The SEC is considered by many to be the toughest college baseball conference in the country. By one metric, anyway, that appears to be true- the RPI lists the SEC as #1.
It makes it all the more special, then, when former Valley Leaguers perform well inside that environment. Three players, in fact, have been named to the All-SEC teams (stats through Wednesday, May 25):
- Sonny DiChiara, Auburn (Strasburg 2019): DiChiara was named co-player of the year, and obviously to the first team All-Conference, at first base. DiChiara is hitting .382/.561/.782 in 165 at-bats, with 46 runs, 15 doubles, 17 home runs, 47 RBIs, and a silly 62/44 BB/K ratio.
- BT Riopelle, Florida (Purcellville 2019): Riopelle was named to the first team at catcher. He’s hitting .302/.370/.571 in 189 at-bats, with seven doubles, 14 home runs, and 50 RBIs.
- Wyatt Langford, Florida (Charlottesville 2021): Langford made the second team in the outfield. He’s hitting .363/.453/.716 in 215 at-bats, with 61 runs, seven doubles, three triples, 21 home runs, 55 RBIs, and a solid 30/33 BB/K ratio.
Others that had good seasons but weren’t honored:
- Trace Bright, Auburn (Charlottesville 2021): 3-4, 4.68, with 73 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings
- Hunter Hoopes, Alabama (Woodstock 2019, 2021): 2.25, with 23 K’s in 20 innings
- Oraj Anu, Kentucky (New Market 2018): .352/.371/.549 in 91 AB, with seven doubles and three home runs
- Parker Stinnett, Mississippi State (Charlottesville 2021): Struck out 49 in 32 1/3 innings
- Andrew Eyster, South Carolina (New Market 2018): .318/.399/.520, ten doubles, ten home runs, 53 RBIs
- Luc Lipcius, Tennessee (Front Royal 2017): .314/.479/.679, 58 runs, eight doubles, 16 home runs, 53/51 BB/K