UNCP Athletics

AS A JUNIOR (2017): NCBWA All-Region ... All-Peach Belt Conference … NCCSIA All-State … The only player on UNCP’s roster to start in all 58 games (58 in cf) … Posted a team-best .374 batting average in 243 at-bats with 74 runs scored on 91 hits, including 19 extra-base hits (2 HR), and 41 RBI … Registered a school record 10 triples as well … Also drew a team-best 35 walks, was hit by pitch four times and was 25-of-34 on stolen base attempts … Turned in three sacrifice flies and a trio of sacrifice bunts as well … Led team with 29 multiple-hit games, while also recording 10 multiple-RBI contests … Also scored two or more runs in 21 outings … Committed just two errors in 132 total defensive chances for a .985 fielding percentage … Opened season with a 6-for-12 (.500) series against Shepherd, including a 3-for-5 hitting line in the season opener … Doubled and drove in five runs in game two of the series with Concord, and then tacked up a 4-for-6 performance with a pair of stolen bases in the series finale … Went 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBI and a trio of runs scored in the series finale with Chowan … Outing against the Hawks marked the opening of a 7-game hitting streak that wrapped up with a .467 (7-for-15) series against Georgia College that also saw him score six times … Walked twice and scored once on a 1-for-3 outing in the middle game with top-ranked North Georgia to open up a season-long 9-game hitting streak … Hit 19-for-38 (.500) during that hitting streak with two extra-base hits, six RBI and 17 runs scored … Concluded the streak with a 8-for-13 (.615) series against Francis Marion that included 3-hit showings in each of the last two games of the set … Hit 7-for-12 (.583) in the home-and-home series with Barton, including a 4-for-7, 4-run day in Pembroke … Tallied a 5-for-8 series in the home twinbill with Coker, including hitting his first UNCP home run in the opener … Turned in an 8-for-14 (.571) series at Armstrong State … Walked, tripled, drove in four runs and scored three times on a 4-for-5 hitting line in the finale with the Pirates … Hit safely in each of the last six games of the season, including multiple-hit days against Georgia College (2-for-5, R) in the PBC Championship game and Mount Olive (3-for-6) in the NCAA Southeast Regional.

AS A SOPHOMORE (2016): Played in 47 games, including 47 starts (27 in cf, 17 at ss, 2 in lf, 1 in rf) … Posted a team-best .383 batting average in 183 at-bats with a team-best (tie) 49 runs scored on a team-high 70 hits, including 10 extra-base hits, and 35 RBI … Also drew a team-best 29 walks, was hit by pitch twice and was 9-for-11 on stolen base attempts … Turned in three sacrifice flies and eight sacrifice bunts … Tacked up 20 multiple-hit and nine multiple-RBI games … Tallied a .936 fielding percentage with 10 errors in 156 total defensive chances … Began career in Black & Gold with at least one base hit in first seven appearances … Walked twice, drove in two runs and scored three times on a 1-for-2 outing in game two of the series with Pitt-Johnstown … Hit .444 (4-for-9) with two doubles, six RBI and three runs scored in the series with Concord … Hit .571 (4-for-7) with four walks, one double and six runs scored in the series with Shippensburg … Walked twice, stole two bases and scored four times on a 1-for-1 hitting line in game two against the Raiders … Tacked up three hits and scored twice in each of the first two games against Flagler … Walked twice in series opener with North Georgia to spark a string of 30-straight games in which he reached base safely (through end of season) … Walked and scored twice on a 3-for-5 hitting line against Catawba to signal the start of a 24-game hitting streak that spanned more than a month … Hit .429 (42-for-98) over the 40-day span with 15 walks, four extra-base hits, 20 RBI and 23 runs scored … Registered six hits in both of the series with Lander (6-for-11) and Augusta (6-for-13, 4 RBI, 2 R) series … Had 24-game hitting streak stopped on 0-for-4 showing in series opener with Columbus State, but managed a 2-for-5, 2-run performance in season finale with Cougars.

AS A FRESHMAN AT ST. AUGUSTINE’S (2015): Played and started in 37 games … Posted a .268 batting average in 123 at-bats with 19 runs scored on 33 hits, including six extra-base hits (1 HR), and 18 RBI … Also drew 11 walks, three sac flies and a trio of sacrifice hits … Was 13-for-16 on stolen base attempts … Walked, drove in a run and scored twice on a perfect 4-for-4 outing against UNCP in early February … Registered an inside-the-park home run against Merrimack.

HIGH SCHOOL: Prepped at Millville Senior High School for coach Roy Hallenbeck … Registered a 7-0 mark on the mound as a senior with 29 strikeouts and a 0.88 ERA … Earned all-area honors as well.

PERSONAL: The son of Mernelle Rivera … Has an older brother, Armando, and a younger sister, Diamond … Graduated in the top 25 percent of his 500-member senior class at Millville Senior High School … A criminal justice major at UNCP.