Mekkes and Zimmerman Earn ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Honors
6/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 15, 2016 
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State baseball players Dakota Mekkes and Jordan Zimmerman have both been voted to the 2016 Mideast ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Team, as announced Wednesday, June 15. Mekkes was the lone relief pitcher selected to the first team, while Zimmerman was a second team selection at first base.
The teams are voted on by members of the American Baseball Coaches Association and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA Div. I All-America Committee. First-team selections are nominated for ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors, which will be announced on Saturday, June 18 and the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Team will be announced on Sunday, June 19.
Mekkes dominated the 2016 season, ending the year as the NCAA leader in strikeouts per nine innings at 15.16 and hits allowed per nine innings at 4.11.
The native of Jenison led the Big Ten and ranks 12th nationally in ERA at 1.74. He held opponents to a .142 batting average, which also led the conference.
A first-team All-Big Ten selection, Mekkes struck out 96 batters in just 57.0 innings pitched, marking the most strikeouts by an MSU reliever in a single season and the fifth-highest single-season total in school history.
The 6-foot-7 right-hander went 3-2 in a team-high 28 appearances and picked up seven saves in being voted the team's Robin Roberts Most Valuable Pitcher. Mekkes demonstrated the ability to extend his role beyond that of a typical closer, going at least two complete innings on 16 occasions.
Zimmerman was a second-team All-Big Ten selection and was voted the Spartans' MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. He was among the Big Ten leaders in nearly every offensive category all season and finished 2016 second in the conference in batting average (.374) and total bases (130), third in on base percentage (.461), fourth in slugging percentage (.594), fifth in runs scored (50), sixth in hits (82) and seventh in home runs (9).
In league play, he ranked first in batting average (.376), slugging percentage (.667) and tied for the lead in hits (35).
Zimmerman, a transfer from Mesa, Arizona, was the Spartans' most consistent hitter in 2016, recording at least a hit in 50 of 56 contests, including a 21-game hitting streak - the third longest in school history. He posted a team-high 37 RBIs and 17 doubles.
To see all selections, click here.
The teams are voted on by members of the American Baseball Coaches Association and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA Div. I All-America Committee. First-team selections are nominated for ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors, which will be announced on Saturday, June 18 and the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Team will be announced on Sunday, June 19.
Mekkes dominated the 2016 season, ending the year as the NCAA leader in strikeouts per nine innings at 15.16 and hits allowed per nine innings at 4.11.
The native of Jenison led the Big Ten and ranks 12th nationally in ERA at 1.74. He held opponents to a .142 batting average, which also led the conference.
A first-team All-Big Ten selection, Mekkes struck out 96 batters in just 57.0 innings pitched, marking the most strikeouts by an MSU reliever in a single season and the fifth-highest single-season total in school history.
The 6-foot-7 right-hander went 3-2 in a team-high 28 appearances and picked up seven saves in being voted the team's Robin Roberts Most Valuable Pitcher. Mekkes demonstrated the ability to extend his role beyond that of a typical closer, going at least two complete innings on 16 occasions.
Zimmerman was a second-team All-Big Ten selection and was voted the Spartans' MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. He was among the Big Ten leaders in nearly every offensive category all season and finished 2016 second in the conference in batting average (.374) and total bases (130), third in on base percentage (.461), fourth in slugging percentage (.594), fifth in runs scored (50), sixth in hits (82) and seventh in home runs (9).
In league play, he ranked first in batting average (.376), slugging percentage (.667) and tied for the lead in hits (35).
Zimmerman, a transfer from Mesa, Arizona, was the Spartans' most consistent hitter in 2016, recording at least a hit in 50 of 56 contests, including a 21-game hitting streak - the third longest in school history. He posted a team-high 37 RBIs and 17 doubles.
To see all selections, click here.
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