Gators Dominate SEC Awards

HOOVER, Ala.—After winning the 2018 Southeastern Conference Championship, six Florida baseball players earned recognition from the conference for their performances this season along with head coach Kevin O'Sullivan.

Junior third baseman Jonathan India was named the 2018 SEC Player of the Year and classmate Brady Singer was named the Pitcher of the Year. Coach O'Sullivan was named the SEC Coach of the Year, the third time he has earned the award (also 2010, 2014).

Florida is the second school in SEC history to have the Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year and Coach of the Year in the same season. In 2008, Georgia's Gordon Beckham (Player), Joshua Fields (Pitcher) and David Perno (Coach) were honored.

In addition to India and Singer, senior catcher JJ Schwarz and junior closer Michael Byrne were selected to the All-SEC First Team. India was also named to the SEC All-Defensive Team.

Sophomore outfielder Wil Dalton and junior right-hander Jackson Kowar were named to the Second Team.

Singer is the third UF player to be named SEC Pitcher of the Year, joining Justin Hoyman (2004) and Logan Shore (2016). India is the third player to win SEC Player of the year (Matt LaPorta, 2005 & 2007; Mike Zunino, 2011).

The Gators earned the No. 1 overall seed for this week's SEC Tournament in Hoover and will open play on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. ET against either LSU or Mississippi State.

Junior 3B Jonathan India (Coral Springs, Fla.)

SEC Player of the Year
All-SEC First Team
Led SEC in slugging percentage (.730) and on-base percentage (.506)
Third in SEC in batting average (.365)

Junior RHP Brady Singer (Eustis, Fla.)

SEC Pitcher of the Year
All-SEC First Team, SEC All-Defensive Team
Led SEC with 10 wins and 2.25 ERA
Limited opposing hitters to .186 batting average, second-best in SEC

Senior C JJ Schwarz (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.)

All-SEC First Team
Second on the team with .325 average, 12 home runs and 46 RBI
262 career starts at Florida, most in school history

Junior RHP Michael Byrne (Orlando, Fla.)

All-SEC First Team
Set school record with 31 career saves
2.06 ERA and 12 saves this season

Sophomore OF Wil Dalton (Spring Hill, Tenn.)

All-SEC Second Team
Led Gators with 50 RBI and tied for lead with 16 home runs
Had 27 RBI in SEC play, second-most in league

Junior RHP Jackson Kowar

All-SEC Second Team
Had 6 wins in SEC play, tied for most in the league
9-3 record and 3.01 ERA on the season

2018 SEC BASEBALL AWARDS

Player of the Year: Jonathan India, Florida
Pitcher of the Year: Brady Singer, Florida
Freshman of the Year: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas
Coach of the Year: Kevin O'Sullivan, Florida
Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Keegan McGovern, Georgia
Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Nico Mascia, Tennessee

First-Team All-SEC
C: JJ Schwarz, Florida
1B: Kole Cottam, Kentucky
2B: Carson Shaddy, Arkansas
3B: Jonathan India, Florida
SS: Braden Shewmake, Texas A&M
OF: Jake Mangum, Mississippi State
OF: Ryan Olenek, Ole Miss
OF: Keegan McGovern, Georgia
DH/UT: Luke Heyer, Kentucky
SP: Brady Singer, Florida
SP: Casey Mize, Auburn
RP: Michael Byrne, Florida

Second-Team All-SEC Team
C: Nick Fortes, Ole Miss
1B: Adam Sasser, Georgia
2B: Michael Helman, Texas A&M
3B: Casey Martin, Arkansas
SS: Will Holland, Auburn
OF: Eric Cole, Arkansas
OF: Wil Dalton, Florida
OF: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas
DH/UT: Michael Curry, Georgia
SP: Blaine Knight, Arkansas
SP: Jackson Kowar, Florida
RP: Parker Caracci, Ole Miss

Freshman All-SEC Team
C: Mason Meadows, Georgia
1B: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State
2B: Anthony Servideo, Ole Miss
3B: Casey Martin, Arkansas
OF: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas
OF: Daniel Cabrera, LSU
OF: Steven Williams, Auburn
DH/UT: Edouard Julien, Auburn
SP: Ma'Khail Hilliard, LSU
SP: Tanner Burns, Auburn
RP: Cody Greenhill, Auburn

SEC All-Defensive Team
C: Grant Koch, Arkansas
1B: Cole Zabowski, Ole Miss
2B: Luke Jarvis, Auburn
3B: Jonathan India, Florida
SS: Connor Kaiser, Vanderbilt
OF: Zach Watson, LSU
OF: Jake Mangum, Mississippi State
OF: Dominic Fletcher, Arkansas
P: Will Neely, Tennessee

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