AT GEORGIA STATE: Freshman All-American as a left-handed hitting center fielder ... Named all-conference and conference Rookie of the Year after the most productive freshman season in Georgia State history ... Made the Dean’s List following the spring 2013 semester.
2013: One of the top freshmen in the nation who was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American team (Collegiate Baseball) and the NCBWA Freshman All-American second team ... Named Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year--the first for the GSU program--as voted upon by the league head coaches ... Also selected second-team All-CAA and to the CAA All-Rookie team ... Leadoff hitter who batted .353 with 36 RBI and 52 runs scored ... Collected 16 doubles, five triples and four home runs and was 12-for-12 on stolen bases ... Led all CAA freshmen in average, hits, RBI, runs scored, total bases and stolen bases ... Ranked fifth among all freshmen in the nation in batting average and runs scored ... Shattered the GSU freshman records for average, hits and runs scored in a season, while his RBI total is sixth-best by a freshman ... Named CAA Rookie of the Week three times during the season.
Had 28 multi-hit games, including four four-hit games and four three-hit outings ... Had a 16-game hitting streak that ended on the final day of the season ... Homered in three of the final four CAA series ... Strong defender in center field with a .992 fielding percentage and four outfield assists ... Made his only error of the season in the third game; after then, handled 112 chances without a miscue ... Played in 55 of GSU’s 56 games, starting 53.
Drove in four runs, including a three-run homer, in 12-11 win over Towson (5-3-13). His three-run homer capped a six-run sixth inning as GSU turned a 6-1 deficit into a 7-6 lead. Added an RBI single in a four-run seventh, and after Towson tied the game in the top of the ninth, his ground ball in the bottom of the ninth allowed the winning run to score on an error ... Went 4-for-5 at William and Mary (5-16-13), including a solo home run, his fourth of the season.
Hit the game-winning home run in GSU’s 2-1, series-clinching victory at Northeastern (4-28-13) with an opposite-field, solo blast in the seventh inning off NU lefty Kevin Ferguson ... Named CAA Rookie of the Week for the third time on Apr. 22 after going 6-for-18 with two RBI and three runs scored in four games that week.
Earned his second CAA Rookie of the Week award Mar. 18 after helping GSU to a three-game sweep of Old Dominion. Batted .364 with one home run and three RBI in the series and also walked four times for a .533 on-base percentage. Hit his first homer of the season in the Friday win, a solo blast that tied the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Two innings later, after GSU scored to move ahead 8-7, he delivered an RBI-single for a two-run lead, and GSU went on to win 13-8. In Sunday’s series finale, he drove in GSU’s first run with an RBI-double, helping the Panthers to the 7-4 victory ... Went 4-for-5 with two doubles and three runs scored in win over Kennesaw State (4-9-13).
Named CAA Rookie of the Week for the first time on Feb. 18 after going 7-for-11 with six RBI and six runs in the opening series against Butler ... Went 4-for-6 with four RBI and two runs against Alabama A&M (2-21-13) .
HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year letterwinner at Walton High School in Marietta, Ga. ... 2012 all-county selection ... Georgia Dugout Club All-State honoree in 2011 and 2012 ... Two-time Georgia Dugout Club outstanding season award winner ... Georgia Underclass Top 100 Prospect ... 643 Offensive Player of the Year ... Posted a .430 batting average his senior season with 19 doubles, six triples, four home runs and 22 stolen bases ... Compiled a .410 average his junior season with 37 RBI and was named Walton’s offensive MVP ... Helped lead Walton to the Class AAAAA state playoffs in 2011.
PERSONAL: Josh Richard Merrigan was born September 15, 1993 to Kyle and Annie Merrigan ... Has one brother, Charlie ... Criminal justice major.
