Schmidt Named SEC Pitcher of Year Dugger on All-SEC Team

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Arkansas left-handed pitcher Nick Schmidt was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year and outfielder Jake Dugger was selected second-team All-SEC on Tuesday by a vote of the 12 league coaches.

Kentucky junior first baseman Ryan Strieby was selected 2006 SEC Baseball Player of the Year and Vanderbilt third basemen Pedro Alvarez was named SEC Freshman of the Year. The coaches also tabbed Kentucky skipper John Cohen as SEC Coach of the Year. Alabama outfielder Emeel Salem was named SEC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Schmidt, who improved to 9-2 with Friday’s 6-3 win over Auburn,was third in the SEC with a 2.81 ERA, second in strikeouts (130), second in opposing batting average (.199) and second in wins (9). In his last start, he went eight innings and had 15 strikeouts,

Dugger is hitting .326 on the season with 12 home runs and 42 RBI while playing outstanding defense in outfield. He led the Hogs with a .450 on-base percentage, a .583 slugging percentage and 38 walks.

Cohen led the Wildcats to a 20-10 record in conference play and a share of the SEC Championship. This was the first overall championship in the history of Kentucky baseball. Cohen was the only unanimous winner in the 2006 SEC awards. As a freshman, Alvarez scored 61 runs and hit 17 homeruns while helping the Commodores to a 16-14 conference mark and the sixth seed in the SEC Tournament. Salem led the SEC in hits (89) and stolen bases (32). He carries a 3.9 GPA, double-majoring in Marketing and Spanish, and was the only unanimous player selected to the 2006 All-SEC squad.

Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own players, thus a unanimous selection earns 11 of the 12 first-team votes. The complete 2006 All-SEC Team follows:

SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Ryan Strieby, Kentucky SEC PITCHER OF THE YEAR – Nick Schmidt, Arkansas SEC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt SEC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – Emeel Salem, Alabama SEC COACH OF THE YEAR – *John Cohen, Kentucky

* unanimous selection

FIRST TEAM 1B – Ryan Strieby, Kentucky 2B – Jeffrey Rea, Mississippi State 3B – Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt SS – Zack Cozart, Ole Miss SS – Thomas Berkery, Mississippi State C – J.P. Arencibia, Tennessee OF – *Emeel Salem, Alabama OF – Quinn Stewart, LSU OF – Michael Campbell, South Carolina DH – Mike Bianucci, Auburn P – Nick Schmidt, Arkansas P – Wade LeBlanc, Alabama RP – Joshua Fields, Georgia

SECOND TEAM 1B – Josh Morris, Georgia 2B – John Shelby, Kentucky 3B – Chris Coghlan, Ole Miss SS – Michael Hollander, LSU SS – Reese Havens, South Carolina C – Kody Valverde, Alabama C – Sean Coughlin, Kentucky OF – Jake Dugger, Arkansas OF – Joey Side, Georgia OF – Julio Borbon, Tennessee DH – Robbie Grinestaff, South Carolina P – David Price, Vanderbilt P – Bryan Augenstein, Florida RP – Wynn Pelzer, South Carolina

ALL FRESHMAN TEAM 1B – Justin Smoak, South Carolina 2B – J.T. Wise, LSU 3B – Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt SS – Tony Delmonico, Tennessee OF – Luke Greinke, Auburn OF – Jared Bogany, LSU OF – Andrew Crisp, South Carolina DH – Mike Bianucci, Auburn P – Tommy Hunter, Alabama P – Mike Cisco, South Carolina RP – Cody Satterwhite, Ole Miss