Campbell Named Preseason All-SEC First Team; Baseball Picked Fourth in the East

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Sophomore Noah Campbell was named to the Preseason All-SEC first team while the University of South Carolina was picked to finish fourth in the East Division in the SEC Preseason poll, the conference office announced this afternoon (Thursday, Feb. 7).
 
Campbell, who also was named to the Baseball America Preseason All-America second team, is coming off a freshman season in which he hit .270 with three doubles, three triples, three home runs and 13 RBI. The Durham, N.C., native was 7-for-8 in stolen base attempts and had a .372 on-base percentage. Campbell recorded 15 multi-hit games and four multi-RBI performances. He hit .286 in conference contests with 11 runs scored.
 
The Gamecocks earned 53 points in the preseason poll, good for fourth in the division. Vanderbilt was picked to win the East, picking up nine first-place votes and 87 points. Florida and Georgia followed the Commodores, while South Carolina was followed by Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri. In the West, LSU was picked to win that division with 88 points and 10 first-place votes. The Tigers were followed by Ole Miss, Arkansas, Auburn, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Alabama.
 
Vanderbilt was picked to be the SEC champion, earning six votes. LSU earned five votes, while Florida picked up two and Arkansas had one.
 
South Carolina opens the 2019 season next Friday (Feb. 15) against Liberty. First pitch at Founders Park is scheduled for 4 p.m.

2019 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll
 
Eastern Division
1. Vanderbilt (9) – 87
2. Florida (4) – 81
3. Georgia (1) – 68
4. South Carolina – 53
5. Tennessee – 40
6. Kentucky – 30
7. Missouri – 26 
 
Western Division
1. LSU (10) – 88 
2. Ole Miss (1) – 65  
3. Arkansas (1) – 59 
4. Auburn (1) – 57
5. Texas A&M (1) – 48  
6. Mississippi State – 47  
7. Alabama – 21
 
() – First place votes
 
SEC Champion: Vanderbilt (6), LSU (5), Florida (2), Arkansas (1)
 
2019 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team
 
First Team
C: Philip Clarke, Vanderbilt
1B: Cole Zabowski, Ole Miss
2B: Austin Martin, Vanderbilt*
2B: Noah Campbell, South Carolina*
3B: Aaron Schunk, Georgia
SS: Casey Martin, Arkansas
OF: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas
OF: Dominic Fletcher, Arkansas
OF: Jake Mangum, Mississippi State
DH/UTL: T.J. Collett, Kentucky
SP: Tanner Burns, Auburn
SP: Zack Thompson, Kentucky
RP: Matt Cronin, Arkansas
 
Second Team
C: Mason Meadows, Georgia
1B: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State
2B: LJ Talley, Georgia
3B: Tyler Keenan, Ole Miss
SS: Braden Shewmake, Texas A&M
OF: JJ Bleday, Vanderbilt
OF: Antoine Duplantis, LSU
OF: Daniel Cabrera, LSU
DH/UTL: Aaron Schunk, Georgia*
DH/UTL: Chase Cockrell, Ole Miss*
SP: John Doxakis, Texas A&M
SP: Tyler Dyson, Florida
RP: Parker Caracci, Ole Miss
 
*Tie (ties are not broken)