NORFOLK, Va.,  – Delaware State outfielder Jordan Reid was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Player of the Year for the third consecutive year. Savannah State’s Amber Hallman was named Rookie of the Year. Coppin State’s Paige Arnold earned Pitcher of the Year honors and Savannah State head coach Jose Gonzalez received the Coach of the Year accolade.

All awards are voted on by the conference’s head softball coaches and sports information directors.

Reid was fourth in the MEAC and 24th in the nation with a .425 batting average.  She also ranked nationally in the top 25 in runs per game (19th), hit by pitches per game (20th), and triples (25th).  The senior led her conference counterparts in on base percentage (.507), and runs scored (41).  Reid totaled two home runs, four triples, six doubles and 15 RBI in 113 appearances for the Lady Hornets. The outfielder stole 15 bases on 18 attempts and recorded 50 putouts defensively.

Hallman started in all 45 games for the Lady Tigers and led her team with a  .377 batting average  in 138 attempts. She was third in the MEAC with 77 total bases and fourth in RBI (31). The rookie led her team in batting average, slugging percentage (.558), hits (52), home runs (6), runs scored (32) and RBI. She also tallied 80 assists at the third base position and added 70 putouts.

Arnold recorded a 15-13 win-loss record with a 2.28 ERA in 178.1 innings.  In 32 appearances, she led the MEAC in strikeouts (174), was third in wins (15) and fifth in opposing batting average (.239).  This is the second time that Arnold has earned Pitcher of the Year accolades. She also garnered the honor in 2010.

Gonzalez earned Coach of the Year honors after leading the Savannah State Lady Tigers to a MEAC southern divisional title.  In his fifth year at the helm and the school’s first year in conference competition, SSU posted a 24-22 overall mark, including a 12-3 record in the MEAC. The Lady Tigers concluded the regular season above .500 for the first time in the program’s history and will enter the MEAC tournament as a number one seed.

Joining Reid (DSU), Arnold (CSU) and Hallman (SSU) on the first-team are SSU teammates Madison Hedderly, Chelsea Parrish and Jamie Paolini. Florida A&M’s Tera Gainer,  Michelle Banuelos-Smith and Aurelia Gamch of Bethune-Cookman , Juanita Jernigan of North Carolina A&T and Norfolk State’s Haley Ward were also named to the first-team.

The 2012 MEAC Softball Championship tournament gets underway Thursday, May 10 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex in Florida. There is an admission charge.

2012 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Softball All-Conference Awards