University of Tennessee Athletics
4 Vols Honored with SEC Postseason Awards
May 20, 2008 | Baseball
The Southeastern Conference announced its 2008 baseball awards Tuesday, and four Volunteers were among those honored. Sophomore catcher Yan Gomes and freshman centerfielder Kentrail Davis were second-team All-SEC selections, while Davis and fellow first-year Vol P.J. Polk were named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Senior pitcher Zane Stone also earned a spot on the SEC Baseball Community Service Team.
The All-SEC teams were voted on by the league???s 12 head coaches.
After earning Freshman All-America acclaim last season, Gomes once again turned in solid numbers for the Vols this year. The Miami, Fla., native hit .316 with 61 hits, five home runs and 35 RBI. Boasting an impressive arm behind the plate, Gomes also threw out 12 baserunners while helping Tennessee lead the league by allowing opponents to successfully steal bases just 53.7 percent of the time.
Tennessee has now had an All-SEC catcher in each of the last three seasons.
Davis announced himself as one of the premier offensive players on the college baseball landscape this season by leading the Vols in nine offensive categories, including batting average (.330), hits (68), home runs (13) and RBI (44). The Theodore, Ala., native also led the Vols with four multi-homer games and 21 multi-hit games.
Davis was one of five unanimous selections to the All-Freshman Team. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players, thus all unanimous selections received 11 of the 12 votes.
Polk, a true freshman from Murfreesboro, Tenn., was selected to the SEC All-Freshman Team as the designated hitter. He started 42 games this season and hit .273 with 41 hits, five home runs and 21 RBI. Four of Polk???s five homers came during SEC play. He totaled 17 extra-base hits on the year and also recorded eight multi-hit games.
Since the SEC began naming an All-Freshman Team in 2004, Tennessee has had eight honorees.
Stone was among 12 players from around the league that made up the 2008 SEC Baseball Community Service Team. The right-handed pitcher from Chattanooga, Tenn., has been very active with community service from he stepped onto campus.
The 2008 team co-captain made a habit of visiting patients at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, UT Medical Center and East Tennessee Children???s Hospital. He was very active in organizing the baseball team???s involvement with Race For The Cure and has been part of the Friends of the Smokies event, Buddy???s Race Against Cancer, several Mission of Hope events as well as an event at the Manna House.
Last fall Stone spearheaded the baseball team???s participation and fundraising efforts in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society???s Light The Night Walk, and the team raised more than $6,000 for the battle against blood cancers.
Georgia shortstop Gordon Beckham was named the 2008 SEC Baseball Player of the Year, Georgia closer Joshua Fields was voted SEC Pitcher of the Year, and Auburn first basemen Hunter Morris was selected as the SEC Freshman of the Year. The coaches tabbed Georgia skipper David Perno as SEC Coach of the Year.
Beckham also was named the SEC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Vols sophomore Nick Hernandez was Tennessee???s Scholar-Athlete nominee.
