WILMINGTON, N.C. -- The Southern Conference regular season champion Elon Phoenix led all programs with four players on the 2009 North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) University Division All-State Baseball Team. Landing spots on this year's team were catcher
Mike Melillo (Annandale, N.J.), infielder
Chase Austin (Charlotte, N.C.), outfielder
Pat Irvine (Westwood, Mass.) and relief pitcher
Thomas Girdwood (Charlotte, N.C.).
The sixth-annual team consists of NCAA Division I student-athletes from North Carolina colleges and universities. North Carolina sports information professionals submitted the nominees and NCCSIA members voted for the all-state team, which consists of two pitchers, one catcher, four infielders, three outfielders and one designated hitter.
Melillo, a junior, helped the Phoenix to its fourth NCAA Division I Regional appearance in 2009 by hitting .344 with 67 runs scored, 18 homers and 59 RBI. He also paced the squad with 19 doubles and was second on the team with a .722 slugging percentage. Melillo stole seven bases in nine attempts.
Austin, a junior, belted an Elon program-record 23 home runs and tied the team record with 82 RBI. One of three Phoenix players to start all 59 games, Austin hit .359 and scored a team-best 74 runs. He added 11 doubles and three triples to post a slugging percentage of .695. Austin was successful on 19 of his 20 stolen base attempts and was the 2009 Co-Player of the Year in the Southern Conference.
Irvine finished his senior season with a team-leading .402 batting average and .789 slugging percentage. He hit 14 doubles, a team-best five triples and 17 homers in his final year at Elon. Irvine's .533 on-base percentage also led the team and he swiped 19 bases in 25 tries.
Girdwood, a sophomore, became Elon's all-time saves leader (27) and established a new program single-season saves mark with 17 in 2009. In 25.1 innings, Girdwood struck out 38 hitters and walked 14. He was a 2009 All-SoCon honoree and ranked in the top-five in the country in saves for much of the year.
Founded in 2002, NCCSIA is comprised of sports information professionals from North Carolina’s NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA and independent institutions for the purpose of promoting college athletics in the state. Membership is open to anyone affiliated with a college, university or conference located in North Carolina whose responsibilities include sports information.
2009 NCCSIA University Division All-State Baseball Team
P - Austin Sadler (Wake Forest)
P - Joe Yermal (Charlotte)
INF - Brent Greer (Western Carolina)
INF - Isaac Harrow (Appalachian State)
INF - Rob Lyerly (Charlotte)
OF - Ryan Hamme (Campbell)
OF - Rand Smith (Appalachian State)
DH - Zach Johnson (Campbell)
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