PAULINO NAMED PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR

Black College Sports Online

PAULINO NAMED PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Paulino won MEAC Pitcher of the Year honors in 2010
Brian Holloway
GREENSBORO, February 4, 2011 – The preseason predictions for the MEAC baseball season
have been released and North Carolina A&T is well represented. Heading the list for the Aggies is
junior left-hander Esterlin Paulino (5-7, 160, Santo Domingo). Paulino was named MEAC
Preseason Pitcher of the Year after closing out the 2010 season with MEAC Pitcher of the Year
honors.
Paulino finished the season 9-2 and had three complete-game victories to his credit. His 3.38
ERA led the MEAC, and his 75 strikeouts ranked him second. Paulino lost just one game in which
he was the starting pitcher, and at season’s end he earned North Carolina Collegiate Sports
Information Association All-State recognition.
He joins two other Aggies – junior second baseman Marquis Riley (5-10, 190, Efland, N.C.) and
junior outfielder Xavier Macklin (5-11, 195, Rocky Mount, N.C.) – on the 2011 preseason allconference
team. In 2010, Riley was the second toughest batter to strikeout in the nation. He
struck out only five times in 212 at-bats, while hitting .373 with eight home runs and 56 RBIs.
Macklin also made the NCCSIA first-team a year ago. During the first two years of his career, he
has posted outstanding power numbers. In 109 games played, he has made 109 starts, hit .358,
blasted 27 home runs, recorded 116 RBIs and has compiled a slugging percentage of .658. Last
season, he was ninth in the nation in sacrifice flies.
The Aggies were predicted to finish second by Bethune-Cookman in 2011. N.C. A&T is coming
off of the program’s first 30-win season after posting a 31-26 mark in 2010. The Aggies have
played in four of the last six MEAC Championship Games, including last season. In addition to
three preseason All-MEAC players returning, the Aggies also return 2010 MEAC Rookie of the
Year Kelvin Freeman.
The 2011 season starts on Feb. 18 when the Aggies take on Campbell in a 1 p.m., doubleheader
from War Memorial Stadium.