Erik Lovett named national player of the year

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on May 25, 2007 1:47 PM

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MOUNT OLIVE -- The postseason awards continue rolling in for Mount Olive College first baseman Erik Lovett, who received the nation's most-coveted prize Thursday.

Lovett, who plays first play, was named the national player of the year on the 2007 Daktronics Division II All-America baseball team -- voted on by the college sports information directors of America. The former Southern Wayne standout becomes the first Trojan in school history to earn national player of the year recognition in any sport.

Dustin Richardson was a second-team, All-American selection.

Lovett is the sixth MOC athlete to acheive A-A status during the 2006-07 season. April Jacobs was selected as a first team All-American in women's soccer. Josh Carter, Elton Coffield (men's basketball) and David Cooper (baseball) all earned preseason All-America honors.

A junior college transfer, Lovett ranks nationally in the top 10 in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage. He's currently tied for third in home runs (21) after being tied for first in late April.

Lovett concluded the season with a .402 batting average, 80 RBI and an .810 slugging percentage. He was named the 2007 Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference Player of the Year.

Richardson, a senior from Henderson, batted .410 with 14 home runs and 62 RBI. Richardson is nationally ranked in home runs, batting average and slugging percentage. An all-CVAC first team selection and an all-CVAC tournament honoree, Richardson hit safely in 54 of 60 games in 2007, including hitting streaks of 18 and 15 games.

Nationally sixth-ranked Mount Olive set a school record for wins and came within one game of making its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II College World Series. The Trojans posted a 49-13 record and finished second at last weekend's South Atlantic Regional.