LEXINGTON, Ky. — For the first time in the 104-year history of the Kentucky baseball program, two UK players ? outfielders Sawyer Carroll and Collin Cowgill ? have been named first-team All-America, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association announced on Wednesday.
Never before in program history have two UK players been named a first-team All-American in the same year. Entering 2008, only five Kentucky players had ever earned first-team All-America honors, with two coming from 2006-07. For three consecutive years, UK has had a first-team All-American (Ryan Strieby, 2006; Sean Coughlin, 2007), a new school record.
Three total Southeastern Conference players made the first-team, as Carroll and Cowgill were joined by Georgia shortstop Gordon Beckham. Carroll was the only senior position player named a first-team All-American, joining nine juniors on the team. Only UK and Arizona State placed multiple players on the first-team.
Carroll has been a consensus first-team All-American, earning the distinction in all three All-America listings released in 2008 – Louisville Slugger, Rivals.com and NCBWA. A first-team All-SEC selection, Carroll led the league with a .419 average and a school-record 83 RBI. Carroll added 22 doubles and a club-high three triples, stealing 12-of-12 bases. A 6-foot-4, 215-pound outfielder from Henryetta, Okla., Carroll set the UK career record for batting average (.386).
Carroll was earlier Wednesday named one of eight semifinalists for the Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Watch List.
Cowgill, a five-tool centerfielder from Lexington, had a monster season for UK, setting the school record for runs scored in a season, plating 80 times. Cowgill hit .361 with 15 doubles, two triples and 19 home runs. Cowgill added 60 RBI, stealing 23-of-27 bases and firing seven outfield assists. Cowgill was a first-team All-SEC selection by the coaches, as well as a second-team All-American as selected by Louisville Slugger and Rivals.com.
Last Thursday, Carroll was a third-round draft pick of the San Diego Padres and Cowgill a fifth-round pick-up of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
UK?s First-Team All-Americans
Dom Fucci ? 1949
Jeff Abbott ? 1994
Chad Green ? 1996
Ryan Strieby ? 2006
Sean Coughlin ? 2007
Sawyer Carroll ? 2008
Collin Cowgill ? 2008
