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Merolla Named UAA Co-Rookie of the Year; Six Eagles Earn All-UAA Recognition

Merolla Named UAA Co-Rookie of the Year; Six Eagles Earn All-UAA Recognition

Emory University freshman Paul Merolla was named the University Athletic Association's (UAA) Co-Rookie of the Year, while outfielders Brandon Hannon and Wes Peacock were selected to the All-UAA First Team, and pitchers Graham Bloomsmith and Connor Dillman, outfielder Daniel Iturrey and shortstop Jared Kahn were named to the All-Association Second Team.

Merolla is the third-straight Eagle and fourth player overall in the history of the program to be named the UAA Rookie of the Year, joining Dillman (2012), Hannon (2011) and Bryan Langbord (2002).  The right-handed pitcher finished the year with a team-best 5-2 record, notching a 3.41 ERA over 11 appearances and 10 starts.  He shared the Rookie of the Year honor with outfielder Liam O'Connor of Brandeis.

Hannon hit .325 during the season, scoring 34 runs and stealing 22 bases on as many attempts, the most in a single season in school history without being caught.  The junior right fielder started all 39 games for the Eagles during the season.  It marked the third-straight season that Hannon has earned all-UAA First Team recognition.

Peacock, a right-handed hitting centerfielder, led all Eagles with a .358 batting average and 57 hits during the season.  He drove in 21 runs, while scoring 15 of his own, and added 14 stolen bases on 15 attempts.  Peacock also recorded a season-long 16-game hitting streak, and led all Emory players with 20 multiple hit games.  This was his first career all-UAA honor.

Bloomsmith earned his first career all-UAA honor as well, finishing the 2013 season with six saves as the Eagles' closer.  The right-handed pitcher was 2-2 with a 1.30 ERA over his 21 appearances out of the bullpen, and held opponents to a .232 batting average.  Over his last 14 appearances, Bloomsmith recorded a 0.52 ERA with a 1-0 record and five saves, allowing just nine hits and one earned run while striking out 15 batters over 17.1 innings pitched.  

Serving as Emory's top-starter during the 2013 season, Dillman finished the year with a 4-4 record and a 2.20 ERA, the second-lowest mark in the conference.  In addition, he led all UAA pitchers with a .215 opponents' batting average, 68 strikeouts, and 82 innings pitched.   This was the first all-UAA Team selection for Dillman, who earned the Association's Rookie of the Year honor last season.

Iturrey was Emory's leader with 30 RBIs during the 2013 season, after starting all 39 games during the campaign.  His 11 doubles were the third most among UAA players, and his 23 walks ranked fifth in the conference.  The left-handed hitting left fielder finished the year with a .312 batting average and a .426 on base percentage, while scoring 28 runs.  It marked the second-straight year that Iturrey has earned a berth to the all-UAA Second Team.

In his first season on the team, Kahn started 38 games at shortstop for Emory, ending the year as the team leader with 40 runs scored (second in the UAA in 2013) and second on the team with a .328 batting average.  Kahn led all UAA players with 24 stolen bases, and was the Eagles' leader in both on-base percentage (.387) and slugging percentage (.438).

The Eagles finished the 2013 season with an overall record of 22-17.