Gamecocks land two on year-end All-SEC teams
South Carolina baseball players Wes Clarke and Will Sanders both earned All-SEC honors, the Southeastern Conference announced on Monday.
Placing on the second team as a DH, Clarke is South Carolina’s first all-conference selection since Clarke Schmidt and Gene Cone were named to the second team in 2016. Right-hander Will Sanders, meanwhile, was selected to the All-SEC freshman team.
A key middle-of-the-order batter for Mark Kingston’s Gamecocks, Clarke evolved into one of the premier home run hitters in the college game in his junior season.
Coming into 2021 with just nine home runs in 27 career games, Clarke blew by that total with a conference-leading 21 homers — just one shy of the national lead.
Primarily starting as a DH, while also playing sparingly at catcher and first base, Clarke heads into this week’s SEC tournament in Hoover, Alabama, hitting .274 on the season with a .432 on-base percentage and a team-leading 52 RBI.
He ranks third in the conference with a .656 slugging percentage.
A 6-foot-6 right-hander from Atlanta, Sanders has a 3.63 ERA in 52 innings this year, striking out 51 batters to 11 walks. The electric righty has filled a variety of roles on the pitching staff, starting 10 games while appearing in 11 others out of the bullpen.
Sanders become the second straight Gamecock pitcher to earn All-Freshman honors, following right-hander Brett Kerry in 2019.
Coming off a home series loss to Tennessee, Clarke, Sanders and the Gamecocks (33-20, 16-14 SEC) are aiming to improve their hosting resume at this week’s conference tournament.
2021 All-SEC Awards
Player of the Year: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State
Pitcher of the Year: Kevin Kopps, Arkansas
Newcomer of the Year: Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt
Freshman of the Year: Enrique Bradfield, Jr.
Coach of the Year: Dave Van Horn, Arkansas
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Tim Elko, Ole Miss
First Team All-SEC
C: Sam Praytor, Alabama
1B: Will Frizzell, Texas A&M
2B: Robert Moore, Arkansas
3B: Jake Rucker, Tennessee
SS: Liam Spence, Tennessee
OF: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State
OF: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt
OF: Jud Fabian, Florida
DH/UT: Matt Goodheart, Arkansas
SP: Kumar Rocker, Vanderbilt
SP: Doug Nikhazy, Ole Miss*
SP: Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt*
RP: Kevin Kopps, Arkansas
Second Team All-SEC
C: Hayden Dunhurst, Ole Miss
1B: Tre’ Morgan, LSU
2B: Peyton Wilson, Alabama
3B: Justin Bench, Ole Miss
SS: Ryan Bliss, Auburn
OF: Dylan Crews, LSU
OF: Christian Franklin, Arkansas
OF: Rowdey Jordan, Mississippi State
DH/UT: Wes Clarke, South Carolina
SP: Landon Marceaux, LSU
SP: Patrick Wicklander, Arkansas
RP: Landon Sims, Mississippi State
Freshman All-SEC Team
Tre’ Morgan, LSU
Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt
Dylan Crews, LSU
Cayden Wallace, Arkansas
Jacob Gonzalez, Ole Miss
TJ McCants, Ole Miss
Blade Tidwell, Tennessee
Will Sanders, South Carolina
Jordan Thompson, LSU
Jaden Woods, Georgia
Corey Collins, Georgia
Jack Bulger, Vanderbilt*
Sterlin Thompson, Florida*
Newcomer All-SEC Team
Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt
Robert Moore, Arkansas
Landon Sims, Mississippi State
Hayden Dunhurst, Ole Miss
Zane Denton, Alabama
Will Bednar, Mississippi State
Hunter Barco, Florida
Peyton Wilson, Alabama
Logan Tanner, Mississippi State
Carter Young, Vanderbilt
Nathan Hickey, Florida
Peyton Pallette, Arkansas
SEC All-Defensive Team
C: Hayden Dunhurst, Ole Miss
1B: Tre’ Morgan, LSU
2B: Robert Moore, Arkansas
3B: Zane Denton, Alabama
SS: Ryan Bliss, Auburn*
SS: Liam Spence, Tennessee*
OF: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt
OF: Christian Franklin, Arkansas
OF: Jud Fabian, Florida
P: Tyler Ras, Alabama*
P: Kevin Kopps, Arkansas*
*Tie (Ties are not broken)
This story was originally published May 24, 2021 at 3:20 PM with the headline "Gamecocks land two on year-end All-SEC teams."
