HOOVER, Ala. — Arkansas pitcher DJ Baxendale was selected to the All-SEC second team and first baseman Dominic Ficociello was named to the all-freshman team Tuesday by conference coaches.
Catcher James Mc-Cann also wa s r e c o gnized as the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year for the Razorbacks, who open SEC Tournament play at 9:30 a.m. today against Alabama.
Baxendale (8-2, 1.62 ERA) emerged as one of the conference’s top starters this season after leading Arkansas with seven saves as a freshman.The sophomore righthander from Jacksonville started 10 games this season and threw his first career complete game in a 4-3 victory over Florida on May 5. Baxendale pitched 8 1/3 innings against Ole Miss on Thursday, then returned to the mound Saturday to pick up a save against the Rebels as the Hogs clinched the SEC West title.
“He’s been something else as a starter and closer for us,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “It’s tough to make first-team or secondteam pitcher in this league. You really have to put up some numbers, and he can do it all.”
Baxendale will start again Thursday in Arkansas’ second-round game.
“It’s a huge honor to be selected among the top pitchers in the SEC,” Baxendale said. “There’s some really good ones this year, and I’m just excited to be included.”
Ficociello led Arkansas in hitting while starting at first base and filling in on occasion at third base. The switchhitter from Fullerton, Calif., batted .349 this season with 4 home runs and 47 RBI.
Ficociello leads Arkansas in RBI, hits (67) and doubles (15), and played well enough in the field to be named to the SEC’s all-defensive team as a first baseman. He is the first Arkansas player to be selected to the all-freshman team since Dallas Keuchel in 2007.
“Ficociello can play a lot of positions, and he’s hit in the middle of the lineup all year for us,” Van Horn said. “He’s a tremendous hitter and an outstanding defender.”
McCann (.309, 6 home runs, 29 RBI) is the second Razorback to be selected as the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year, following Brady Toops, who won the award in 2004. McCann, a junior from Santa Barbara, Calif., has a 3.96 cumulative grade-point average and is pursuing a degree in communications.
“It’s a great award and something I take pride in,” McCann said. “Whether we like it or not, we are students first and we try to take care of our business in the classroom. I’m glad this award could come to Arkansas.”
“McCann is such a good leader and a student, and he’s an extremely good player,” Van Horn said. “I was hoping he’d make all-conference for what he’s done on the field.”
Florida catcher Mike Zunino was selected Player of the Year, and Vanderbilt left-hander Grayson Garvin was named Pitcher of the Year. Vanderbilt outfielder Tony Kemp was named the Freshman of the Year, while South Carolina’s Ray Tanner was chosen as the Coach of the Year.
2011 All-SEC FIRST TEAM 1B Aaron Westlake, Vanderbilt 2B Scott Wingo, South Carolina 3B Thomas McCarthy, Kentucky SS Casey McElroy, Auburn C Mike Zunino, Florida OF Mikie Mahtook, LSU OF Preston Tucker, Florida OF Tony Kemp, Vanderbilt DH Brian Johnson, Florida P Grayson Garvin, Vanderbilt P Michael Roth, South Carolina RP Matt Price, South Carolina SECOND TEAM 1B Christian Walker, South Carolina 2B Josh Adams, Florida 2B Alex Yarbrough, Ole Miss 3B Jason Esposito, Vanderbilt SS Nolan Fontana, Florida C Tony Caldwell, Auburn OF Taylor Dugas, Alabama OF Mason Katz, LSU OF Chad Wright, Kentucky DH Conrad Gregor, Vanderbilt P DJ Baxendale, Arkansas P Hudson Randall, Florida P Sonny Gray, Vanderbilt P Alex Meyer, Kentucky RP Caleb Reed, Mississippi State ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM 1B Dominic Ficociello, Arkansas 2B JaCoby Jones, LSU 3B Zack Powers, Florida SS Adam Frazier, Mississippi State C Ty Ross, LSU OF Tony Kemp, Vanderbilt OF C.T. Bradford, Mississippi State OF Andrew Toles, Tennessee DH Conrad Gregor, Vanderbilt P Karsten Whitson, Florida P Forrest Koumas, South Carolina RP Kevin Ziomek, Vanderbilt PLAYER OF THE YEAR Mike Zunino, Florida PITCHER OF THE YEAR Grayson Garvin, Vanderbilt FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Tony Kemp, Vanderbilt COACH OF THE YEAR Ray Tanner, South Carolina SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR James McCann, Arkansas
Sports, Pages 24 on 05/25/2011