BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The Mountain East Conference released its annual All-MEC teams and awards for the sport of baseball on Tuesday afternoon. A total of seven Yellow Jackets were named on the list.

Pitcher Tyler Lafferty earned All-MEC First Team honors after stepping into a starting role and becoming West Virginia State's ace on the mound. Lafferty led State's starting rotation with a 2.47 ERA and a team-high 57 strikeouts. He made 12 appearances with nine starts while posting a 4-3 record for the season.

Catcher Tyler Overaitis transferred from Division I Western Michigan this year and made an instant impact behind the dish for WVSU to earn All-MEC Second Team honors. He led the Yellow Jackets with a .353 batting average and was second-best on the team with 37 runs batted in. Overaitis also scored 29 runs and hit six dingers.

Left fielder Ryan Kay also earned All-MEC Second Team honors in his third season at State. Kay recorded the second-highest batting average (.341) on the team while racking up a team-leading 61 hits. He scored 33 runs and drove in another 28 runs. He was also recognized for his hustle both on the base paths and in the outfield.

Pitcher Chase Norris made the All-MEC Second Team after impressing onlookers with some solid outings on the mound this year. He recorded a 3.58 ERA with 12 appearances and 10 starts. Norris gave up four or less hits in eight of his appearances.

First baseman Mike Huber, third baseman Connor Fizer, and center fielder Nathan Paulsen were all named on the All-MEC Honorable Mention shortlist. All three players led the Yellow Jackets in home runs with 10 each this season. Paulsen drove in a team-leading 39 runs, Fizer registered a team-high 1.063 OPS, and Huber was second-best with a .535 slugging percentage. 

West Virginia State will face Frostburg State in the opening round of the 2023 MEC Baseball Tournament tomorrow. The game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at GoMart Ballpark.