UT's Jeff Pickler named SEC Player of the
Year
5/12/98
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- University of Tennessee senior second baseman Jeff Pickler was selected as the 1998 Southeastern Conference Baseball Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s 12 head baseball coaches. The coaches also tabbed South Carolina skipper Ray Tanner as the SEC Coach of the Year. Pickler also leads a list of players named to the first and second-team All-SEC squads for this season.
The Santa Ana, Calif. native, led the SEC in hitting with a .445 average, the highest in the league since Dave Magadan hit .525 during the 1983 season. Kentucky’s Jeff Abbott also hit .445 in 1994. His batting average was also second in Tennessee’s record books. Pickler also led the SEC in doubles with 30, the third highest total in SEC history, and his 109 hits were tied for fourth in SEC history. He had base hits in 50-of-56 games and recorded 38 multi-hit games.
Tanner directed the Gamecocks to a 42-14 overall and 19-10 SEC mark this season. In the pre-season coaches’ poll, South Carolina was predicted to finish third in the Eastern Division. The Gamecocks spent several weeks this season perched atop the Eastern Division. Last season, South Carolina finished the season with a 33-24 overall and 13-17 conference mark, a 6.5 game improvement in the SEC. The Benson, N.C. native is in his second season at South Carolina after coaching nine seasons at North Carolina State.
Joining Pickler as the only other unanimous choice on the All-SEC team was LSU senior first baseman Eddy Furniss. The Nacogdoches, Texas native returns to the first-team after making the second-team last season and the first-team in 1996. Furniss owns virtually all of LSU’s career hitting records and finished the regular season with a .398 batting average, tied for the SEC lead in home runs with 24, and led the SEC in slugging percentage at a .903 clip.
Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own players, thus a unanimous selection earns 11 of the 12 first-team votes. The complete 1998 All-SEC Team follows:
FIRST TEAM B-T HT WT CL HOMETOWN 1B - *(2)Eddy Furniss, LSU L-L 6-4 220 Sr. Nacogdoches, Texas 2B - *Jeff Pickler, Tenn. L-R 5-10 183 Sr. Santa Ana, Calif. 3B - Andy Phillips, Ala. R-R 6-0 205 Jr. Demopolis, Ala. SS - Adam Everett, USC R-R 6-1 167 Jr. Kennesaw, Ga. C - (2)Matt Frick, Ala. R-R 6-0 233 Sr. Phoenix, Ariz. OF - Mike Curry, USC L-R 5-11 189 Jr. Jacksonville, Fla. OF - (2)Clinton Johnston, VU L-L 6-3 200 Jr. Vero Beach, Fla. OF - #Sonny Cortez, Tenn. R-R 6-1 212 Sr. Long Beach, Calif. OF - #(1)Brad Wilkerson, Fla. L-L 6-0 193 Jr. Owensboro, Ky. DH - Todd Faulkner, Aub. R-R 6-2 180 Fr. Marietta, Ga. P - David Walling, Ark. R-R 6-5 195 So. Lakeside, Calif. P - Kip Bouknight, USC R-R 6-1 189 Fr. Gaston, S.C. RP - Josh Fogg, Fla. R-R 6-2 205 Jr. Margate, Fla. SECOND TEAM B-T HT WT CL HOMETOWN 1B - Richard Lee, MSU R-R 6-1 208 Sr. Jackson, Miss. 2B - Brad Henderson, Miss. R-R 6-2 190 Jr. Tupelo, Miss. 3B - Trey McClure, LSU R-R 6-0 215 Jr. Baker, La. SS - Scott Pratt, Aub. L-R 5-11 180 Jr. Tooele, Utah C - Brad Cresse, LSU R-R 6-3 215 So. Seal Beach, Calif. OF - Brian Wiese, MSU R-R 5-9 191 Jr. Greenwell Springs, La. OF - *(1)Ryan Lundquist, Ark. R-R 6-0 210 Jr. Norman, Okla. OF - #Josh Etheredge, Aub. R-R 6-2 215 Sr. Brandon, Fla. OF - #(2)G.W. Keller, Ala. R-R 5-10 160 Jr. Bakersfield, Calif. DH - Travis Copley, Tenn. L-R 6-3 211 Sr. Chattanooga, Tenn. P - Jeremy Jackson, MSU L-L 6-4 203 Jr. Meridian, Miss. P - Doug Thompson, LSU R-R 6-1 195 Sr. Biloxi, Miss. RP - Jarrod Kingrey, Ala. R-R 6-0 200 Sr. Fortson, Ga. SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Jeff Pickler, 2B, Tennessee SEC COACH OF THE YEAR - Ray Tanner, South Carolina
* - Unanimous selection (11 of 12 coaches' votes) /
(1) - 1997 All-SEC First-Team Selection /
(2) - 1997 All-SEC Second-Team Selection /
# - Ties
(NOTE: Furniss was also a first-team All-SEC pick in 1996 while Etheredge
and Wilkerson were second-team selections in 1996.)