Baseball's Clarke, Sanders Earn All-SEC Honors

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Junior Wes Clarke of the University of South Carolina baseball team was named to the All-Southeastern Conference second team while freshman Will Sanders was selected to the SEC’s All-Freshman Team, the conference office announced this afternoon.
 
Clarke, who leads the nation with 21 home runs heading into this week, is South Carolina’s first all-conference selection since Gene Cone and Clarke Schmidt were named to the second team in 2016. Clarke is hitting .274 with 52 runs scored, eight doubles, 52 RBI and 48 walks this season and is 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.
 
Sanders was named to the All-Freshman team, becoming the second straight Gamecock pitcher to earn that honor after Brett Kerry did in 2019. The Atlanta, Ga., native is 6-3 with a 3.63 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched compared to just 11 walks. Sanders pitched eight innings, striking out four in a win over Georgia on April 4 and did not allow a run in six innings of work in a win at LSU on April 17. Sanders had a career high 10 strikeouts in five innings in a win over The Citadel on March 23. He was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on March 1 after back-to-back wins over Clemson (Feb. 27 and 28) and the Co-Freshman of the Week on April 5.
 
In other specialty awards, Mississippi State’s Tanner Allen was named Player of the Year, while Arkansas’ Kevin Kopps earned Pitcher of the Year honors and Jack Leiter of Vanderbilt was named the Newcomer of the Year. Vanderbilt’s Enrique Bradfield Jr., was named the Freshman of the Year, Arkansas’ Dave Van Horn earned Coach of the Year and Ole Miss’ Tim Elko was the Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
Carolina is the seventh seed in the SEC Tournament and will face 10^th-seeded Alabama on Tuesday afternoon (May 25) at approximately 2 p.m. Eastern time at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Ala.

2021 All-SEC Awards
Player of the Year: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State
Pitcher of the Year: Kevin Kopps, Arkansas
Newcomer of the Year: Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt
Freshman of the Year: Enrique Bradfield, Jr.
Coach of the Year: Dave Van Horn, Arkansas
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Tim Elko, Ole Miss
 
First Team All-SEC
C: Sam Praytor, Alabama
1B: Will Frizzell, Texas A&M
2B: Robert Moore, Arkansas
3B: Jake Rucker, Tennessee
SS: Liam Spence, Tennessee
OF: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State
OF: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt
OF: Jud Fabian, Florida
DH/UT: Matt Goodheart, Arkansas
SP: Kumar Rocker, Vanderbilt
SP: Doug Nikhazy, Ole Miss*
SP: Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt*
RP: Kevin Kopps, Arkansas
 
Second Team All-SEC 
C: Hayden Dunhurst, Ole Miss
1B: Tre’ Morgan, LSU
2B: Peyton Wilson, Alabama
3B: Justin Bench, Ole Miss
SS: Ryan Bliss, Auburn
OF: Dylan Crews, LSU
OF: Christian Franklin, Arkansas
OF: Rowdey Jordan, Mississippi State
DH/UT: Wes Clarke, South Carolina
SP: Landon Marceaux, LSU
SP: Patrick Wicklander, Arkansas
RP: Landon Sims, Mississippi State
 
Freshman All-SEC Team
Tre’ Morgan, LSU
Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt
Dylan Crews, LSU
Cayden Wallace, Arkansas
Jacob Gonzalez, Ole Miss
TJ McCants, Ole Miss
Blade Tidwell, Tennessee
Will Sanders, South Carolina
Jordan Thompson, LSU
Jaden Woods, Georgia
Corey Collins, Georgia
Jack Bulger, Vanderbilt*
Sterlin Thompson, Florida*
 
Newcomer All-SEC Team
Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt
Robert Moore, Arkansas
Landon Sims, Mississippi State
Hayden Dunhurst, Ole Miss
Zane Denton, Alabama
Will Bednar, Mississippi State
Hunter Barco, Florida
Peyton Wilson, Alabama
Logan Tanner, Mississippi State
Carter Young, Vanderbilt
Nathan Hickey, Florida
Peyton Pallette, Arkansas
 
SEC All-Defensive Team
C: Hayden Dunhurst, Ole Miss
1B: Tre’ Morgan, LSU
2B: Robert Moore, Arkansas
3B: Zane Denton, Alabama
SS: Ryan Bliss, Auburn*
SS: Liam Spence, Tennessee*
OF: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt
OF: Christian Franklin, Arkansas
OF: Jud Fabian, Florida
P: Tyler Ras, Alabama*
P: Kevin Kopps, Arkansas*
 
*Tie (Ties are not broken)