Mendoza named AAC Player of the Year, Powell makes All-First Team

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - After helping lead a major turnaround for the Union baseball team, Angel Mendoza has been rewarded with the Appalachian Athletic Conference's top individual prize.

One of the premier power hitters in the country, Mendoza was named AAC Player of the Year, the league announced on Wednesday. He is just the second Bulldog to capture the award, following in the footsteps of 2006 winner Justin Barrier.

It was the most major accomplishment on a day chock full of awards for Mendoza, who was also named AAC Newcomer of the Year and won a gold glove.

In the regular season, Mendoza led the AAC in home runs (23), on-base percentage (.577) and slugging percentage (.965), finishing in the top five in the NAIA in each catagory. He was also second in the conference with a .424 batting average while his 23 home runs are tied for the most ever hit by a Bulldog player in a single season.

He swung the biggest bat of a rejuvenated offense, as the 27-17-1 Bulldogs have nearly tripled their win total from a season ago and made it into the winner's bracket of the AAC Tournament for the first time since 2019. Union has also hit 65 home runs as a team, six shy of the single-season program record.

POWELL MAKES ALL-FIRST TEAM

Mendoza had company on the AAC First Team, where fellow slugger Luke Powell was chosen as an outfielder.

Powell entered Wednesday tied for fifth in the AAC in both home runs (14) and RBIs (48). His RBI total was a team-high, two more than even his Player of the Year teammate.

Powell had multiple homers and at least five RBIs in three different games this season and was named NAIA National Player of the Week on April 18, becoming the first Bulldog to win the award since 2013.

OTHER HONOREES

Luke Ledington was named Union's Champion of Character and was one of 26 Bulldogs to make the AAC All-Academic Team.

Other All-Academic selections were Robert Aquino, Jordan Blalock, Royce Brittentime, Sidney Chrisman, Khalil Dunn, Robert Finch, Carter Finlay, Jackson Holcombe, Alberto Johnson, Dalton Kottmer, Christian McCollough, Adrian Nery, Luke Pell, Natybrion Quarles, Jordan Ramirez, TJ Reney, Logan Romasanta, Hunter Rossi, Aidan Rush, Nick Seelman, Griffin Snider, Theron Sons, Carlos Soto, Colton Stegman and Nicholas Trees.

To view the full list of AAC selections, click here.