BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Freshman Esperanza Coe (Beaumont, Calif.) burst onto the scene in 2021 and her impressive first collegiate season has been recognized with Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Freshman of the Year honors and a pair of All-SWAC First-Team selections as announced by the league on Monday, May 10.
 
Coe was selected as both a pitcher and a designated player and becomes the first Bulldog on record to not only earn a pair of selections in the same year but do so with both on the First-Team. Additionally, she is the first individual to earn All-Conference honors as a designated player.
 
The rewriting of the record books does not stop there as Coe is just the second SWAC Freshman of the Year honoree in program history and the first in 15 years. She joins Re'Quincia Mack, who earned that distinction in 2006 and went to collect four First-Team selections and was named Hitter of the Year in 2007 and Player of the Year in 2009.
 
Overall, she brings the total SWAC First-Team selections in recorded program history to 24, including four from the 2004 season when only one team was selected. Of that group, she is just the seventh individual to earn multiple First-Team honors, joining Mack (4, 2006-09), Debra Borcherding (4, 2005-08), Jasmine Riley (3, 2010, 2012-13 – Four Overall), Tiana Sanders (2, 2016, 2018), Anita Brit (2, 2012, 2015) and Tasha Sloan (2, 2003, 2004).
 
Additionally, there have been five other players that have earned multiple selections to either team, including, Jaime Carruthers (2000, 2001, 2002), Tamia Lee-Barbadillo (2018, 2019), Shenna Townsend (2004, 2005), Tawanna Carroll (2003, 2004) and Addie Meyers (2003, 2004).
 
THE 2021 SEASON
Coe has delivered an impressive first collegiate campaign from both sides of the plate as one of the top young players in the SWAC.
 
This season she has earned league weekly honors a total of five times, three times as the Player of the Week and twice as the Pitcher of the Week, including a sweep of both awards on April 7. She earned her other pitching recognition on March 25 and hitting honors on April 1 and 24.
 
On the year she has been highly productive while starting all 27 games she has played in, hitting .313 (26-of-83) with four doubles, a league-leading five homeruns, 17 RBIs and 11 runs, all while not even appearing in the SWAC Top-10 for number of at bats.
 
She has also been one of the most prolific pitchers, going 9-7 in the circle while posting a 5.20 earned run average to go with 14 complete games, one shutout, 76 strikeouts and just 24 free passes in 109 innings.
 
In terms of league marks, she leads the way with 33 strikeouts looking, is tied for second with the most wins, is third in both strikeouts and innings and sixth in opposing batting average (.279). At the plate she is also eighth in slugging (.542) and 10^th in RBIs to go with her league-best five long balls.
 
Individually, she struck out at least four batters in a game 11 times, including a career-high seven at Alabama State (2/19) and at Jackson State (4/18). She has also allowed one or fewer walks 12 times, including five games without a free pass.
 
At the plate she belted homeruns in four of five games from March 20 through April 2, including career-bests of two with five RBIs at Prairie View (3/27). A consistent performer, Coe had 11 games with at least one RBI and nine with at least two hits.
 
She also went 2-for-4 at Alcorn State (4/2) and drove in two, scored a personal best three times and swiped her first career base.
 
UP NEXT
Alabama A&M has earned the No. 3 seed out of the East Division and will face Prairie View A&M, the No. 2 seed out of the West Division, in the first round of the SWAC Tournament. That opening round game is set for 12 p.m. in Gulfport, Mississippi on Tuesday, May 11, weather permitting.
 
2021 ALL-SWAC HONORS
Player of the Year – Amari Ramsey, Alcorn State
Pitcher of the Year – Naomi Reyes, Texas Southern
Newcomer of the Year – Madison Myers, Alabama State
Freshman of the Year – Esperanza Coe, Alabama A&M
Co-Coaches of the Year – Kevin Montgomery, Jackson State and Raven Rodriguez, Texas Southern

2021 All-SWAC First-Team
C – Isabel Gusman – Jackson State
1B – Alexis Arredondo – Jackson State
2B – Jaeda Gardner – Alabama State
SS – Zoey Keyes – Jackson State
3B – Amari Ramsey – Alcorn State
OF – Madison Myers – Alabama State
OF – Aubrion James – Southern
OF – Monica Serrano – Jackson State
P – Naomi Reyes – Texas Southern
P – Esperanza Coe – Alabama A&M
P – Skyler Sullivan – Alabama State
DP – Esperanza Coe – Alabama A&M
 
2021 All-SWAC Second-Team
C – Daryn Haslem – Texas Southern
1B – Alex Massie – Alabama State
2B – Brianna Grays – Prairie View A&M
SS – Paige Jackson – Texas Southern
3B – Alyssa Garcia – Prairie View A&M
OF – Tevanae Tate – Texas Southern
OF – Cameron Lavergne – Prairie View A&M
OF – Natalie McLennan – Prairie View A&M
P – Kayla Owens – Jackson State
P – Ambria Dorsey – Alcorn State
P – Payton Shells – Grambling State
DP – Kayla Owens – Jackson State
 
ALABAMA A&M ALL-TIME All-SWAC SELECTIONS (SINCE 2000)
2021 (2 – 2/0)
Esperanza Coe, P, First-Team#
Esperanza Coe, DP, First-Team#
#Indicates Freshman of the Year
 
2020
No Teams Selected Due to COVID-19
 
2019 (2 – 2/0)
Danielle Hansell, C, First-Team
Tamia Lee-Barbadillo SS, First-Team&
&Indicates Player of the Year
 
2018 (4 – 1/3)
Tiana Sanders, SS, First-Team
Tamia Lee-Barbadillo, 2B, Second-Team
Ariel Smith, 3B, Second-Team
Lauren Hayden, P, Second-Team
 
2017 (0 – 0/0)
N/A
 
2016 (2 – 1/1)
Tiana Sanders, SS, First-Team
Imani Largin, OF, Second-Team
 
2015 (1 – 1/0)
Anita Brit, P, First-Team
 
2014 (0 – 0/0)
N/A
 
2013 (1 – 1/0)
Jasmine Riley, 3B, First-Team
 
2012 (2 – 1/1)
Jasmine Riley, 3B, First-Team
Anita Brit, P, First-Team
 
2011 (1 – 0/1)
Jasmine Riley, 3B, Second-Team
 
2010 (1 – 1/0)
Jasmine Riley, 3B, First-Team
 
2009 (1 – 1/0)
Re'Quincia Mack, OF, First-Team&
&Indicates Player of the Year
 
2008 (4 – 2/2)
Re'Quincia Mack, OF, First-Team
Debra Borcherding, P, First-Team^
Wendy Buchholz, C, Second-Team
Brandy Harrell, 1B, Second-Team
^Indicates Pitcher of the Year
 
2007 (2 – 2/0)
Re'Quincia Mack, OF, First-Team&
Debra Borcherding, P, First-Team
&Indicates Hitter/Player of the Year
 
2006 (3 – 2/1)
Re'Quincia Mack, OF, First-Team#
Debra Borcherding, P, First-Team
LaRae Lucero, SS, Second-Team
#Indicates Freshman of the Year
*Angela Wright, Newcomer of the Year
 
2005 (3 – 1/2)
Debra Borcherding, P, First-Team
Shenna Townsend, C, Second-Team
Jessica Jackson, OF, Second-Team
 
2004 (4) – Only One Team Selected
Addie Meyers, 1B
Shenna Townsend, C
Tasha Sloan, OF&
Tawanna Carroll, OF
&Indicates East Division MVP
 
2003 (4 – 1/3)
Tasha Sloan, P, First-Team
Taryn Hartley, P, Second-Team
Addie Meyers, 1B, Second-Team
Tawanna Carroll, OF, Second-Team
*Shenna Townsend, East Division Player of the Year
*Angela Carr, East Division Offensive Player of the Year
 
2002 (2 – 0/2) – Partial
Angela Carr, SS, Second-Team
Jaime Carruthers, C, Second-Team
*Shenna Townsend, Newcomer of the Year
 
2001 (1) – Partial
Jaime Carruthers, C
 
2000 (1) – Partial
Jaime Carruthers, C
 
*Please Note That Records For 2000-02 Are Incomplete. Listed Are Those Individuals That Have Been Confirmed.