NCAA Baseball: Pair Of Bulldogs Earn SEC Honors

University of Georgia third baseman Curt Powell and pitcher Sean McLaughlin were honored by the Southeastern Conference Tuesday as the league announced its All-SEC and All-Freshmen teams.

Curt Powell, Photo by Sonny Kennedy,http://www.sonnykennedyphotography.com/

Powell earned a spot on the All-SEC Second Team for the second year in a row. McLaughlin was one of the two starting pitchers named to the All-Freshmen SEC team. The SEC coaches vote on the teams, and they cannot vote for their own players.

Powell, a 5-11, 170-pound native of Knoxville, Tenn., capped his career by ranking among the league’s leading hitters and was named team MVP. Powell batted a team-best .376 with 82 hits and a .425 on base percentage. He appeared in all 53 games of the 2013 season with 52 starts at third base and one at shortstop.

A three-year letterman, Powell made 163 starts in his Bulldog career and posted a .341 average with 25 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 54 RBI and 22 stolen bases. In 477 total chances, he registered a .931 career fielding percentage. Powell is the first Bulldog to earn All-SEC honors in consecutive seasons since catcher/designated hitter Bryce Massanari in 2008-09.

Sean McLaughlin, Photo by Sonny Kennedy, http://www.sonnykennedyphotography.com/

McLaughlin, a 5-11, 190-pound native of Johns Creek, Ga., led the pitching staff with a 5-6 record and 3.28 ERA in 13 starts as a freshman. In 74 innings pitched, he tallied 49 strikeouts and 23 walks. Also, he made 14 starts as a position player and saw action in 27 games as outfielder/designated hitter. He became the first true freshman pitcher to start a season opener in Bulldog history, and he picked up a win that day over Georgia Southern in Statesboro. He closed out his freshman campaign with a 3-1 win over Florida, tossing seven innings with four strikeouts. McLaughlin is the first Bulldog since outfielder Hunter Cole in 2012 to earn All-Freshmen SEC honors.

The 2013 SEC Coach of the Year is Tim Corbin (Vanderbilt), the Player of the Year is Tony Kemp (Vanderbilt), the Pitcher of the Year is Aaron Nola (LSU), the Freshman of the Year is Alex Bregman (LSU) and the Scholar-Athlete of the Year is Sam Frost (Mississippi State). The top-ranked Commodores (51-9) won the SEC title with a 26-3 league record while second-ranked LSU (52-9) beat Vanderbilt for the SEC Tournament title this past Sunday.

Up next, Powell along with a handful of senior Bulldogs aim to have an opportunity to continue their playing career next month as Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player draft is June 6-8.

All photos copyrighted property of Sonny Kennedy, http://www.sonnykennedyphotography.com/