University of Georgia pitcher Emerson Hancock and third baseman/closer Aaron Schunk earned more All-America honors while second baseman LJ Talley and pitcher Tony Locey made All-Region, it was announced Wednesday.
The 22ndannual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-America first, second and third teams were released Wednesday. Hancock and Schunk were selected to the second team. Schunk made the squad as a utility player. Also, Perfect Game/Rawlings announced their first, second and third teams, and Hancock made the second team while Schunk was a third team selection.
Meanwhile, the 2019 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings announced their eight All-Region teams. Schunk made the South All-Region First Team as a third baseman while Hancock was among the South Region First Team starting pitchers. Bulldog senior LJ Talley and junior pitcher Tony Locey made the Second Team. The First Team selections now are up for ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors which will be announced Saturday. In related news involving the ABCA/Rawlings, the finalists for the NCAA Division I Gold Glove Team will be announced via Twitter on Monday, June 17 and then the winners on June 19. This past Monday, Schunk and Hancock were named All-Americans by Baseball America.
Schunk was a first team selection as a utility player while Hancock made the second team.
Schunk, a 6-2, 205-pound native of Atlanta, Ga., signed a professional contract Wednesday with the Colorado Rockies after they selected him the second round of Major League Baseball’s draft last week. He became the first Bulldog in nine years to earn the “Triple Crown,” leading the team in batting (.339), home runs (15) and RBI (58). Additionally, Schunk posted 12 saves to go with a 1-2 mark and a 2.49 ERA in 17 appearances. He is a finalist for the John Olerud Award, which goes to the nation’s top two-way player.
Hancock, a 6-4, 215-pound right-hander from Cairo, Ga., went 8-3 with a 1.99 ERA in 14 starts as a sophomore this past season. In 90.1 innings, Hancock registered 97 strikeouts and only 18 walks while holding the opposition to a .185 batting average. Hancock’s 1.99 ERA was the eighth best in school history and lowest by a Bulldog starter since 1977 (Chuck Fore, 1.67). Currently, Hancock is on the 24-man USA Baseball Collegiate National Team (CNT) summer roster.
Talley, a 6-2, 203-pound left-handed hitter out of Folkston, Ga., recently signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as a seventh round draft pick. He enjoyed his finest season as a Bulldog senior, hitting .332 with eight home runs and 41 RBI.
Locey, a 6-3, 235-pound native of Columbus, Ga., was a third round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals. He led the Bulldogs with an 11-2 record and a 2.53 ERA this past season as a junior. He became the first Bulldog to win 11 games in a season since 1990. He was a semifinalist for 2019 National Pitcher of the Year by the College Baseball Foundation.
The 2019 Georgia team earned a No. 4 National Seed and reached the NCAA Athens Regional Final with a 46-17 record. The final top 25 rankings will be released after the College World Series.