University of Georgia sophomore Aaron Schunk and senior Keegan McGovern earned another postseason honor recently as they were named All-Americans.
Schunk, a 6-2, 203-pound third baseman/closer from Atlanta, Ga., made the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCWBA) All-America Third Team as a utility player. Schunk started all 60 games for the Bulldogs at third base and was very effective as a closer. He batted .299 with 12 doubles, three triples, three home runs and 38 RBI plus had a 22-game hitting streak. On the mound, Schunk posted a 2-2 mark, a 3.00 ERA and eight saves in 20 appearances. In 30 innings, he registered 31 strikeouts and only five walks. Earlier this month, Schunk was named one of three finalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award by the College Baseball Foundation that eventually went to Stetson senior Brooks Wilson.
McGovern, a 6-2, 220-pound outfielder from Willacoochee, Ga., earned a spot on the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-America Third Team. It marks the second outlet to name him an All-American this year as Baseball America placed him on its Third Team. A first-team All-SEC selection, McGovern batted .319 with a team-high 18 home runs, 14 doubles, and 50 RBI in 58 games. Also, McGovern was perfect in the field in 115 total chances including five assists. In his Bulldog career, McGovern posted a .287 batting average with 29 home runs, 123 RBI, 160 runs scored and 134 walks. A standout in the classroom majoring in Biology, McGovern was named the 2018 SEC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year too.
Recently, McGovern signed a professional contract with the Seattle Mariners after they selected him in the ninth round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. McGovern is playing for the Everett (Wash.) AquaSox, the Class A Short Season affiliate of Seattle in the Northwest League. He is batting .375 (3-for-8) with a double and one RBI in his first two games.
In related Bulldog professional news, Michael Curry made a successful debut in the Northwest League this past weekend. Curry, a three-year starter for the Bulldogs, signed as a 16th round pick of the San Diego Padres and was assigned to the Tri-City Dust Devils. He is batting .444 (4-for-9) in two games. Pitcher Kevin Smith will be playing for the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Class A Short Season affiliate of the New York Mets in the New York-Penn League when they open the season this week. A seventh-round pick, Smith led the Bulldog staff with an 8-1 record and 3.69 ERA in 22 appearances. Curry finished his Bulldog career as a .295 hitter with 34 home runs and 133 RBI in 171 games while Smith went 18-7 with a 4.17 ERA and two saves in 55 appearances over a three-year span of 170.1 innings.
The aforementioned Bulldogs helped Georgia go 39-21 overall, 18-12 in the SEC, garnered a No. 8 national seed and played host to an NCAA Regional for the first time in 10 seasons. Georgia will finish ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 2009 when the final polls are released after the College World Series.