University of Georgia juniors Emerson Hancock and Riley King have been named to the preseason All-Southeastern Conference baseball squad by the league coaches, the SEC announced Thursday.
Hancock, a consensus preseason first-team All-American, was one of two starting pitchers to earn a spot on the All-SEC first team along with Asa Lacy (Texas A&M). The versatile King made the All-SEC second team as a second baseman.
Hancock, a 6-4, 213-pound native of Cairo, Ga., tallied a 1.99 Earned Run Average in 14 starts while going 8-3 in 2019 to earn All-America and All-SEC honors. King, a 6-0, 189-pound native of Lawrenceville, Ga., batted .295 with eight home runs and 43 RBI last year. He started all 63 games and played around the diamond. Hancock and King are regulars on the SEC Academic Honor Roll too. They helped Georgia to a consensus top 20 final national ranking in 2019. The Bulldogs went 46-17 including a school-record 21 SEC wins last season.
Vanderbilt, preseason ranked as high as No. 1 nationally, was predicted to win the 2020 SEC as voted by the league’s 14 baseball coaches. Georgia, ranked as high as No. 4 in the preseason, was picked to finish third in the Eastern Division behind the Commodores and Florida. Arkansas was named the favorite in the Western Division. Georgia faces the Commodores, Gators and Razorbacks all on the road this season.
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team or players. For the team voting, points were compiled on a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for each division. Each coach also voted for one team as an overall conference champion. Conference play will begin Friday, March 13, and that weekend the Bulldogs will be at Florida. Nine SEC teams are ranked in at least one poll to begin the 2020 campaign.
Georgia has been ranked as high as No. 4 in the preseason top 25 polls. The 2020 season, under the direction of Ike Cousins head coach Scott Stricklin, begins on Feb. 14. Season tickets are sold out but single-game tickets are available. Fans can call (706) 542-1231 to purchase tickets or go online at www.georgiadogs.com/tickets.
2020 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team
First Team
C: Casey Opitz, Arkansas
1B: Cade Beloso, LSU*
1B: T.J. Collett, Kentucky*
2B: Justin Foscue, Mississippi State
3B: Austin Martin, Vanderbilt
SS: Casey Martin, Arkansas
OF: Daniel Cabrera, LSU
OF: Alerick Soularie, Tennessee
OF: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas
DH/UTL: Matt Goodheart, Arkansas
SP: Emerson Hancock, Georgia
SP: Asa Lacy, Texas A&M
RP: Tyler Brown, Vanderbilt
Second Team
C: Ty Duvall, Vanderbilt
1B: Josh Hatcher, Mississippi State*
1B: Rankin Woley, Auburn*
2B: Riley King, Georgia*
2B: Noah Campbell, South Carolina*
2B: Harrison Ray, Vanderbilt*
3B: Tyler Keenan, Ole Miss
SS: Jordan Westburg, Mississippi State
OF: Jud Fabian, Florida
OF: Tyler Gentry, Alabama
OF: Rowdey Jordan, Mississippi State*
OF: Zach DeLoach, Texas A&M*
DH/UTL: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State
SP: Kumar Rocker, Vanderbilt
SP: Tanner Burns, Auburn
RP: Cody Greenhill, Auburn
*Tie (ties are not broken)
2020 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll
Eastern Division
1. Vanderbilt (9) – 87
2. Florida (3) – 77
3. Georgia (2) – 76
4. Tennessee – 50
5. South Carolina – 48
6. Missouri – 32
7. Kentucky – 22
Western Division
1. Arkansas (5) – 82
2. Mississippi State (4) – 73
T3. Auburn (2) – 67
T3. LSU (3) – 67
5. Texas A&M – 44
6. Ole Miss – 38
7. Alabama – 21
() – First place votes
SEC Champion: Vanderbilt (8), Florida (2), Arkansas (1), Auburn (1), Georgia (1), Mississippi State (1)