Merrill & Brubaker Named All-State
Hunter Merrill and Brett Brubaker were selected to the 2017 North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) All-State Baseball Team.
HICKORY, N.C. – Hunter Merrill and Brett Brubaker were selected to the 2017 North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) All-State Baseball Team. Merrill was a first team selection while Brubaker was a second team pick.
Merrill, a senior second baseman from Pittsford, N.Y., was a first team All-SAC second baseman selection. He led the Lions' offense batting .415 that placed him second in the SAC in that category. He led the league in stolen bases (28), second in on-base percentage (.508) and fourth in triples (4). At the conclusion of the Lions' season, Merrill was tenth in the nation in stolen bases per game (0.67). He was second on the team in runs scored (49) as well. Prior to this award, Merrill was selected second-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America, a first team All-Region member by the NCBWA, first team All-Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and a first team All-Region member of the of the D2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) NCAA Division II Southeast Region squad.
Brubaker, a sophomore from Orlando, Fla., was a second team All-SAC outfielder. Brubaker finished the 2017 campaign with a .345 average. A true power hitter for the Lions, Brubaker was third in the SAC in homeruns (14) and RBI (55); and sixth in doubles (17). Brubaker also led Mars Hill with a .684 slugging percentage. Brubaker was also selected to the honorable mention All-Region team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA).
Nominees were submitted by North Carolina sports information professionals and selected by the NCCSIA members.
Founded in 2002, the NCCSIA is comprised of sports information professionals from NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA and independent institutions from the state of North Carolina. The purpose of the organization is to promote collegiate athletics at all schools. Membership is open to anyone affiliated with a college, university or conference located in North Carolina, and whose area of responsibility lies within sports information.
NCCSSIA selects all-state teams in the University (Division I) and College (Division II, III, NAIA) divisions for men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, volleyball, softball, and baseball.
