Congratulations were in order to two members of the Florida A&M University Baseball team Monday.
Fourth-year business administration student Alec Wong was named Mid-Eastern Atlantic conference player of the week and first-year sports management student from Tallahassee Willis McDaniel was named rookie player of the week, after their opening game victory of 20-4 against Marshall University during a three-game series at Moore-Kittles Field.
The Rattlers are starting off the 2016 season full-throttle after gaining a historic conference win last season, as well as a strong academic finish with more than half the players reporting a 3.0 or above GPA.
Every week the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC) of sports names a player of the week and highlights the players, along with their stats on the national website.
The performances that Wong and McDaniel showcased were strong enough to turn the heads of the conference. According to the national MEAC website, Wong registered a .750 batting average (9-for-12), including nine hits and four runs, with one home run and six RBIs.
McDaniel, out of Tallahassee’s Lincoln High School, totaled five hits and six runs, including two home runs. He went 3-for-4, with three runs and five RBIs.
McDaniel says this award only helps his game get better.
“To be named rookie of the week was a great honor and I was excited to hear the news. This award makes me stay competitive and on top of my game but also lets me know my hard work is paying off and to stay humble,” McDaniel said.
While Wong is no rookie to this award title, he knows not to be too cocky and keep his head in the game.
“This is my second time winning this award. I also won it last year, and hope to win it a few more times this year. In the game of baseball, it’s extremely important to stay humble. Just when you think you’ve got the game figured out, it’ll put you in your place real quick,” Wong said.
Wong added this was a really important game for personal reasons.
“This award was actually huge for me because I’m fresh off being cleared to play in games again, following my knee surgery I had back in June. Being away from the game so long really made me miss being out there competing with the guys. So it was a great way for me to get settled back in and start the season off on a good note,” Wong said.
You can catch the Rattler Baseball team March 4, as they take on Western Michigan University in a two-series game at Moore-Kittles Field at 4 p.m.
For schedules, stats and updates, visit www.meacsports.com