Frady, who now has coached 34 All-CAA and All-Rookie selections in his seven seasons.
“Their success on the field is the result of preseason preparation, in-season performance and continuing adjustments,” he added. “They have all been a pleasure to work with.”
The first Panther to win the CAA's Rookie of the Year award, Merrigan hit .353 with four homers, 36 runs batted in and 52 runs scored. He led all conference freshmen in batting average, hits, homers, RBI, runs scored, total bases and stolen bases, and among all freshmen in the nation, he stands second in hits, third in runs and fourth in average.
Prain, the junior shortstop from Valdosta, Ga., enjoyed one of the top offensive seasons in school history with a .394 batting average and 48 RBI. The Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award Watch List member ranks in the top 15 in the nation in average and hits (89), and he finished just two hits shy of the school record. Prain is Georgia State's eighth first-team All-CAA selection in eight years in the league.
A junior from Cochran, Ga., Raffield was the Panthers' top power threat with 10 homers and 51 RBI, along with a .382 batting average and a .645 slugging percentage. He is one of only two CAA players to rank in the league's top five in average, homers and RBI.
Bailey, a sophomore from Lambert High School in Suwanee, Ga., hit .353 with 33 RBI and one homer, a walk-off shot against George Mason. This is his second CAA honor after making the All-Rookie team a year ago.
Rose made an impact on the mound and in the lineup in his rookie season. The right-hander from Melbourne, Fla., had a 3-2 record with five saves and a 2.55 earned run average. When not pitching, he played first or third base, hitting .283 with four homers and 32 RBI.
Roach, from Holly Springs, N.C., became the Panthers' primary catcher over the last month of the season. He batted .296 with four home runs and 24 RBI.
The 2013 Georgia State Panthers compiled a 35-21 record for the third-highest win total in school history. All six honorees return for 2014 to lead the Panthers as they move into the Sun Belt Conference.
“We are extremely proud of these six individuals, and we had other players who had really good seasons, too,” said Frady. “The core nucleus of players we have coming back gives us a chance to have a really good season next year.”
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