Clarke Named to Preseason All-SEC Second Team; Baseball Picked Fourth in the East
Clarke led the SEC with eight home runs while adding 22 RBI in 16 games last season.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Junior Wes Clarke was named to the Preseason All-Southeastern Conference second team while the University of South Carolina baseball team has been picked to finish fourth in the SEC’s Eastern Division by the league’s 14 coaches, the conference announced this afternoon (Thursday, Feb. 11).
Clarke, who has been named a Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball, led the SEC and was tied for third in the country with eight home runs in 2020 while driving in 22, which was tied for third in the league. Clarke hit .286 with 14 runs scored in 16 games played for the Gamecocks. He was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, two home runs and seven RBI in a win over Northwestern on Feb. 22. He also hit the game-winning home run in the top of the 12th inning in a 2-1 win at Furman (March 3). Clarke had a .406 on-base percentage and did not commit an error at first base for Carolina.
The Gamecocks earned 55 votes in the coaches’ poll, good for fourth in the division behind Florida (91 votes, 13 first-place votes), Vanderbilt (79 votes, 1 first-place votes) and Tennessee (58 votes). Carolina was followed by Georgia (51 votes), Missouri (28 votes) and Kentucky (23 votes).
Ole Miss has been picked to win the Western Division with 78 votes and seven first-place votes. The Rebels were followed by Mississippi State (73 votes, 3 first-place votes), Arkansas (72 votes, 2 first-place votes), LSU (63 votes, 2 first-place votes), Texas A&M (36 votes), Auburn (32 votes) and Alabama (31 votes).
Florida earned 12 votes to win the SEC championship, followed by Mississippi State and Vanderbilt with one vote apiece.
The Gamecocks will open the 2021 season on Friday, Feb. 19 against Dayton with a 4 p.m. first pitch.
2021 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll
Eastern Division
1. Florida (13) – 91
2. Vanderbilt (1) – 79
3. Tennessee – 58
4. South Carolina – 55
5. Georgia – 51
6. Missouri – 28
7. Kentucky – 23
Western Division
1. Ole Miss (7) – 78
2. Mississippi State (3) – 73
3. Arkansas (2) – 72
4. LSU (2) – 63
5. Texas A&M – 36
6. Auburn – 32
7. Alabama – 31
() – First place votes
SEC Champion: Florida (12), Mississippi State (1), Vanderbilt (1)
2021 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team
First Team
C: Casey Opitz, Arkansas
1B: T.J. Collett, Kentucky
2B: Robert Moore, Arkansas
3B: Rankin Woley, Auburn
SS: Ryan Bliss, Auburn
OF: Jud Fabian, Florida
OF: Christian Franklin, Arkansas
OF: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State
DH/UTL: Matt Goodheart, Arkansas
SP: Kumar Rocker, Vanderbilt
SP: Connor Prielipp, Alabama
RP: Devin Fontenot, LSU
Second Team
C: Hayden Dunhurst, Ole Miss
1B: Josh Hatcher, Mississippi State
2B: Max Ferguson, Tennessee
3B: Tim Elko, Ole Miss
SS: Josh Rivera, Florida
OF: Rowdey Jordan, Mississippi State
OF: Owen Diodati, Alabama
OF: Cade Beloso, LSU
DH/UTL: Wes Clarke, South Carolina
SP: Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt
SP: Tommy Mace, Florida
RP: Ben Specht, Florida
*Tie (ties are not broken)
