3 in-state baseball players receive All-America honors
Three players from schools in the state of Alabama earned All-America honors for 2023 from Collegiate Baseball newspaper on Thursday.
Samford pitcher Jacob Cravey and Alabama State pitcher Omar Melendez both were selected to the second team, while Troy outfielder Shane Lewis was chosen for the third team. No in-state players were picked to the first team.
Cravey, a junior from Andalusia, is 9-2 with a 3.19 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 98 2/3 innings for the Bulldogs this season. The 6-foot-6 right-hander was also chosen as Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year this season.
Melendez, a sophomore from Cayey, Puerto Rico, went 12-0 with a 2.52 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 93 innings for the Hornets this season. The 6-6 left-hander was named SWAC Pitcher of the Year this season.
Lewis, a sophomore from Vicksburg, Miss., set a Troy program record with 27 home runs this season, in addition to 76 RBIs, 151 total bases and a .733 slugging percentage. He was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year.
Though Alabama State’s season ended in the SWAC tournament, both Troy and Samford will be in action in NCAA Regionals this weekend. Lewis and the Trojans face Boston College at 2 p.m. Friday in the Tuscaloosa Regional, while Cravey and the Bulldogs battle Southern Miss at 1 p.m. Friday in the Auburn Regional.
LSU pitcher Paul Skenes was named the overall Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball. You can view the full All-America teams HERE.