SEC announces All-SEC teams

[Greenhead22]

SEC Announces Annual Baseball Honors

05/23/2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Kentucky junior first baseman Ryan Strieby was selected 2006 SEC Baseball Player of the Year, Arkansas's sophomore lefthander Nick Schmidt was named SEC Pitcher of the Year and Vanderbilt third basemen Pedro Alvarez was named SEC Freshman of the Year by a vote of the league's 12 head baseball coaches. The coaches also tabbed Kentucky skipper John Cohen as SEC Coach of the Year. Alabama outfielder Emeel Salem was named SEC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Strieby and Schmidt lead a list of players named to the first and second-team All-SEC squads for this season. Strieby led the SEC in doubles (20), total bases (150), slugging percentage (.718), on-base percentage (.474) and RBIs (75). Schmidt was third in the SEC with a 2.81 ERA, second in strikeouts (130), second in opposing batting average (.199) and second in wins (9).

Cohen led the Wildcats to a 20-10 record in conference play and a share of the SEC Championship. This was the first overall championship in the history of Kentucky baseball. Cohen was the only unanimous winner in the 2006 SEC awards. As a freshman, Alvarez scored 61 runs and hit 17 homeruns while helping the Commodores to a 16-14 conference mark and the sixth seed in the SEC Tournament. Salem led the SEC in hits (89) and stolen bases (32). He carries a 3.9 GPA, double-majoring in Marketing and Spanish, and was the only unanimous player selected to the 2006 All-SEC squad.

Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own players, thus a unanimous selection earns 11 of the 12 first-team votes. The complete 2006 All-SEC Team follows:

SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Ryan Strieby, Kentucky
SEC PITCHER OF THE YEAR - Nick Schmidt, Arkansas
SEC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR - Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt
SEC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Emeel Salem, Alabama
SEC COACH OF THE YEAR - *John Cohen, Kentucky

* unanimous selection


FIRST TEAM
1B - Ryan Strieby, Kentucky
2B - Jeffrey Rea, Mississippi State
3B - Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt
SS - Zack Cozart, Ole Miss
SS - Thomas Berkery, Mississippi State
C - J.P. Arencibia, Tennessee
OF - *Emeel Salem, Alabama
OF - Quinn Stewart, LSU
OF - Michael Campbell, South Carolina
DH - Mike Bianucci, Auburn
P - Nick Schmidt, Arkansas
P - Wade LeBlanc, Alabama
RP - Joshua Fields, Georgia


SECOND TEAM
1B - Josh Morris, Georgia
2B - John Shelby, Kentucky
3B - Chris Coghlan, Ole Miss
SS - Michael Hollander, LSU
SS - Reese Havens, South Carolina
C - Kody Valverde, Alabama
C - Sean Coughlin, Kentucky
OF - Jake Dugger, Arkansas
OF - Joey Side, Georgia
OF - Julio Borbon, Tennessee
DH - Robbie Grinestaff, South Carolina
P - David Price, Vanderbilt
P - Bryan Augenstein, Florida
RP - Wynn Pelzer, South Carolina


ALL FRESHMAN TEAM
1B - Justin Smoak, South Carolina
2B - J.T. Wise, LSU
3B - Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt
SS - Tony Delmonico, Tennessee
OF - Luke Greinke, Auburn
OF - Jared Bogany, LSU
OF - Andrew Crisp, South Carolina
DH - Mike Bianucci, Auburn
P - Tommy Hunter, Alabama
P - Mike Cisco, South Carolina
RP - Cody Satterwhite, Ole Miss

[crow]

Georgia got jobbed on the 1st team picks! Whow they did not pick Joe Side as a 1st team, I just don't know. The kid is batting .357 on a team ranked 7th in the nation!

[big gumbo]

Damn, I guess Ark does more with less than any team in the country since we've bee hovering around 10th all year and with a top 15 RPI. Go Fugger!

[camlock]

Damn, I guess Ark does more with less than any team in the country since we've bee hovering around 10th all year and with a top 15 RPI. Go Fugger!

In your opinioin Arkansas should be 1st in everything regardless

Just messing with ya bro...