Vanderbilt baseball lands seven players on various all-SEC teams

Vanderbilt’s dominant 2011 Southeastern Conference season didn’t go unnoticed.


The Commodores landed seven on the all-conference teams — voted on by league coaches — as Grayson Garvin was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year and Tony Kemp was named the SEC Freshman of the Year.


Garvin, a junior from Suwanee, Ga., is the first Vanderbilt pitcher to earn the honor since David Price did so in 2007. Kemp, a product of nearby Centennial High in Franklin, is the first Commodore freshman to receive the award since Mike Minor earned it four years ago.


The left-handed Garvin went 11-1 during the regular season and was 9-0 in 10 SEC starts. Vanderbilt’s Saturday starter won four of his five starts after the Commodores suffered a loss in the opening game of a series. He has a 2.54 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 89 1/3 innings pitched.


Kemp, who bats left-handed but throws with his right, was a sparkplug as the team’s leadoff hitter. He has played in 52 of Vanderbilt’s 53 games and has 21 multi-hit games. The left fielder is currently riding a 13-game hitting streak and is batting .342 with 12 extra-base hits and 48 runs scored.


Joining Garvin and Kemp on the first team was Vanderbilt first baseman Aaron Westlake.

Third baseman Jason Esposito, designated hitter Conrad Gregor and pitcher Sonny Gray were named to the second team. 
Kemp, Gregor and relief pitcher Kevin Ziomek were named to the all-freshman team. Gray and Esposito earned all-defensive team honors.


Vanderbilt shared the SEC regular-season title with Florida and defending national champion South Carolina after all three teams finished with identical 22-8 records.


The second-ranked Commodores (44-9) open the eight-team, double-elimination SEC Tournament against Georgia at about 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Hoover, Ala. Freshman and regular midweek starter T.J. Pecoraro (7-0) will get the start on the mound.



 

SEC AWARDS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
 Mike Zunino, Florida

PITCHER OF THE YEAR 
Grayson Garvin, Vanderbilt

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
 Tony Kemp, Vanderbilt

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 
James McCann, Arkansas

COACH OF THE YEAR 
Ray Tanner, South Carolina

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; Hudson Randall, Florida       


P - Sonny Gray, Vanderbilt; 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

ALL DEFENSIVE TEAM                     


P - Sonny Gray, Vanderbilt


1B - Dominic Ficociello, Arkansas              


1B - Christian Walker, South Carolina


2B - Scott Wingo, South Carolina


SS - Nolan Fontana, Florida


3B - Jason Esposito, Vanderbilt


C -  Mike Zunino, Florida                


OF - Taylor Dugas, Alabama          


OF - Mikie Mahtook, LSU               


OF - Zach Cone, Georgia


OF - Jackie Bradley Jr., South Carolina