BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced its 2023 All-SWAC Baseball teams and individual award winners on Tuesday evening. The all-conference honors were voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.   
Texas Southern’s Daalen Adderley was named Player of the Year and Hitter of the Year while Alabama State’s Omar Melendez was tabbed Pitcher of the Year.

Bethune-Cookman’s Joan Gonzalez was tabbed Relief Pitcher of the Year and Alabama State’s Jamal George was named Freshman of the Year.

Bethune-Cookman’s Hylan Hall was named Newcomer of the Year and Alabama State’s Jose' Vazquez was named Coach of the Year rounding out the list of individual award winners.

Player of the Year/Hitter of the Year
Adderley is currently one of the top batters in the nation after completing regular season play with a .428 overall batting average. He contributed a total of 74 hits and 42 RBI while also tallying 65 runs. He currently leads the league in batting average (.428) and on base percentage (.543).  
 
Pitcher of the Year
Melendez was one of the top pitchers in the conference this season amassing a league leading 2.59 ERA. He concluded regular season play with an undefeated 11-0 record. His 11 wins for the season was a league high. He ranked third in strikeouts (92) while also tallying four complete game efforts.
 
Relief Pitcher of the Year
Gonzalez emerged as one of the league’s top relief arms in 2023 finishing the season with 10 saves. In 42.1 innings pitched he tallied an 3.61 ERA while also contributing 57 strikeouts. He was a key contributor for a Bethune-Cookman pitching staff that ranked second in the conference in ERA.

Newcomer of the Year
Hall was one of the best bats in the league during the 2023 season. He ranked top ten in the conference in batting average (.376), runs scored (54), hits (73), doubles (17), triples (6), and total bases (114). Hall also garnered Hitter of the Week accolades during the 2023 campaign.
 
Freshman of the Year
George has been the starter behind the plate for the Hornets in 51 of 52 games this season. He contributed a .290 batting average in 186 at bats during regular season competition while tallying 33 RBI and 54 hits.
 
Coach of the Year
Vazquez led Alabama State to the most wins in conference play (26). The Hornets would go on to claim the SWAC Eastern Division title with a 26-4 overall league mark while subsequently clinching the No. 1 seed at the 2023 SWAC Baseball Tournament.  

The complete listing of all-conference selections and individual awards winners can be found below.
 
All-SWAC Baseball Teams and Individual Award Winners

Coach of the Year
Jose’ Vazquez, Alabama State
 
Player/Hitter of the Year
Daalen Adderley, Texas Southern
 
Pitcher of the Year
Omar Melendez, Alabama State
 
Relief Pitcher of the Year
Joan Gonzalez, Bethune-Cookman
 
Freshman of the Year
Jamal George, Alabama State
 
Newcomer of the Year
Hylan Hall, Bethune-Cookman
 
All-SWAC Baseball First Team
C – Ty Hanchey, Florida A&M
1B – Keylon Mack, Grambling State
2B – Randy Flores, Alabama State
3B – Cameron Bufford, Grambling State
SS – CJ Castillo, Texas Southern
DH – Alexander Olivo, Texas Southern
OF – Daalen Adderley, Texas Southern
OF – Hylan Hall, Bethune-Cookman
OF – Trevor Hatton, Grambling State
SP – Omar Melendez, Alabama State
SP – Nolan Santos, Bethune-Cookman
RP – Joan Gonzalez, Bethune-Cookman

All-SWAC Baseball Second Team
C – Jamal George, Alabama State
1B – O'Neill Burgos, Southern
2B – Kyle Walker, Grambling State
3B – Ty Hill, Jackson State
SS – Kyler McIntosh, Alabama State
DH – Sebastian Greico, Florida A&M
OF – Ty Jackson, Florida A&M
OF – Janmikell Bastardo, Florida A&M
OF – Ian Matos, Alabama State
SP – Hunter Viets, Florida A&M
SP – Abraham Deleon, Texas Southern
RP – Erick Gonzalez, Jackson State
 
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.

Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
 
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.