Baseball's Keating & Adams Earn ABCA All-South Region
Wednesday, June 18, 2008 | Baseball
Junior right-hander Patrick Keating (Harrisburg, Ill.) and freshman second baseman Josh Adams (Jacksonville, Fla.) of the University of Florida baseball team were each named to All-South Region squad released by the American Baseball Coaches Association on Wednesday. Keating became the first Gator pitcher to garner first-team recognition since Justin Hoyman in 2004, while Adams was the first UF rookie on the squad since Brad Wilkerson in 1996.
Keating achieved first-team All-SEC status after compiling a 7-0 league ledger with a 3.28 earned run average in nine starts. On the season, he made a team-high 14 starts and was 8-1 with a 4.16 ERA. The righty also had three appearances out of the bullpen, highlighted by a save in the series-clinching win over No. 13 Vanderbilt. Keating was second on the club with 52 strikeouts and his 84.1 innings led the team. He blazed out of the gates by capturing his first seven league starts and was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week following a complete-game effort in a victory over eventual Western Division champion LSU at the end of March. The right-hander was an unblemished 5-0 at McKethan Stadium with a 1.88 ERA.
Adams was a first-team All-SEC pick at second base who was also a member of the league's All-Freshman Team. He became the first freshman from Florida to earn first-team All-SEC kudos since 1991, when pitcher Marc Valdes collected the honor. Named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team chosen by Collegiate Baseball, Adams started 57 games for the Gators at five different positions (30-2B, 18-3B, 4-LF, 4-CF, 1-RF) and hit .330, fifth on the Orange and Blue. He led UF in slugging percentage (.536) and doubles (17) and tied for second in homers (eight). The Jacksonville native also ranked second on the squad in on-base percentage (.430) and RBI (51). Twenty-six of his 69 hits went for extra bases and he was 11-for-15 on the basepaths. Adams totaled 21 multiple-hit games and 12 multiple-RBI outings. He rated third on the Orange and Blue in SEC play with a .354 clip and had a team-high 27 RBI, 22 runs, 10 doubles and five homers. Adams was chosen as the SEC Freshman of the Week following UF's sweep of Auburn to begin league action, a stretch when he hit a sizzling .727 (8-for-11).
First Team
Catcher: Caleb Joseph, Lipscomb
First Base: Justin Smoak, South Carolina
Second Base: Ryan Wilkes, Kentucky
Second Base: Justin McClanahan, Louisville
Shortstop: Gordon Beckham, Georgia
Third Base: Chris Dominguez, Louisville
Outfield: Sawyer Carroll, Kentucky
Outfield: Collin Cowgill, Kentucky
Outfield: Clay Whittemore, Jacksonville State
Designated Hitter: Alex Avila, Alabama
Pitcher: Christian Friedrich, Eastern Kentucky
Pitcher: Justin Marks, Louisville
Pitcher: Patrick Keating, FLORIDA
Reliever: Joshua Fields, Georgia
Reliever: Tyler Conn, Southern Miss
Second Team
Catcher: Bryce Massanari, Georgia
First Base: Ryan Keedy, UAB
Second Base: Josh Adams, FLORIDA
Shortstop: Reese Havens, South Carolina
Third Base: Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt
Outfield: Blake Dean, LSU
Outfield: David Macias, Vanderbilt
Outfield: Justin Bass, Stetson
Outfield: Brandon May, Alabama
Designated Hitter: Phil Disher, South Carolina
Pitcher: Lance Lynn, Ole Miss
Pitcher: Barry Bowden, Southern Miss
Pitcher: Ryan Verdugo, LSU
Reliever: Scott Bittle, Ole Miss
-UF-
