Florida Baseball Dominates Top SEC Awards

By any objective measure, the No. 1 Florida baseball team had a pretty good regular season.

An outright regular season SEC title. A 41-15 record, tied for the second-most wins before postseason play in school history (44 in 2016).

Florida’s sweep of the top SEC awards is yet another highlight of their dominant performance thus far.

India, Singer, O’Sullivan Take Home Awards

Florida became just the second school in SEC history on Monday to sweep the conference player, pitcher, and coach of the year awards.

Third baseman Jonathan India took home SEC Player of the Year after a breakout junior year. India led the league in slugging percentage (.730), the team in batting average (.365), and tied with Wil Dalton for the team lead in home runs (16). In addition, India was named to the All-SEC First Team and All-SEC defensive team.

Leads the SEC in. . .

• Slugging percentage (.730)
• On-base percentage (.506)
• Walks (45)

@jonathan_india is the #SECBSB Player of the Year! pic.twitter.com/QAPuAy2U2n

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) May 21, 2018

Right-hander Brady Singer earned SEC Pitcher of the Year after being Florida’s ace as the Friday night starter. He had big shoes to fill after Alex Faedo, last season’s Most Outstanding Player in Omaha, left for the MLB Draft, and Singer more than delivered. Singer went 10-1 with a 2.25 ERA, leading the conference in both categories. He also was named to the All-SEC First Team.

Leads the SEC with 10 wins and a 2.25 earned run average and has held hitters to a .186 batting average. @bsinger51 is the #SECBSB Pitcher of the Year! pic.twitter.com/1JM1Gc6Fqv

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) May 21, 2018

And to no surprise, Kevin O’Sullivan won the conference coach of the year. O’Sullivan was tasked with re-focusing a team that was coming off a national championship, and made them seem like an even better version of that team with increased pop at the plate and the same consistent pitching. It’s the fifth time O’Sullivan has won the award, the third-most times a coach has received the distinction.

Led @GatorsBB to 41 wins and the SEC regular season championship.

Florida was ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in each week of the regular season.

Kevin O'Sullivan is the #SECBSB Coach of the Year! pic.twitter.com/fNs8zRXe6o

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) May 21, 2018

In addition to India and Singer, relief pitcher Michael Byrne and catcher J.J. Schwarz were also named to the All-SEC First Team.

Outfielder Wil Dalton and and junior right-hander Jackson Kowar made it on the All-SEC Second Team.