BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — LSU junior outfielder Dylan Crews is the first consecutive winner of the Southeastern Conference player of the year award while Tigers junior right-hander Paul Skenes is pitcher of the year.
The teammates, projected as the top two picks in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft, were honored Monday in voting among the league’s head coaches. Pittsburgh has the first pick on July 9 and Washington selects second.
Crews and Skenes also were among 25 semifinalists announced Monday for the Golden Spikes Award, given to college player of the year and announced June 25.
Crews ranks seventh nationally and leads the SEC with a .423 batting average and has 14 home runs while reaching base in 59 consecutive games dating to last season.
Skenes leads the SEC in wins (10), strikeouts (164) and ERA (1.77). He is ranked No. 2 on LSU’s season strikeouts list.
Arkansas’s Dave Van Horn was chosen coach of the year and Georgia’s Charlie Condon was the pick as top freshman.
Alabama’s Andrew Pinckney and Georgia’s Ben Anderson shared SEC co-scholar-athlete of the year honors.
Condon is among the SEC leaders in batting (.393), hits (81) and RBIs (67), and his 25 home runs this season is an SEC freshman record.
Van Horn led the Razorbacks to their fourth SEC regular season title and second in the last three seasons.
The SEC Tournament runs Tuesday through Sunday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
