2018 SEC Baseball Awards announced



Photo: Florida Athletics

HOOVER, Ala. -- The Southeastern Conference on Monday announced its 2018 Baseball Awards and All-SEC Teams, recognizing standout performances from this season. The 2018 SEC Baseball Tournament will be played Tuesday through Sunday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

Florida's Jonathan India was named the SEC Player of the Year, the Gators' Brady Singer is the SEC Pitcher of the Year, Arkansas' Heston Kjerstad is the SEC Freshman of the Year, Florida's Kevin O'Sullivan is the SEC Coach of the Year and Georgia's Keegan McGovern and Tennessee's Nico Mascia are the Co-Scholar-Athletes of the Year.

India leads the SEC in several offensive categories, including slugging percentage (.730), on-base percentage (.506) and walks (45) and is third in home runs (16), total bases (130) and batting average (.365). He had a 24-game hitting streak earlier this season, the longest in the SEC and the third-longest in Florida history.

Singer leads the SEC with 10 wins and a 2.25 earned run average and has held hitters to a .186 batting average. He has pitched at least 7.0 innings in 10 starts this season and has limited the opposition to three earned runs or fewer in 12 of his 13 starts.

Kjerstad leads all SEC freshmen in batting average (.348), runs scored (49) hits (72) and total bases (119). He ranks second with 46 RBI, and his .348 average is sixth-best among all SEC players.

O'Sullivan, in his 11th season as Florida's head coach, was voted SEC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career. He led the Gators to the SEC regular season championship and 41 wins in the regular season. Florida was ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in each week of the regular season.

McGovern holds a 3.48 grade point average in biology. He has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in every semester and is a member of UGA's Student-Athlete Leadership Academy, chosen based on academic, athletic success, leadership, and campus and community involvement. McGovern leads the Bulldogs in batting (.330), runs (62) and home runs (15).

Mascia holds a 3.99 grade point average in biomolecular engineering. He has been a member of the Dean's List in all five semesters and shadowed interventional heart surgeon Dr. Venero at UT Medical Center and oversaw approximately 100 hours of operating. Mascia hit .278 this season with 14 extra base hits and 26 runs scored.

2018 SEC Baseball Awards

Player of the Year: Jonathan India, Florida

Pitcher of the Year: Brady Singer, Florida

Freshman of the Year: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas

Coach of the Year: Kevin O'Sullivan, Florida

Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Keegan McGovern, Georgia

Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Nico Mascia, Tennessee

First-Team All-SEC

C: JJ Schwarz, Florida

1B: Kole Cottam, Kentucky

2B: Carson Shaddy, Arkansas

3B: Jonathan India, Florida

SS: Braden Shewmake, Texas A&M

OF: Jake Mangum, Mississippi State

OF: Ryan Olenek, Ole Miss

OF: Keegan McGovern, Georgia

DH/UT: Luke Heyer, Kentucky

SP: Brady Singer, Florida

SP: Casey Mize, Auburn

RP: Michael Byrne, Florida

Second-Team All-SEC Team

C: Nick Fortes, Ole Miss

1B: Adam Sasser, Georgia

2B: Michael Helman, Texas A&M

3B: Casey Martin, Arkansas

SS: Will Holland, Auburn

OF: Eric Cole, Arkansas

OF: Wil Dalton, Florida

OF: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas

DH/UT: Michael Curry, Georgia

SP: Blaine Knight, Arkansas

SP: Jackson Kowar, Florida

RP: Parker Caracci, Ole Miss

Freshman All-SEC Team

C: Mason Meadows, Georgia

1B: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State

2B: Anthony Servideo, Ole Miss

3B: Casey Martin, Arkansas

OF: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas

OF: Daniel Cabrera, LSU

OF: Steven Williams, Auburn

DH/UT: Edouard Julien, Auburn

SP: Ma'Khail Hilliard, LSU

SP: Tanner Burns, Auburn

RP: Cody Greenhill, Auburn