Kopps, Van Horn, 6 other Hogs recognized by SEC

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FAYETTEVILLE — Kevin Kopps was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year, Dave Van Horn was tabbed the SEC Coach of the Year and six other Razorbacks were recognized by the league’s coaches Monday.

In addition to winning the top pitching award, Kopps headlined a group of three first-team All-SEC selections from Arkansas that also included second baseman Robert Moore and designated hitter Matt Goodheart.

Outfielder Christian Franklin and pitcher Patrick Wicklander landed on the second team, while outfielder Cayden Wallace made the All-Freshman Team, Moore and pitcher Peyton Pallette made the All-Newcomer Team and Moore, Franklin and Kopps made the All-Defensive Team.

The trio of honors for Kopps come after an incredible season in which he became arguably the most dominant pitcher in the country. The sixth-year senior routinely pitched multiple times per weekend in SEC play and ended the regular season with a 10-0 record and eight saves in 26 appearances.

He leads the country with a 0.75 ERA and has 97 strikeouts with only 15 walks in 60 1/3 innings. The bulk of his work has come in conference play and he’s been even better, posting a 0.53 ERA with 79 strikeouts and 10 walks in 50 2/3 innings while holding opponents to a .150 batting average.

Those incredible numbers and his unique versatility helped him beat out likes of Vanderbilt’s Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter to become just the second reliever to win SEC Pitcher of the Year since the award was created in 2003, joining Georgia’s Joshua Fields (2008).

Kopps also joins Nick Schmidt, who won it in 2006, as the only Razorbacks to win the award. He is a candidate for national player of the year awards, as well, with the Dick Howser Trophy already naming him a semifinalist and the Golden Spikes Award likely to have him in the mix.

Moore was a preseason All-American by multiple outlets and although his batting average has dipped to .285, he is still tied for the team lead with 13 home runs and is third on the team with 46 RBIs.

In a midweek win over Central Arkansas, Moore became the first Arkansas player to hit for the cycle since 1994. That performance included one of his three triples this season, which is tied for the team lead, plus he is second on the team in stolen bases (6) and walks (33) and leads the SEC with eight sacrifice flies.

He has also made several tremendous plays in the field at second base, helping him make the All-Defensive Team. His inclusion on the All-Newcomer Team is because his true freshman season was cut short by the pandemic last year.

Goodheart ended the season in a slump that saw his batting average dip to .279, but he still hit 12 home runs - which is one shy of the team lead - and has a team-high 34 walks. A shoulder injury suffered two years ago has led to him serving primarily as the Razorbacks’ designated hitter, but he has made a couple of appearances at first base.

Franklin was a consensus preseason All-American and has mostly lived up to that billing. He is top three on the team in each of the Triple Crown statistics, hitting .293 with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs.

A true five-tool player, he also leads the team in doubles (15), stolen bases (9) and hit by pitches (12). Throw in 31 walks and Franklin has a .293/.421/.574 slash line, giving him a team-high .995 OPS, plus he plays an excellent center field.

He has made several highlight reel plays, from home run robberies to diving catches, and has three outfield assists, all without committing an error this season, making him an easy choice for the SEC All-Defensive Team.

Not only did Wicklander not begin the season in Arkansas’ starting rotation, he didn’t even pitch on Opening Weekend in Arlington, Texas. However, he eventually evolved into a bonafide ace during SEC play.

The left-hander’s 1.89 ERA is second only to Kopps among qualified pitchers in the SEC and ranks 13th nationally, but he’s been even better against conference opponents. In 10 SEC appearances, he has a 1.70 ERA with 63 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 53 innings and opponents are hitting just .201.

He hasn’t received as much attention as Heston Kjerstad and Casey Martin a few years ago, but Wallace has quietly put together a very strong freshman campaign with the Razorbacks. He has a team-high .308 batting average and his 12 home runs are two shy of matching Kjerstad’s UA freshman record.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Wallace’s season is just how consistent he’s been since a slow start to the year. He hit safely in 25 of 30 conference games, including 15 straight at one point, helping him post an incredible .331 batting average in SEC play.

Much like Moore, Pallette had his freshman season cut short by the pandemic, making him eligible for the All-Newcomer Team. He spent most of the season in the Razorbacks’ weekend rotation, while also making a handful relief appearances and earning a save. The right-hander posted a 4.02 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 56 innings.

It is the second time Van Horn has been named SEC Coach of the Year, with the other coming in 2004 when he led the Razorbacks to a shared overall SEC regular-season title. This year, they won the crown by two games over the rest of the conference and didn’t lose a single series, something that had been done just once before.

The 22-8 SEC record also matched Arkansas’ best mark since joining the conference in 1992, tying the 1999 team that won the only other outright regular-season title in school history.

The other major awards were won by Mississippi State’s Tanner Allen (SEC Player of the Year), Vanderbilt’s Enrique Bradfield Jr. (SEC Freshman of the Year), Vanderbilt’s Jack Leiter (SEC Newcomer of the Year) and Ole Miss’ Tim Elko (SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year).

First Team

C: Sam Praytor, Alabama

1B: Will Frizzell, Texas A&M

2B: Robert Moore, Arkansas

3B: Jake Rucker, Tennessee

SS: Liam Spence, Tennessee

OF: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State

OF: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt

OF: Jud Fabian, Florida

DH/UT: Matt Goodheart, Arkansas

SP: Kumar Rocker, Vanderbilt

SP: Doug Nikhazy, Ole Miss*

SP: Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt*

RP: Kevin Kopps, Arkansas

Second Team

C: Hayden Dunhurst, Ole Miss

1B: Tre' Morgan, LSU

2B: Peyton Wilson, Alabama

3B: Justin Bench, Ole Miss

SS: Ryan Bliss, Auburn

OF: Dylan Crews, LSU

OF: Christian Franklin, Arkansas

OF: Rowdey Jordan, Mississippi State

DH/UT: Wes Clarke, South Carolina

SP: Landon Marceaux, LSU

SP: Patrick Wicklander, Arkansas

RP: Landon Sims, Mississippi State

Freshman All-SEC Team

Tre' Morgan, LSU

Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt

Dylan Crews, LSU

Cayden Wallace, Arkansas

Jacob Gonzalez, Ole Miss

TJ McCants, Ole Miss

Blade Tidwell, Tennessee

Will Sanders, South Carolina

Jordan Thompson, LSU

Jaden Woods, Georgia

Corey Collins, Georgia

Jack Bulger, Vanderbilt*

Sterlin Thompson, Florida*

Newcomer All-SEC Team

Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt

Robert Moore, Arkansas

Landon Sims, Mississippi State

Hayden Dunhurst, Ole Miss

Zane Denton, Alabama

Will Bednar, Mississippi State

Hunter Barco, Florida

Peyton Wilson, Alabama

Logan Tanner, Mississippi State

Carter Young, Vanderbilt

Nathan Hickey, Florida

Peyton Pallette, Arkansas

SEC All-Defensive Team

C: Hayden Dunhurst, Ole Miss

1B: Tre' Morgan, LSU

2B: Robert Moore, Arkansas

3B: Zane Denton, Alabama

SS: Ryan Bliss, Auburn*

SS: Liam Spence, Tennessee*

OF: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt

OF: Christian Franklin, Arkansas

OF: Jud Fabian, Florida

P: Tyler Ras, Alabama*

P: Kevin Kopps, Arkansas*

*Tie (Ties are not broken)