Four Diamond Hogs receive All-SEC honors
Arkansas baseball had four players honored as All-SEC selections by the league's coaches on Monday afternoon.
Sophomore pitcher Hagen Smith was named First Team All-SEC as a starting pitcher and he was also voted to the All-Defensive team. Freshman righty Gage Wood was named to the Freshman All-SEC team, designated hitter Kendall Diggs was named Second Team All-SEC and centerfielder Tavian Josenberger was named to the SEC All-Defensive team.
A native of Bullard, Texas, Smith did it all for the Razorbacks during the 2023 regular season. He was a legit ace at times, an elite closer and a longer relief option to earn the nickname "Wildcard."
Smith recorded an 8-1 record, 2.56 ERA, two saves, 37 walks and 93 strikeouts across 63 1/3 innings pitched. The southpaw started nine games, appeared in 15 and he struck out at least seven batters in 10 of his outings.
"Hagen Smith is real," Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin said Thursday. "That’s a really good arm, a really competitive kid."
Smith's ERA ranked third in the SEC and he was also top five in opposing batting average (.191), strikeouts (93) and wins (8). He did not commit an error on the mound during the regular season and he limited opposing base runners to just two steals all year.
A freshman from Batesville, Wood emerged as a trustworthy closer during SEC play. After a rough first career outing on Feb. 18 against TCU at the College Baseball Showdown, Wood seemed to gain more and more confidence just about every time he took the mound.
The right-hander had a 2-0 record, 3.81 ERA, five saves, 20 walks and 41 strikeouts across 28 1/3 innings pitched in the regular season. All five of his saves came in SEC play, which is good tied for the third most by an SEC pitcher in conference play.
Getting over the mental aspect has been a struggle at times for Wood, who gave up five earned runs on three hits and walked one during a 1/3 of an inning pitched in Friday's loss at Vanderbilt. When Wood is able to lock in, he is elite.
"There's so much mental to the game that nobody really knows about or sees," Wood said on May 5. "You really have to believe in yourself and have the confidence that you can do it. That switch, it did flip. And ever since it did, I just haven't looked back. I go into the game confident in myself and just go get the job done."
Diggs slashed .314/.451/.566 with 10 home runs and a team-leading 56 RBI through 51 regular season games this year. He posted a team-high 41 walk and totaled 55 hits, including 12 doubles and one triple. During SEC play, Diggs has posted a .291/.437/.495 slash line with three homers and a team-high 33 RBI in 30 league games.
Josenberger earned All-Defensive recognition in the outfield just a year after being Kansas' starting second baseman. He earned a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 116 total chances as the Hogs’ everyday centerfielder when healthy. Josenberger also recorded a team-best seven outfield assists and he helped turn five double plays.
Here are the full 2023 SEC Baseball awards and All-SEC teams:
2023 SEC Baseball Awards
Player of the Year: Dylan Crews, LSU
Pitcher of the Year: Paul Skenes, LSU
Freshman of the Year: Charlie Condon, Georgia
Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Ben Anderson, Georgia
Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Andrew Pinckney, Alabama
Coach of the Year: Dave Van Horn, Arkansas
First Team All-SEC
C: Cole Messina, South Carolina
1B: Jac Caglianone, Florida
2B: Cade Kurland, Florida
3B: Tommy White, LSU
SS: Josh Rivera, Florida
OF: Dylan Crews, LSU
OF: Wyatt Langford, Florida
OF: Ethan Petry, South Carolina
SP: Paul Skenes, LSU
SP: Hagen Smith, Arkansas
RP: Brandon Neely, Florida
DH/UT: Hunter Hines, Mississippi State
Second Team All-SEC
C: Calvin Harris, Ole Miss
1B: Charlie Condon, Georgia
2B: Emilien Pitre, Kentucky
3B: Luke Mann, Missouri*
3B: Bryson Ware, Auburn*
SS: Jacob Gonzalez, Ole Miss
OF: Kemp Alderman, Ole Miss
OF: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt
OF: Andrew Pinckney, Alabama*
OF: Jared Dickey, Tennessee*
SP: Devin Futrell, Vanderbilt
SP: Brandon Sproat, Florida
RP: Nick Maldonado, Vanderbilt
DH/UT: Kendall Diggs, Arkansas
Freshman All-SEC Team
Charlie Condon, Georgia
Ethan Petry, South Carolina
Ike Irish, Auburn
Cade Kurland, Florida
Colby Shelton, Alabama
Jared Jones, LSU
Jace LaViolette, Texas A&M
Alton Davis II, Alabama
Dakota Jordan, Mississippi State
Gage Wood, Arkansas
RJ Austin, Vanderbilt
Luke Heyman, Florida
SEC All-Defensive Team
C: Fernando Gonzalez, Georgia
1B: Drew Williamson, Alabama*
1B: Hunter Gilliam, Kentucky*
2B: Emilien Pitre, Kentucky
3B: Davis Diaz, Vanderbilt
SS: Jim Jarvis, Alabama
OF: Enrique Bradfield, Jr., Vanderbilt
OF: Dylan Crews, LSU
OF: Tavian Josenberger, Arkansas*
OF: Kason Howell, Auburn*
P: Hagen Smith, Arkansas
*Ties (Ties are not broken)