[su_spacer size=”20″] ATHENS—–The Georgia baseball team announced its annual list of team honors recently following the conclusion of the 2015 season.

 

Gordon Beckham Most Valuable Player Award — Stephen Wrenn

Sophomore Stephen Wrenn was the recipient of the Gordon Beckham Most Valuable Player Award. A 6-2, 175-pound native of Marietta, Ga., Wrenn started all 54 games for the Bulldogs, one of only two players to do that along with shortstop Nick King. Wrenn (.324-8-28) led the team in batting, runs scored, hits, home runs and stolen bases. He reached base safely in 51 of 54 games including the first 38 contests in 2015. He ranked as one of the top defensive centerfielders in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He ended the regular season with the second most stolen bases in the league with 28, the most by a Bulldog since a record 31 by Chaz Lytle in 2002.

 

Bert Kizer Award — Keegan McGovern

Freshman Keegan McGovern was selected as the Bert Kizer Award winner given annually to a first-year letterman who displayed exemplary achievement in the combined areas of academics, athletics and citizenship. A 6-3, 207-pound native of Willacoochee, Ga., McGovern was named to the Freshman All-SEC team. He appeared in 48 gams with 43 starts in left field. He batted .268 with nine doubles, three home runs and 17 RBI plus posted a perfect fielding percentage in 69 total chances.

 

Scholar-Athlete Award — Taylor Hicks

Senior Taylor Hicks earned the Scholar-Athlete Award as the letterman with the highest grade point average for the year. A 6-3, 213-pound native of Statham, Ga., he went 0-0 with a 1.52 ERA in 16 games including one start. In 29.2 innings, he had 23 strikeouts and only nine walks. This past May, Hicks graduated with a degree in Sport Management. Last week, the Detroit Tigers in the 26th round of the 2015 MLB Draft selected him. He will begin his professional baseball career later this month.

 

Jim Umbricht Award — David Sosebee

Junior David Sosebee was one of Georgia’s top pitchers in 2015, and he was named the recipient of the Jim Umbricht Award given annually to the player considered the “most competitive” by the Bulldog coaching staff. A 6-2, 221-pound native of Cleveland, Ga., Sosebee posted a 4-3 record and 2.98 ERA in 11 appearances including eight starts. He missed almost four weeks of the season with a back injury and then returned to his spot in the SEC rotation and registered impressive victories over No. 8 Florida and No. 20 Arkansas, and those hot-hitting clubs would advance to the College World Series. Last week, the New York Yankees in the 28th round of the 2015 MLB Draft selected him, and he has turned professional.

 

Jim Whatley Captain’s Award — Brandon Stephens and Jared Walsh

Seniors Brandon Stephens and Jared Walsh served as co-captains during the 2015 season and received the Jim Whatley Captain’s Award. A 6-0, 193-pound native of Marietta, Ga., Stephens posted a career year, batting .291 with five doubles, one home run and 13 RBI, appearing in 40 games with 35 starts at catcher. He threw out 35 percent of runners. In May, he graduated with a degree in Communication Studies.

A 6-1, 213-pound native of Duluth, Ga., Walsh, a two-way player, made 14 appearances on the mound (eight starts) plus appeared in 43 games as a hitter with 41 starts at first base/right field/designated hitter. He posted a team-best 5-2 record, 2.60 ERA and hit a career-best .306 with 14 doubles, three home runs and 22 RBI. At the end of the regular season, he led the SEC in lowest opponent batting average, holding teams to a .185 mark, and his ERA ranked third in the league. Walsh was a 39^th round pick of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 2015 MLB draft. He will begin his professional career later this month as a first baseman.

 

In year two of the Scott Stricklin era, Georgia finished with a 26-28 overall mark. The Bulldogs posted their first SEC road sweep since 2009 when it won three over Tennessee and then followed that up by claiming its first SEC series at South Carolina since 1994. The highlights in non-conference action included winning a series over No. 11 Florida State, sweeping a two-game set from Clemson for the first time since 2009 and tossing a one-hit shutout of Georgia Tech at Turner Field. Overall, Georgia batted .267 with 40 home runs and 63 stolen bases while posting a 3.96 ERA and a .970 fielding percentage. Georgia set a school record by holding teams to a .243 batting average; the previous best was .251 in 1973. Also, the Bulldog bullpen allowed just one earned run over the final 29.2 innings pitched.