UK Baseball: Four Wildcats Headline All-SEC First-Team HOOVER, Ala. — A league-high four Kentucky players earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference recognition, in a voting of the league?s coaches, the conference office announced Tuesday.
19th-ranked Kentucky placed the most players on the team in school history, equaling the four Wildcats placed to the 1976 first-team. Outfielders Sawyer Carroll and Collin Cowgill made up two of the three first-team spots, with second baseman Ryan Wilkes and starting pitcher Chris Rusin checking in as well. Cowgill and Wilkes were each named to the SEC All-Defensive team.
Carroll, a senior right-fielder, has had a career year while leading the SEC in batting average (.416) and RBI (77). Carroll?s RBI total ranks tied of the school record of 77, set in 2006 by SEC Player of the Year Ryan Strieby. The Henryetta, Okla., native ranks amongst the conference leaders in nearly every offensive stat, including slugging (.756, 3rd), on-base percentage (.510), runs scored (58, 6th), hits (87, 2nd), doubles (19, 4th), home runs (16, 6th), total bases (158, 3rd) and walks (38, 8th). After hitting .350 with 23 doubles and three homers in 2007, Carroll added muscle in the offseason and became one of the top hitters in the college game.
Cowgill, a Lexington, Ky., native returned to the UK lineup in 2008 after redshirting in 2007, functioning as UK?s everyday centerfielder and batting for a .364 average, leading the club with 18 home runs. Has added 56 RBI, 13 doubles, two triples and a team-best 44 walks, stealing 20-of-24 bases. Cowgill ranks among the SEC leaders in several categories, including average (10th), slugging (.703, 5th), on-base percentage (.487, 6th), runs scored (70, 2nd), RBI (56, 6th), home runs (18, 4th), total bases (147, 4th), walks (44, 3rd), steals (20, 4th). While playing centerfield for much of the year, Cowgill has added seven outfield assists ? including four in SEC play, fielding .981 while making several run-saving, diving grabs.
Carroll and Cowgill are both members of the Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist listing of the top 16 players in college baseball. The duo is also on the USA Baseball Golden Spikes and Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Watch Lists.
Wilkes ranks second on the team with a .378 average, good for sixth in the SEC. As the only everyday second baseman to not commit a fielding error during the season, Wilkes ranks seventh in the SEC in assists in 253 chances, turning 37 double plays. Has ripped 11 doubles, nine homers and 36 RBI, ranking among the career record holders in nearly every UK category, including games played (208), games started (201), most at bats (694), ranking as the career record holder in sac flies (19) and sac bunts (39). A three-year starter at shortstop, Wilkes made the transition in 2008, shoring up a UK defense that ranks second in the conference in fielding percentage (.974). Wilkes, a native of Harrison, Tenn., transformed himself into an excellent hitter after batting for a .266 average during his first two seasons, leading UK with a .330 SEC average in 2007 and following that up with his career year in 2008, including a .450 on-base percentage and a .595 slugging mark.
Rusin, UK?s Friday night starter for the second consecutive year, leads the team with a 2.73 ERA, a 6-2 record in 82.1 innings pitched. Rusin has totaled two complete games, including one hard-luck loss in a pitching duel at Vanderbilt, with Commodore ace Mike Minor. Rusin?s other loss came during a 2-0 UK defeat on Friday night at Auburn, a game that saw Rusin fan 10 batters. With quality starts in eight of 12 assignments, Rusin has struck out 65 and walked only 17 in 82.1 innings, allowing opponents to hit for a .270 average. The Canton, Mich., native ranks third in the SEC in innings pitched (82.1), sporting the lowest ERA among SEC weekend starters. In SEC games only, Rusin ranks first in innings pitched (68.1) and 10th in strikeouts (52).
No. 19 Kentucky opens play in the SEC Tournament on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala.
SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR - *Gordon Beckham, Georgia SEC PITCHER OF THE YEAR - Joshua Fields, Georgia SEC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR - Hunter Morris, Auburn SEC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Gordon Beckham, Georgia SEC COACH OF THE YEAR - David Perno, Georgia * unanimous selection FIRST TEAM 1B - Justin Smoak, South Carolina 2B - Josh Adams, Florida / Ryan Wilkes, Kentucky 3B - Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt / Logan Forsythe, Arkansas SS - *Gordon Beckham, Georgia C - Bryce Massanari, Georgia OF - Collin Cowgill, Kentucky OF - Sawyer Carroll, Kentucky OF - Matt den Dekker, Florida/ Brandon May, Alabama David Macias, Vanderbilt DH - Alex Avila, Alabama P - Patrick Keating, Florida P - Chris Rusin, Kentucky RP - Joshua Fields, Georgia SECOND TEAM 1B - Hunter Morris, Auburn 2B - Alex Feinberg, Vanderbilt 3B - James Darnell, South Carolina SS - Ryan Flaherty, Vanderbilt / Reese Havens, S. Carolina C - Yan Gomes, Tennessee OF - Avery Barnes, Florida OF - Dominic de la Osa, Vanderbilt OF - Kentrail Davis, Tennessee DH - Phil Disher, South Carolina P - Lance Lynn, Ole Miss P - Trevor Holder, Georgia / Stephen Dodson, Georgia RP - Scott Bittle, Ole Miss ALL FRESHMAN TEAM 1B - *Hunter Morris, Auburn 2B - *Josh Adams, Florida 3B - David Cunningham, Auburn SS - *Josh Rutledge, Alabama C - *Micah Gibbs, LSU OF - *Kentrail Davis, Tennessee OF - Whit Merrifield, South Carolina OF - Brian Fletcher, Auburn DH - P.J. Polk, Tennessee P - Drew Pomeranz, Ole Miss P - Grant Dayton, Auburn RP - Russell Brewer, Vanderbilt ALL DEFENSIVE TEAM P - Jared Bradford, LSU 1B - Rich Poythress, Georgia 2B - Ryan Wilkes, Kentucky SS - Reese Havens, South Carolina 3B - Jake Smith, Alabama C - Brett Basham, Ole Miss OF - Matt den Dekker, Florida OF - Collin Cowgill, Kentucky OF - David Macias, Vanderbilt
