Pair of Baseball Players Earn All-SEC Accolades
Tuesday, May 20, 2003 | Baseball
A pair of University of Florida baseball players have been named to 2003 All-SEC second team as selected by the league's 12 head coaches. Senior catcher Brian Rose (Miami, Fla.) and junior outfielder Ben Harrison (Key West, Fla.) both earned the honor announced by the SEC on Monday evening. It is the first time either player has been tabbed for All-SEC honors.
Rose had a stellar season behind the plate starting the final 47 games. Rose led the team with his .472 on-base percentage and was second on the team in batting average (.362), home runs (12) and slugging percentage (.656). He also had 43 runs scored, nine doubles, a triple and walked 19 times. Rose also was hit by pitch 17 times this season which gave him 47 hit by pitches in his career which is a Florida record. The three-year starter also was solid defensively as he fielded .988 with just four errors in 324 chances, while also throwing out 24 percent of runners attempting to steal.
Harrison was third on the team with a .347 (70-of-202) batting average and also had 14 doubles, two triples and 10 homers. He had a team-best 14 stolen bases and also was third with 52 runs scored and 53 RBI. Harrison was also second on the team with four-game winning RBI and is ranked in the top-10 in three SEC offensive categories.
LSU junior shortstop Aaron Hill was named the SEC Player of the Year, while David Marchbanks from South Carolina earned SEC Pitcher of the Year honors. In addition, Ole Miss pitcher/utility player Stephen Head was the SEC Freshman of the Year and Smoke Laval, the head coach of LSU, was named SEC Coach of the Year.
For Florida it is the eighth time in the past nine years that multiple players have earned all-SEC honors. Rose and Harrison become the 119th and 120th Florida selections to the all-SEC teams.
Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players, thus a unanimous selection earns 11 of the 12 first-team votes. No player was unanimous selection to this year's team.
The Gators ended the regular season 34-19-1 overall and 13-16-1 in the conference. It was the 13th consecutive year that Florida has won 30 or more games.
ALL SEC TEAM
SEC Player of the Year: Aaron Hill, LSU
SEC Pitcher of the Year: David Marchbanks, South Carolina
SEC Freshman of the Year: Stephen Head, Ole Miss
SEC Coach of the Year: Smoke Laval, LSU
ALL-SEC FIRST TEAM
1B- Clay Haris, LSU
2B- Tug Hulett, Auburn
3B- Brian Buscher, South Carolina
SS- Aaron Hill, LSU
C- Landon Powell, South Carolina
OF- Beau Hearod, Alabama
OF- Ryan Fox, Arkansas
OF- Jordan Czarniecki, Tennessee
DH- Ryan Patterson, LSU
P- Paul Maholm, Mississippi State
P- David Marchbanks, South Carolina
RP- Steven Register, Auburn
ALL-SEC SECOND TEAM
1B- Karl Amonite, Auburn
2B- Blake Gill, LSU
3B- Steve Gendron, Mississippi State
SS- Matthew Maniscalco, Mississippi State
C- BRIAN ROSE, FLORIDA
OF- Javan Moran, Auburn
OF- Jon Zeringue, LSU
OF- BEN HARRISON, FLORIDA
DH- Bobby Huddleston, Auburn
P- Jeremy Sowers, Vanderbilt
P- Nate Bumstead, LSU
RP- Stephen Head, Ole Miss
*Unanimous selection
--UF--
