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Mervyl Melendez - #24 Head Coach 12th Season Bethune-Cookman, 1996 A Decade Of B-CU Dominance In The MEAC Under Melendez - Wins Milestone 300th Game in 2009 Season This will be the 12th year for Bethune-Cookman University baseball under the direction of Mervyl Melendez. He has become one of top coaches in the NCAA Division I baseball ranks, leading the Wildcats to ten MEAC championships and nine NCAA regionals in his first 11 seasons as head coach. The former B-CU player was also involved with championships and NCAA bids as a player - and along with the winning - the accolades are many for the young Wildcat skipper. "Mervyl does as good a job at B-CU as any coach in the country as evidenced by his team's string of regional appearances. His teams reflect the persona and skills he displayed as a player - aggressive, fundamentally sound, well- disciplined-and always play hard." -Stetson Head CoachPete Dunn on Melendez - Melendez brings a unique approach to the game of baseball as he not only teaches the game to his student-athletes; he also loves to get a hands-on feel as well. You will quite often see him throwing pitches during batting practice; or fielding ground balls with the team; or running the bases with the team to show his aggressive style of play and defense. "Players now do want to come to play baseball and attend Bethune-Cookman University. With our success on and off the field, we have got a lot of recognition. Our coaching staff does a great job and I am only as good as my assistant coaches. The most important part of the program is our players. We dedicate our time to our players. We take the time to make sure they understand the bigger picture of life, "said Melendez. "What we want to do here at Bethune-Cookman University is to instill in every student-athlete that comes to play for us a sense of pride and determination for what we, as a staff, want to teach them on and off the field," comments Melendez. "It feels good to know that you are achieving new heights at your school, as an alumnus of Bethune-Cookman University, and I want to take it to an even higher level than where it is now." Melendez' teams are steeped in success at B-CU, including winning the school's first-ever NCAA Regional game in 2002 against Florida International. But in order to get to the Regional, Melendez and his staff had to win an extremely tough Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament. In fact, up until the 2005 season, the Wildcats posted six consecutive (1999-2004) conference crowns under Melendez's tutelage. This is a feat unmatched by any other school in the conference to date. The successful recruiting aspect of Melendez and his staff has not only caught the eye of several coaches in and around the country, but also that of the national media as well. A native of Carolina, Puerto Rico, and Melendez shows loyalty in choosing his staff as all assistant coachesare former players of his. José Vázquez, Drew Clark and Matt Crane all playedat B-CU. Melendez's philosophy of recruiting a diverse team landed him a featured story on diversity in the USA Today newspaper in May 2000 about the contributions of his efforts in recruiting diverse student-athletes to an HBCU baseball program at Bethune-Cookman. "We are looking for the best players who fit our system," adds Melendez. "We are not looking at a student-athlete's skin color, race or ethnic background in any way. We go everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE, to find the absolute best talent for this program in order to get us to the top." Melendez has earned numerous MEAC Coach of the Year awards and Black College Baseball Coach of the Year awards, and he has had several Rookie and Player of the Year student-athletes cross his coaching path for the Wildcats program ... including a sweep of both categories in 2006 with Nabil Sagbini (Player of the Year), José Ortiz-Rivera (Rookie of the Year) and Francisco Rodriguez (Pitcher of the Year). In the summer of 2005, he saw his first collegiate player suit up and take the mound in the MLB (Major League Baseball) for the Detroit Tigers. That player was former Wildcat relief pitcher Mark Woodyard. Currently, he has three more up-and-coming minor leaguers getting ready for a shot at the MLB ranks in the form of infielder Wes Timmons, outfielder Angel Mercado and pitcher Richard "R.J." Rodriguez. Although there have been several of his players drafted by major league teams, Melendez is most proud of the commitment his players make to academics. His teams have maintained a team GPA of no less than 2.9 over the last five years. "I am proud of the commitment and dedication that the players have made to academics and that shows that we are attracting the right type of student-athlete to Bethune-Cookman University; one who is committed to everything he does," adds Melendez. Melendez's aggressive style of offense and base running, mixed with heavy defense is a trademark of the Wildcats program. It's what was taught to him by former coach and mentor Brian Rhees... and what he is now teaching to his kids. He believes in fast players taking chances on the bases, and a sound defense in the infield. His outfielders will always have speed, and he likes that to be mixed with solid hitting and a strong pitching staff. "Games are won on the mound, and defensively and that's what we believe in," stresses Melendez. All of these ingredients have made for five consecutive MEAC Southern Division championships, including the six straight MEAC Tournament titles during his tenure. As a player at Bethune-Cookman, Melendez was selected to the first-ever Black College All-America Team during his senior season (1996). As a third baseman and relief pitcher, he finished his collegiate career as the all-time leader in doubles (30) and a batting average of 34 percent (.342). These accolades, and more, would allow him to be named to both the 1995 and '96 MEAC Team, as well as All-MEAC Tournament Team in both years. It was Melendez's relief-pitching efforts against a strong North Carolina A&T squad in the final game of the 1996 regular season that allowed the `Cats to capture their second consecutive MEAC Southern Division crown. In the NCAA Regional Play-In game against Georgia Southern in 1996, Melendez hit a bases-loaded double to give the `Cats their first win in a Regional contest of any kind, though being just a play-in contest. Melendez took over the Wildcats program in July 1999 after serving for three years as the team's top assistant coach. It was the faith of Director of Athletics (Lynn Thompson) and former Bethune-Cookman President Dr. Oswald P. Bronson, Sr. that allowed Melendez to step up "to the bat" and take over the reigns of the program ... and continue a winning tradition. And the results speak for themselves from there. Mervyl Melendez, is a native of Carolina, Puerto Rico (known as La Tierra de Gigantes aka "Land of the Giants"), located in the northeast corner of the country. Carolina, pronounced kah-ro-LEE-nah, is also home of former baseball great Roberto Clemente. Melendez moved to Orlando, Florida at the age of 13, and attended Lake Howell High School in nearby Winter Park. He is married to the former Aixa Alicea, a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, who is Director of Admissions at Bethune-Cookman University. Together, they have two beautiful sons in Mervyl S. "MJ" Melendez, Jr., and youngest son Jayden Savier. THE MELENDEZ FILE ♦ Hit a bases-loaded double to give the Wildcats their first-ever NCAA post-season win (10-8) over Georgia Southern in the 1996 NCAA Regional Play-In game. ♦ Played an integral part all of the team's nine (9) MEAC Tournament titles, either as a player or a coach. ♦ Selected to the first-ever Black College All-American team as a senior in 1996. ♦ Finished his collegiate career as B-CC's all-time leader in doubles (30). ♦ Featured in USA Today for diversifying the school's baseball program (May 2000). ♦ First Bethune-Cookman head coach to win an MEAC title in his first season. ♦ MEAC Coach of the Year (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005and the past three years 2008, 2009, 2010) ♦ Has led team to tenNCAA Regional appearances in the last 11years. ♦ Guided B-CC baseball team to the best season in school history in 2002 (39-22, 16-2 MEAC), and first-ever NCAA Regional victory with a win against Florida International (7-4). ALL-AMERICANS COACHED 2002 - Wes Timmons Louisville Slugger All-American MEAC Player of the Year 2003 - John Gragg Louisville Slugger All-American MEAC Player of the Year 2004 - Sebastian Boucher MEAC Player of the Year 2006 - José Ortiz-Rivera Louisville Slugger All-American MEAC Rookie of the Year Nabil Sagbini MEAC Player of the Year 2007 - Francisco Rodriguez MEAC Pitcher of the Year 2009 - Freshman All-Americans LHP Ali Simpson and C Peter O'Brien 2010 - MEAC MVP Peter O'Brien - 2010 All-American Catcher Peter O'Brien, 2010 TEAM USA - C Peter O'Brien |
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