Sanders Earns Preseason All-SEC Honor
Will Sanders was named to the SEC Preseason-All SEC second team by the league's 14 head coaches.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Sophomore Will Sanders was named to the Preseason All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) second team, it was announced today by the conference office.
Sanders, who was a Freshman All-SEC honoree last season for the Gamecocks, made 22 appearances with 10 starts for Carolina last season, going 6-3 with a 3.54 ERA, a save and 54 strikeouts in 53.1 innings pitched. Sanders was named a Freshman All-American by Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball and was ranked the seventh-best college prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft by both D1Baseball.com and Baseball America.
He pitched a season-high eight innings, allowing just one run in a win over Georgia (April 4, 2021) and struck out four in six scoreless innings in a win at LSU (April 17, 2021). Sanders earned wins in back-to-back games against Clemson (Feb. 27-28) and had a season-best 10 strikeouts in a win over The Citadel (March 23, 2021). Sanders also played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team this past summer.
The Gamecocks also were picked to finish fifth in the East Division by the SEC’s 14 coaches, accumulating 43 points. Vanderbilt was picked to win the East while Arkansas is the preseason favorite in the West.
The Gamecocks will open the 2022 season on Friday, Feb. 18 against UNC Greensboro with a 4 p.m. first pitch.
2022 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team
First Team
C: Logan Tanner, Mississippi State
1B: Tre’ Morgan, LSU
2B: Robert Moore, Arkansas
3B: Jacob Berry, LSU
SS: Jacob Gonzalez, Ole Miss
OF: Dylan Crews, LSU
OF: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt
OF: Jud Fabian, Florida
DH/UTL: Dominic Keegan, Vanderbilt
SP: Landon Sims, Mississippi State
SP: Hunter Barco, Florida
RP: Nick Maldonado, Vanderbilt
Second Team
C: Hayden Dunhurst, Ole Miss
1B: Tim Elko, Ole Miss
2B: Peyton Chatagnier, Ole Miss
3B: Cayden Wallace, Arkansas
SS: Ryan Ritter, Kentucky
OF: Jordan Beck, Tennessee
OF: Drew Gilbert, Tennessee
OF: Brady Slavens, Arkansas*
OF: Kevin Graham, Ole Miss*
DH/UTL: Luke Hancock, Mississippi State
SP: Jonathan Cannon, Georgia
SP: Will Sanders, South Carolina
RP: Jaden Woods, Georgia
