GREENVILLE, N.C.

“I’ll never forget this team and season.”

Those were the sentiments of Paul D. Camp’s head coach David Mitchell after his team bowed out of the first postseason tournament in team history on Sunday in Greenville, North Carolina. The Hurricanes, who were projected in the preseason to finish at or near the bottom of the Region 10 standings, were in second place at the end of the regular season and qualified as a second-seed for the regional tournament in their first year of eligibility. As a new program in 2018, the Hurricanes were ineligible to participate.

After an opening round 11-7 win over seventh-seeded Wake Tech (N.C.) on Friday night, the Hurricanes found themselves forced into the losers bracket of the double-elimination tournament by virtue of a 12-4 loss to sixth-seeded Pitt (N.C.) on Saturday. The team bounced back with a 12-4 elimination game victory over the number four seed Catawba Valley (N.C.) Sunday afternoon before being bounced from the Southeast District tournament by third-seeded Pasco-Hernando State College (Fla.) 10-5 on Sunday night.

Mitchell said, “Hats off to the initial group of student athletes that started this program last year. To win 30 games overall and 17 in region play in year two is amazing.”

The Hurricanes finished the year with an overall record of 30-16.

“Our players competed to the final out,” Mitchell added. “Great group of young men who grew on and off the field. I’ll never forget this team and season.”

Mitchell, the program’s first coach, announced recently that he was leaving the college at the end of the season in order to spend more time with his family.

Several members of the team were honored with All-Region honors for their performances on the season. Infielder Tannor Sullivan was named to the First Team after a stellar season at the plate. He led the region in home runs (15) and finished second in batting average (.412) and runs batted in (55). Pitcher Joey Santos and first baseman Sam Camacho were named to the Second Team. Santos finished with a 2.50 ERA and 102 strikeouts over 75 2/3 innings pitched. Camacho had a .361 batting average, with six home runs and 39 runs batted in. Outfielder Matt Arceo, who finished the season with a perfect fielding percentage, was named to the All-Region Defensive Team.