The University of North Florida’s leader in the dugout is swooping to a year-end award. So is a Jacksonville University rising glove wizard.
The ASUN Conference named UNF’s Joe Mercadante as its coach of the year in baseball on May 18, after he led the Ospreys to the Graphite Division championship and the No. 1 seed entering the ASUN Tournament in DeLand. JU shortstop Sammy Mummau picked up hardware of his own, the ASUN defensive player of the year award.
Mercadante, in his third year at UNF, guided the Ospreys to a 31-22 regular-season record and a 22-8 mark in conference play. UNF received the tournament No. 1 seed for the first time ever, and set a new high in ASUN victories.
JU’s Mummau, a redshirt sophomore from Palm Harbor, started 51 games and turned 17 double plays on the year.
Florida Gulf Coast collected the other two main awards, with Jon Embury as player of the year and Evan Dempsey winning pitcher of the year.
The ASUN first team included JU second baseman Roger Vergara and UNF pitcher Dakota Stone, a former Sandalwood High School standout. Other first-teamers came from Bellarmine (SS Landon Akers, 1B AJ Swader), Central Arkansas (P Hunter Alexander, OF Zeb Allen, P Denver Hamilton), Florida Gulf Coast (3B Javier Gorostola) and North Alabama (DH Dylan Coleman, OF Nash Rippen), in addition to overall winners Embury and Dempsey.
JU pitcher Brendan Holland made the second team, as did UNF shortstop Mathew Farner and designated hitter Boone Hosey. The third team included JU catcher Conner Spelman and pitcher Alex Walsh, as well as UNF outfielder Gialdri Gomez. FGCU pitcher Ashton Pocol, from Bartram Trail High School, also made the third team.
JU’s Logan Barratta, Kyle Hopper, Ayden Phillips and Cade Walter all earned All-Freshman selections, as did UNF’s Sean Benjamin and Devin Diggs. Phillips (Columbia), Benjamin (Fernandina Beach) and Diggs (Union County) all represented Northeast Florida high schools.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: JU, UNF receive ASUN baseball awards
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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