Messina, Petry Receive All-SEC Honors

BIRMINGHAM – University of South Carolina sophomore catcher Cole Messina and freshman outfielder Ethan Petry both were named to the All-Southeastern Conference First Team while Petry was named to the league’s Freshman All-SEC team, the SEC announced this afternoon (Monday, May 22).

Messina is hitting .317 with 56 runs scored, 17 doubles, 17 home runs, 62 RBI, six stolen bases and 34 walks, staring in all 55 games for the Gamecocks in 2023. Messina is sixth in the SEC in RBI and eighth in doubles. He is a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and is on the Buster Posey Award Watch List. In conference play, Messina has nine doubles, seven home runs and 26 RBI.

Petry leads the Gamecocks and is sixth in the SEC with a .379 batting average. He has 48 runs scored, nine doubles, 21 home runs, 69 RBI, 24 walks and 13 hit by pitches. Petry is slugging at a .749 clip and has a .464 on-base percentage. He is a semifinalist for both the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy and was a four-time SEC Freshman of the Week honoree. In conference play, Petry is hitting .359 with three doubles, 13 home runs and 42 RBI.

In the SEC specialty awards, LSU’s Dylan Crews was named the SEC Player of the Year while the Tigers’ Paul Skenes was the Freshman of the Year. Georgia’s Charlie Condon was the SEC’s Freshman of the Year while Georgia’s Ben Anderson and Alabama’s Andrew Pinckney shared the Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Arkansas’ Dave Van Horn was named the Coach of the Year.

Carolina will start postseason play on Tuesday, May 23 against Georgia in the opening round of the SEC Tournament. First pitch is set for 10:30 a.m. EDT (9:30 a.m. CDT) at the Hoover Met. The game will be televised on SEC Network.

2023 SEC Baseball Awards

Player of the Year: Dylan Crews, LSU

Pitcher of the Year: Paul Skenes, LSU

Freshman of the Year: Charlie Condon, Georgia

Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Ben Anderson, Georgia

Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Andrew Pinckney, Alabama

Coach of the Year: Dave Van Horn, Arkansas

First Team All-SEC

C: Cole Messina, South Carolina

1B: Jac Caglianone, Florida

2B: Cade Kurland, Florida

3B: Tommy White, LSU

SS: Josh Rivera, Florida

OF: Dylan Crews, LSU

OF: Wyatt Langford, Florida

OF: Ethan Petry, South Carolina

SP: Paul Skenes, LSU

SP: Hagen Smith, Arkansas

RP: Brandon Neely, Florida

DH/UT: Hunter Hines, Mississippi State

Second Team All-SEC

C: Calvin Harris, Ole Miss

1B: Charlie Condon, Georgia

2B: Emilien Pitre, Kentucky

3B: Luke Mann, Missouri*

3B: Bryson Ware, Auburn*

SS: Jacob Gonzalez, Ole Miss

OF: Kemp Alderman, Ole Miss

OF: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt

OF: Andrew Pinckney, Alabama*

OF: Jared Dickey, Tennessee*

SP: Devin Futrell, Vanderbilt

SP: Brandon Sproat, Florida

RP: Nick Maldonado, Vanderbilt

DH/UT: Kendall Diggs, Arkansas

Freshman All-SEC Team

Charlie Condon, Georgia

Ethan Petry, South Carolina

Ike Irish, Auburn

Cade Kurland, Florida

Colby Shelton, Alabama

Jared Jones, LSU

Jace LaViolette, Texas A&M

Alton Davis II, Alabama

Dakota Jordan, Mississippi State

Gage Wood, Arkansas

RJ Austin, Vanderbilt

Luke Heyman, Florida

SEC All-Defensive Team

C: Fernando Gonzalez, Georgia

1B: Drew Williamson, Alabama*

1B: Hunter Gilliam, Kentucky*

2B: Emilien Pitre, Kentucky

3B: Davis Diaz, Vanderbilt

SS: Jim Jarvis, Alabama

OF: Enrique Bradfield, Jr., Vanderbilt

OF: Dylan Crews, LSU

OF: Tavian Josenberger, Arkansas*

OF: Kason Howell, Auburn*

P: Hagen Smith, Arkansas

*Ties (Ties are not broken)