News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
BIRMINGHAM – The Texas A&M baseball team had a league-best five student-athletes named to the All-SEC Baseball Team, including four on the First Team, as announced by the conference office Monday afternoon. The five All-SEC honors are tied with the 2015 squad for the most since joining the league.
Aggie third baseman Gavin Grahovac was tabbed as the SEC Freshman of the Year and also earned a spot on the Freshman All-SEC Team alongside teammate Caden Sorrell. Grahovac is the second player in program history to earn SEC Freshman of the Year honors, joining Braden Shewmake in 2017.
The Maroon & White’s league-high four First Team All-SEC selections feature catcher Jackson Appel, outfielders Braden Montgomery and Jace LaViolette and reliever Evan Aschenbeck. LaViolette and Montgomery were also named to the SEC All-Defensive Team. Friday night ace Ryan Prager rounded out the All-SEC selections for the Aggies, landing on the Second Team.
In his rookie season, Grahovac has started 54 of the 55 games at third for the Maroon & White and is slashing .322/.417/.634 to go along with 19 homers and 59 RBI. The freshman’s 19 home runs are two away from matching the Texas A&M freshman single season record, which is held by LaViolette. Grahovac also leads the Aggies with 73 hits on the year and has crossed the plate 72 times, which ranks 10th nationally. In the SEC, the rookie sits inside the Top 10 in homers, RBI, RBI per game, runs, runs per game and total bases.
Appel became the first catcher in program history to earn All-SEC honors after registering a team-best .332 average in 52 games for the Maroon & White. The switch-hitter has also logged a triple, nine homers, 11 steals, 12 doubles and 36 RBI on the year. Behind the dish, Appel holds a .996 fielding percentage and has thrown out nine potential base stealers. The senior has also helped guide the Aggie pitching staff to the sixth-best ERA nationally.
Aschenbeck is the second relief pitcher in program history to receive All-SEC honors after logging a 5-1 record and a league-best seven saves in a team-high 24 appearances. The lefty holds a 1.80 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP and has struck out 64 batters in 55 innings of work. A semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, Aschenbeck has worked multiple innings in 21 of his 24 appearances and has not allowed a run in 16 of his outings.
LaViolette is in the midst of a monster sophomore campaign that has seen him belt 28 homers and drive in 72 RBI, while batting .324. The Aggie center fielder’s 28 long balls are the second most in program history and upped his career total to 49, which is third all-time in the Texas A&M record books. Nationally, LaViolette ranks fifth in homers, fifth in homers per game (0.51), sixth in runs (77), eighth in total bases (174), ninth in runs per game (1.40), 11th in slugging percentage (.817) and 14th in RBI. Among the SEC, the left-handed slugger sits inside the Top 5 in nine different statistical categories.
In 55 games, the sophomore has registered 20 multi-hit, 19 multi-RBI and six multi-homer performances.
Montgomery has started all 55 games for the Aggies and is batting .325 to go along with 26 homers and an SEC-best 80 RBI. Among the nation, Montgomery ranks fourth in RBI, seventh in homers, ninth in RBI per game (1.45), 15th in total bases (163) and 16th in walks (51). In the SEC, the switch-hitting slugger sits inside the Top 5 in seven different statistical categories. The junior also leads the Maroon & White with 23 multi-hit and 24 multi-RBI performances.
In his return from injury, Prager has shined in the Friday night role for the Aggies. The left-hander ranks inside the Top 5 in the league in complete games (1), ERA (2.47), hits allowed per nine (6.93), starts (14), strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.00), strikeouts (104), wins (8), WHIP (0.94) and walks allowed per nine innings (1.53). The redshirt sophomore, who was named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, has tossed seven quality starts on the season, started in four of the team’s NCAA-best 10 shutouts and has not allowed an earned run in seven outings.
After earning an everyday starting role in late March, Sorrell has become a budding star for the Maroon & White. The rookie is batting .293 in 49 games and has belted eight homers and driven in 33 RBI. Sorrell also leads the SEC with five triples, which ranks 17th nationally.
Texas A&M returns to the diamond Wednesday night for its opening game at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. The Aggies will face the winner of No. 5-seed Mississippi State and No. 12-seed Ole Miss in the final game of the night.
2024 SEC Baseball Awards
Player of the Year: Charlie Condon, Georgia
Pitcher of the Year: Hagen Smith, Arkansas
Freshman of the Year: Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Drew Beam, Tennessee
Coach of the Year: Nick Mingione, Kentucky
First Team All-SEC
C: Jackson Appel, Texas A&M
1B: Jac Caglianone, Florida
2B: Christian Moore, Tennessee
3B: Charlie Condon, Georgia
SS: Justin Lebron, Alabama*
SS: David Mershon, Mississippi State*
OF: Braden Montgomery, Texas A&M
OF: Jace LaViolette, Texas A&M
OF: Dylan Dreiling, Tennessee
SP: Hagen Smith, Arkansas
SP: Khal Stephen, Mississippi State
RP: Evan Aschenbeck, Texas A&M
DH/UT: Ike Irish, Auburn*
DH/UT: Nick Lopez, Kentucky*
Second Team All-SEC
C: Cole Messina, South Carolina
1B: Blake Burke, Tennessee
2B: Peyton Stovall, Arkansas
3B: Tommy White, LSU
SS: Wehiwa Aloy, Arkansas
OF: Kavares Tears, Tennessee
OF: Ryan Waldschmidt, Kentucky
OF: Dakota Jordan, Mississippi State
SP: Ryan Prager, Texas A&M
SP: Luke Holman, LSU
RP: Griffin Herring, LSU
DH/UT: Andrew Fischer, Ole Miss
Freshman All-SEC Team
Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M
Gabe Gaeckle, Arkansas
Justin Lebron, Alabama
Dean Curley, Tennessee
Tre Phelps, Georgia
Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M
Zane Adams, Alabama
Steven Milam, LSU
Ashton Larson, LSU
Cade Belyeu, Auburn
Liam Peterson, Florida
Nolan Souza, Arkansas
SEC All-Defensive Team
C: Fernando Gonzalez, Georgia
1B: Blake Burke, Tennessee
2B: Emilien Pitre, Kentucky
3B: Jared Sprague-Lott, Arkansas*
3B: Mitchell Daly, Kentucky*
SS: Justin Lebron, Alabama
OF: Braden Montgomery, Texas A&M
OF: Kavares Tears, Tennessee
OF: Peyton Holt, Arkansas*
OF: Jace LaViolette, Texas A&M
P: Mason Moore, Kentucky