LEXINGTON, Ky. — Former Kentucky outfielder Sawyer Carroll has been named a first-team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association, marking UK?s first consensus first-team selection in program history.
Carroll has received first-team honors from every organization to announce a team, including Louisville Slugger, Baseball America, Rivals.com and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Never before in program history has UK had a player named first-team on every All-America squad released.
Carroll had a career year in 2008, leading the SEC with a .419 average and a school-record 83 RBI. A 6-foot-4, 215-pound senior, Carroll finished his career as the school-record holder for batting average (.386). Carroll, a native of Henryetta, Okla., added 19 home runs, 22 doubles, three triples and 44 walks. Carroll stole 12-of-12 bases and added three outfield assists from his right-field post.
Carroll, who was selected in the supplemental third round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres, had a memorable professional debut on Tuesday. Playing with the Eugene Emeralds of the short-season Northwest League, Carroll started in right field and hit third in the order. In his first professional plate appearance, Carroll singled, finishing the night a home run shy of the cycle with a double and a triple. Carroll went 3-for-4 on Tuesday, following that up with a 3-for-6 Wednesday night. Playing in an exhibition game on Monday, before the Emerald season opener, Carroll belted two homers. Carroll has a familiar face in the dugout in Eugene, as 2008 senior right-hander Andrew Albers ? a 10th round pick of the Padres ? is also a member of the Emeralds.
Fellow former UK outfielder Collin Cowgill joined Carroll on the ABCA All-America squad, checking in as a second-team outfielder. Cowgill has been named a first, second or third team selection in every All-America team announced. A 5-foot-9 Lexington native, Cowgill hit .361 with 15 doubles, two triples and 19 home runs, driving in 60 RBI and stealing 23-of-27 bases. Cowgill was named a first-team selection by the NCBWA.
Cowgill, a fifth-round selection by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2008 MLB Draft, made his professional debut in the opener for his Northwest short-season rookie League club, the Yakima Bears on Tuesday, earning the starting assignment in center and hitting second in the order. Cowgill got his first professional hit and RBI on Wednesday, going 1-for-3 with three RBI and two walks.
Second baseman Ryan Wilkes earned first-team All-South Region honors from the ABCA, as UK placed Carroll and Cowgill on the first team as well. Wilkes, a switch-hitting senior, ranked second on the club with a .374 average, adding 11 doubles, a triple and nine homers. Wilkes finished the season with 36 RBI, accomplishing an unbelievable feat of playing second base in the SEC without committing a fielding error the entire season. Wilkes ranked among the SEC leaders in assists and double plays.
A 23rd-round selection in the 2008 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees, Wilkes has made his professional debut, drawing a pinch-hit walk in Wednesday?s second game of the season. Wilkes, a native of Harrison, Tenn., is managed by a familiar face as former Florida head coach Pat McMahon is functioning as the head coach of the Staten Island Yankees in the short-season New-York Penn League.
2008 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I All-Americans
*ABCA/Rawlings Player of the Year
FIRST TEAM
RHP Aaron Crow, Jr., Missouri RHP Scott Gorgen, Jr. UC-Irvine LHP Chris Hernandez, Fr., Miami LHP Brian Matusz, Jr., San Diego RHP Stephen Strasburg, So., San Diego State Relief RHP Andrew Cashner, Jr., TCU *C Buster Posey, Jr., Florida State 1B Justin Smoak, Jr., South Carolina 2B Jemile Weeks, Jr., Miami SS Gordon Beckham, Jr., Georgia 3B Brett Wallace, Jr., Arizona State DH Ben Carlson, So., Missouri State OF Sawyer Carroll, Sr., Kentucky OF Tim Fedroff, So., North Carolina OF Chris Shehan, Jr., Georgia Southern OF Brian Van Kirk, Sr., Oral Roberts Util Ike Davis, Jr., Arizona State SECOND TEAM RHP Eric Beaulac, Jr., Le Moyne RHP Tim Clubb, So., Missouri State RHP Bryan Cryer, Sr., New Orleans RHP Chris Fetter, Jr., Michigan RHP Alex White, So., North Carolina Relief RHP Joshua Fields, Sr., Georgia C Josh Phegley, So., Indiana 1B Yonder Alonso, Jr., Miami 2B Josh Satin, Sr., California SS Brandon Douglas, Jr., Northern Iowa 3B Chris Dominguez, So., Louisville 3B Jeremie Tice, Jr., College of Charleston DH Ty Wright, Jr., Georgia Southern OF Collin Cowgill, Jr., Kentucky OF Kyle Jensen, So., St. Mary's OF Jason Kipnis, So., Arizona State OF Mike McKenna, Sr., Florida Atlantic OF Bryan Miller, Sr., Troy Util Zach Putnam, Jr., Michigan
2008 ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region Teams
First Team: Second Team: Catcher: Caleb Joseph, Lipscomb Catcher: Bryce Massanari, Georgia First Base: Justin Smoak, South Carolina First Base: Ryan Keedy, UAB Second Base: Ryan Wilkes, Kentucky Second Base: Josh Adams, Florida Second Base: Justin McClanahan, Louisville Shortstop: Reese Havens, South Carolina Shortstop: Gordon Beckham, Georgia Third Base: Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt Third Base: Chris Dominguez, Louisville Outfield: Blake Dean, LSU Outfield: Sawyer Carroll, Kentucky Outfield: David Macias, Vanderbilt Outfield: Collin Cowgill, Kentucky Outfield: Justin Bass, Stetson Outfield: Clay Whittemore, Jacksonville State Outfield: Brandon May, Alabama Designated Hitter: Alex Avila, Alabama Designated Hitter: Phil Disher, South Carolina Pitcher: Christian Friedrich, Eastern Kentucky Pitcher: Lance Lynn, Ole Miss Pitcher: Justin Marks, Louisville Pitcher: Barry Bowden, Southern Miss Pitcher: Patrick Keating, Florida Pitcher: Ryan Verdugo, LSU Reliever: Joshua Fields, Georgia Reliever: Scott Bittle, Ole Miss Reliever: Tyler Conn, Southern Miss
