Brad Wilkerson Honored As SEC Baseball Legend On Saturday
Saturday, May 26, 2012 | Baseball
Former Florida baseball three-time All-American Brad Wilkerson was honored on Saturday at the 2012 Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament, as part of the inaugural group of SEC Baseball Legends. Wilkerson, along with three other SEC baseball standouts, was recognized during the first semifinal game on Saturday at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala.
“The SEC Baseball Legends Presented by AT&T allows us to honor the deep tradition and history of baseball in our league and show everyone why the SEC is the nation's premier baseball conference," said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. “We are grateful to our friends at AT&T for helping make this program possible.”
The inaugural SEC Baseball Legends Presented by AT&T class also included: Rev. Reggie Andrews, Georgia; Dr. Jeffrey Laubenthal, Alabama; and Kevin McReynolds, Arkansas.
Each SEC Baseball Legend had an on-field recognition and awards presentation by Commissioner Slive in the middle of the seventh inning of the first semifinal game between Kentucky and Mississippi State. Fans had an opportunity for autographs and photos with the honorees on the concourse immediately following the presentation and the Legends also participated in the annual SEC Youth Clinic on Friday morning.
The four SEC Legends had a busy day on Friday that included the SEC Baseball Youth Clinic from 10:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. Following the clinic, each individual participated in a private autograph signing for the SEC at 12:30 p.m., then joined the SEC Radio Network for an on-air interview, beginning at 3 p.m. Friday that wrapped up with an appearance at Dick's Sporting Goods from 6-8 p.m.
In early March, Wilkerson became the first player from UF to be chosen to the National College Baseball Hall of Fame and will be inducted this summer in Lubbock, Texas. The only three-time All-American in Gator baseball history, Wilkerson was named the 1998 Collegiate Player of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and won the Smith Award given to the National Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year as selected by CoSIDA. A finalist for the 1998 Golden Spikes Award, he was a first-team All-American selection by Baseball America, Baseball Weekly, Collegiate Baseball and Sporting News that year. Wilkerson re-set UF career batting average, HR, RBI, runs, walks and slugging percentage standards, broke seven individual season batting records and tied/re-set seven individual performance marks during his spectacular career.
With 55 career home runs, he became the eighth player in SEC history to hit 50 or more home runs. In addition, he reached base safely in 141-consecutive games at one point of career and reached base in 190 of 195 career games. Wilkerson was the first player in NCAA history to hit 20 home runs, win 10 games and steal 20 bases in a season (23 homers-10 wins-21 stolen bases in 1998).
An ABCA All-South Region and All-SEC recipient all three years of his career, the Owensboro, Ky., native was the Most Outstanding Player of the 1996 NCAA East Regional held in Gainesville and earned a spot on the 1996 NCAA College World Series All-Tournament Team. His efforts helped the Orange and Blue to a combined record of 136-60 (.694), a pair of CWS appearances (1996 & 1998), two SEC titles (1996 & 1998) and three-straight SEC Eastern Division crowns (1996-98). A first-round pick of the Montreal Expos with the 33rd overall selection in the 1998 Draft, Wilkerson played for the Expos (2001-04), Washington Nationals (2005), Texas Rangers (2006-07), Seattle Mariners (2008) and Toronto Blue Jays (2008) in his eight-year MLB career.
Four legends will be recognized each year, with representatives from Auburn, LSU, Kentucky and Missouri set to be honored in 2013.
