Koch gets All-SEC accolade

Arkansas catcher Grant Koch runs the ball to third base to tag out one of two Georgia baserunners stationed at the bag Saturday, April 15, 2017, during the fourth inning at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville. Visit nwadg.com/photos to see more photographs from the game.
Arkansas catcher Grant Koch runs the ball to third base to tag out one of two Georgia baserunners stationed at the bag Saturday, April 15, 2017, during the fourth inning at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville. Visit nwadg.com/photos to see more photographs from the game.

HOOVER, Ala. -- Grant Koch's first season as the full-time catcher for the Arkansas Razorbacks saw the sophomore emerge as a force in the cleanup spot and earned the Fayetteville native first-team All-SEC honors.

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Koch was the lone Razorback selected in voting by league coaches announced Monday by the SEC office. Koch enters the postseason with a .287 batting average, 13 home runs and 40 RBI.

"It's great for me and for my team," Koch said. "It's kind of a lot of hard work that has culminated.

"The first thing I think is I feel blessed to be put in the position I am at the University of Arkansas with the coaches I've had and the teammates I have around me. I think a lot of it goes to my family as well for all the support they give me."

Koch has made only one error this season in 461 chances for a .998 fielding percentage, the highest among SEC players with at least 314 chances.

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville sophomore shortstop Jax Biggers was chosen second-team All-SEC, while outfielder Dominic Fletcher made the SEC All-Freshman team.

"It's awesome," Biggers said. "I was very honored, of course, and grateful to have the opportunity. I'm just thankful for the coaches I've been around and the teammates supporting me through all of it to help me get where I am today."

Biggers, a native of Missouri City, Texas, is hitting a team-high .335, ninth in the SEC, with 4 home runs, 27 RBI and 41 runs. His fielding percentage of .971 is eight percentage points higher than Florida's Dalton Guthrie, who was chosen as the shortstop on the SEC's All-Defensive team.

Biggers is a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, which is given to the nation's top shortstop.

Fletcher is hitting .292 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI. The native of Cypress, Calif., has 14 hits in his past eight games, with 6 RBI and 4 home runs. His 10 home runs are tied with Texas A&M's Braden Shewmake for the most among SEC freshmen.

Mississippi State's Brent Rooker was named SEC player of the year, while Kentucky's Nick Mingione was voted coach of the year. Kentucky's Sean Hjelle was selected SEC pitcher of the year, Texas A&M's Shewmake was freshman of the year and Kentucky's Zach Logue was the league's scholar athlete of the year.

Rooker has a strong possibility of winning the SEC triple crown. The first baseman is leading the league by 30 points with a .415 average; by three home runs with 20; and by 9 RBI with 73.

Sports on 05/23/2017

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