Baseball's Clarke, Kerry Named NCBWA All-Americans
Wes Clarke (second team) and Brett Kerry (third team) were named All-Americans this afternoon by the NCBWA.
DALLAS, Texas – University of South Carolina baseball juniors Wes Clarke and Brett Kerry have been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-America team, it was announced this afternoon (Wednesday, June 16). Clarke was a second team designated hitter while Kerry earned third team honors at relief pitcher.
Clarke, who also was named a Third Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball, hit .271 with 23 home runs, 56 runs scored, nine doubles, 55 RBI and 50 walks this season. He was named to the All-SEC second team and was a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy. Clarke had a pair of home runs in a win over Clemson on Feb. 28 and had three home runs in a midweek win over Winthrop on Feb. 23. He was the SEC Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 23 and March 1 and was the Player of the Month of February by the NCBWA.
Kerry was 5-1 with a 2.15 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 54.1 innings pitched for the Gamecocks this season. The Clemmons, N.C., native made 17 appearances with three starts and had a complete-game shutout against Kentucky on May 15, striking out 10 while not walking a batter. He was named the SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week after that performance. Kerry had 10 punchouts in a win over Vanderbilt on March 21 and had nine strikeouts at Ole Miss on May 1. He earned a win against Tennessee on May 21, striking out eight in seven innings and had six strikeouts in six innings, allowing one run in a win over Mississippi State on May 9.
The 2021 All-America team announcement precedes the presentation of the 34th Dick Howser Trophy presented by The Game Headwear. The winner will be announced on Friday, June 18, first on MLB Network at 11:15 a.m., EDT, and then at a national news conference via Zoom call at a time to be determined just prior to the 74th NCAA College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. The announcement of the NCBWA 2021 Stopper of the Year and National Coach of the Year also will take place on Friday via online national release.
