Gators sweep top SEC honors

Special to Gatorsports.com

HOOVER, Ala. — SEC regular-season baseball champion Florida had six players earn recognition Monday from the league for their performances along with head coach Kevin O’Sullivan.

Junior third baseman Jonathan India was named the SEC Player of the Year and classmate Brady Singer was named the Pitcher of the Year. O’Sullivan was named the Coach of the Year, the third time he has earned the award (also 2010, 2014).

India leads the SEC in slugging percentage (.730), on-base percentage (.506) and walks (45). He is batting .365 with 16 homers. Singer owns a 10-1 record and 2.25 ERA.

Florida (41-15), which held its top ranking despite being swept last weekend, is the second school in SEC history to have the Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year and Coach of the Year in the same season. In 2008, Georgia’s Gordon Beckham (Player), Joshua Fields (Pitcher) and David Perno (Coach) were honored.

In addition to India and Singer, senior catcher JJ Schwarz and junior closer Michael Byrne were selected to the All-SEC First Team. India was also named to the SEC All-Defensive Team.

Sophomore outfielder Wil Dalton and junior right-hander Jackson Kowar were named to the Second Team.

Singer is the third UF player to be named SEC Pitcher of the Year, joining Justin Hoyman (2004) and Logan Shore (2016). India is the third player to win SEC Player of the year (Matt LaPorta, 2005 and 2007; Mike Zunino, 2011).

The Gators earned the No. 1 overall seed for this week’s SEC Tournament in Hoover and will open play Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. ET against either LSU or Mississippi State.

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

SEC All-Defensive Team

C: Grant Koch, Arkansas

1B: Cole Zabowski, Ole Miss

2B: Luke Jarvis, Auburn

3B: Jonathan India, Florida

SS: Connor Kaiser, Vanderbilt

OF: Zach Watson, LSU

OF: Jake Mangum, Mississippi State

OF: Dominic Fletcher, Arkansas

P: Will Neely, Tennessee