Suarez Named to Baseball Coaches All-SEC Team

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Tennessee designated hitter Alex Suarez has been named to the 2004 All-Southeastern Conference Baseball Team as announced today by the league office in Birmingham. Suarez, who leads the Vols with a .355 batting average entering this week's SEC Tournament, is a second-team selection by the league's coaches.

Over the last 28 games, Suarez has been one of Tennessee's hottest hitters, hitting .366 (37-for-101) reaching safely 22 times, including a season-high eight-game hitting streak. He has 13 multi-hit games with eight doubles, 17 runs scored and 18 RBI since the span started April 3. Last week he was selected All-SEC (second-team) by SEBaseball.com.

Tennessee (36-20) opens play in the SEC Baseball Tournament Wednesday against Western Division champion and the tournament's No. 1 seed Arkansas. The Vols-Razorbacks game is the fourth game of the day and is slated to begin at 9 p.m. at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. The Vols are making their first trip to the league's tournament since 2001.

The coaches tabbed LSU junior outfieder Jon Zeringue and Ole Miss utility player/designated hitter Stephen Head as 2004 Southeastern Conference Co-Baseball Players of the Year, Florida's junior righthander Justin Hoyman was named Pitcher of the Year and Alabama pitcher Wade LeBlanc was named 2004 SEC Freshman of the Year by a vote of the league's 12 head baseball coaches. The coaches also tabbed Arkansas skipper Dave Van Horn and Georgia head coach David Perno as SEC Co-Coaches of the Year. Arkansas catcher Brady Toops was named SEC Baseball Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own players, thus a unanimous selection earns 11 of the 12 first-team votes. No player was a unanimous selection to this year's team. The complete 2004 All-SEC Team follows:

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2004 ALL-SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE BASEBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM	HT	WT	CLASS
1B - C.J. Smith, Florida	6-4	220	Jr.
2B- Warner Jones, Vanderbilt	5-10	160	So.
3B - Josh Smith, Georgia	6-0	177	Jr.
SS - Ryan Klosterman, Vanderbilt	5-11	175	Jr.
C- Landon Powell, South Carolina	6-4	231	Sr.
OF - J.C. Holt, LSU	5-10	170	Jr.
OF - Jon Zeringue, LSU	6-2	205	Jr.
OF - Brad Corley, Mississippi State	6-1	198	So.
DH - Stephen Head, Ole Miss	6-2	220	So.
P - Justin Hoyman, Florida	6-2	200	Jr.
P - Mark Holliman, Ole Miss	6-1	187	So.
RP - Chad Blackwell, South Carolina	6-1	162	Jr.
RP - Will Startup, Georgia	6-1	185	So.
SECOND TEAM	HT	WT	CLASS
1B - Josh Morris, Georgia	6-5	228	Fr.
2B - Marshall Szabo, Georgia	5-10	180	Jr.
3B - Clay Harris, LSU	6-4	225	Jr.
SS - Justin Holmes, Georgia	5-10	175	Sr.
SS - Scott Hode, Arkansas	6-0	180	Jr.
C - Craig Tatum, Mississippi State	6-0	221	So.
OF - Ryan Patterson, LSU	5-11	200	Jr.
OF - Brenden Winn, South Carolina	6-0	205	Jr.
OF - Ben Harrison, Florida	6-3	220	Sr.
OF - Seth Smith, Ole Miss	6-3	215	Jr.
DH - Alex Suarez, Tennessee	6-0	190	Jr.
P - Wade LeBlanc, Alabama	6-3	180	Fr.
P - Jeremy Sowers, Vanderbilt	6-1	175	Jr.
RP - Steven Register, Auburn	6-1	175	Jr.
ALL FRESHMAN TEAM	HT	WT	CLASS
1B - Josh Morris, Georgia	6-5	228	Fr.
2B- Adam Davis, Florida	5-9	180	Fr.
3B - Chris Coghlan, Ole Miss	6-1	197	Fr.
SS - David Cash, South Carolina	6-2	185	Fr.
C - Brian Jeroloman, Florida	5-11	180	Fr.
OF - Joey Side, Georgia	6-1	180	Fr.
OF - Alex Presley, Ole Miss	5-11	180	Fr.
OF - Jake Dugger, Arkansas	5-10	190	Fr.
DH - Danny Hamblin, Arkansas	6-1	200	Fr.
P - Wade LeBlanc, Alabama	6-3	180	Fr.
P - Clay Dirks, LSU	6-4	230	Fr.
RP - Alex Hempy, South Carolina	6-3	215	Fr.
SEC CO-PLAYERS OF THE YEAR - Jon Zeringue, LSU; Stephen Head, Ole Miss SEC PITCHER OF THE YEAR - Justin Hoyman, Florida SEC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR - Wade LeBlanc, Alabama SEC SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Brady Toops, Arkansas SEC CO-COACHES OF THE YEAR - Dave Van Horn, Arkansas; David Perno, Georgia

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