May 10, 2011
MEAC Release in PDF Format 
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Let the discussion on whether Allison Garcia is a great hitter who can pitch or a great pitcher who can hit subside for a moment and celebrate the Bethune-Cookman University senior and her coach, Chris Cochran, being named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Pitcher and Coach Of The Year, respectively.
The Wildcats pulled the regular season honors double play Tuesday when the MEAC released its all-conference awards. Joining Garcia on the First Team is shortstop Aurelia Gamch while second baseman Cesley Tafoya and centerfielder Ashton Hinds garnered Second Team honors.
"I think the award says a lot about Allison and a lot about the team," Cochran said. "She's certainly deserving of the award and I'm very happy for her."
Garcia finished with a MEAC-best 21 victories against ten losses - her second straight 20-win season - while posting a 3.84 ERA and 117 strikeouts.
At the plate, Garcia registered career highs with nine home runs and 50 RBI while batting .368 in the three spot.
"I'm just trying to be productive both on the mound and at the plate," said Garcia. "It's mentally tough, but you have to work one situation at a time. You can't overwhelm yourself with the whole game. When you're on the mound, focus on pitching and look for your pitch and hit it when you're at the plate."
Against conference competition, Garcia hit .514 with three homers and 22 RBI and a .919 slugging percentage while going 11-0 with a 2.78 ERA on the mound.
In her fifth season, Cochran has led the Wildcats to a 28-23 mark that includes a perfect 12-0 record in league play heading into this week's conference tournament in Ormond Beach. B-CU has won 19 straight games against MEAC opposition dating back to last season. B-CU has won 13 of its last 14 games and 17 of its last 21.
"Together as a team, we're proud of Coach that she's able to get this honor," Garcia said. "She's brought all the seniors and we've worked hard for her the past four years."
Gamch, a sophomore from Madera, Calif., posted a .294 averages with eleven doubles, six homers and 20 RBI. Tafoya, a junior from Oxnard, Calif., batted .295 with 26 RBI while Hinds, a senior from Cerritos, Calif., batted .276 with three homers, 35 RBI and a team-high 13 doubles from the leadoff spot.
The Garcia-Cochran announcement gives B-CU its third tandem of Coach Of The Year and Player Of The Year awards presented by the MEAC this season. Brian Jenkins and quarterback Matt Johnson were Football Coach and Offensive Player Of The Year while father and son Clifford Reed and CJ Reed were named men's basketball Coach and Player Of The Year.
