Five Historically Black College and University (HBCU) baseball freshmen are among the nominees for the 2021 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Freshman All-American Team final ballot. The list consists of the top freshman baseball players and pitchers in NCAA Division I baseball.
Four Coppin State teammates are on this year’s ballot. Catchers Mike Dorcean, first baseman Sebastien Sarabia, outfielder Darren Hagan, and utility (outfielder/pitcher) Jordan Hamberg. North Carolina Central catcher Chet Sikes also made the list. All of the players that were chosen came from the MEAC. None from the SWAC conference were nominated.
Ballots will also be cast for Freshman Player of The Year and Pitcher of The Year.
HBCU freshmen who are on the ballot:
Catcher Mike Dorcean, Coppin State University
A redshirt freshman, Dorcean finished fifth in the MEAC with a .377 batting average to go with three doubles and 23 RBI while scoring 19 runs. Dorcean led the Eagles in home runs (5), a league-high .524 on-base percentage. He started nearly every game behind the plate, ranked second in the MEAC with a 1.134 OPS, and led Coppin with seven multi-RBI games.
Catcher Chet Sikes, North Carolina Central University
The fourth Eagle to earn MEAC Rookie of the Year honors, and is the third from NCCU to receive the honor in the last four full seasons. Sikes has made 32 starts, with 29 of those coming from behind the plate, and batted .296 with a .417 slugging percentage. He had 10 multi-hit games as well as an eight-game hitting streak at the dish, and caught nine runners stealing as well. Sikes also drew 14 walks for a .402 on-base percentage, and went 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts.
First Baseman Sebastien Sarabia, Coppin State University
Sarabia ranked sixth in the conference with a .371 batting average while recording four doubles, a home run and 23 RBI in his first collegiate season. Sarabia scored 16 runs, drew 19 walks and added four sacrifice flies. As a freshman, he had ten multi-hit games which included a school-record five hits in five at bats to go with three runs and three RBI in Coppin’s victory at Navy on April 28.
Outfielder Darren Hagan, Coppin State University
Hagan was the only Coppin State player to play in every game this season hitting .312 while leading the Eagles with 35 runs scored, with 44 hits, 64 total bases, and 6 sacrifice flies. Hagan had a league-high four MEAC Rookie of the Week awards and led the conference in sacrifice flies while ranking sixth in runs scored and ninth in batting average. He recorded seven doubles, three home runs and 25 runs batted in and Hagan also had a team-high 12 multi-hit games.
Utility Jordan Hamberg, Coppin State University
Hamburg was named Black College Nines Freshman of the Year. A first-year utility player, Hamberg was a key two-way player for the Eagles, starting as a outfielder as well as a weekend starting pitcher. He led the team with a .382 batting average while recording five doubles, a triple and seven runs batted in. On the mound, Hamberg went 1-3 with a 6.58 ERA, striking out 28 batters in 26.0 innings.
HBCU freshmen 2021 statistical information:
| Player | School | Class | Avg. | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
SB/SBA
|
| Mike Dorcean | Coppin State | R-Fr. | .377 | 34 | 77 | 19 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 23 | 15 | 18 | 1/2 |
| Chet Sikes | North Carolina Central | Fr. | .307 | 34 | 114 | 21 | 35 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 14 | 34 | 3/3 |
| Sebastien Sarabia | Coppin State | Fr. | .371 | 29 | 89 | 16 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 19 | 16 | 0/0 |
| Darren Hagan | Coppin State | Fr. | .312 | 39 | 141 | 35 | 44 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 25 | 15 | 44 | 6/8 |
| Jordan Hamberg | Coppin State | Fr. | .382 | 36 | 76 | 15 | 29 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 0/1 |