Senior catcher Josh Bell and senior reliever John Madden are first team selections. Junior outfielder Clete Thomas is a second team selection.
Bell finished the regular season with a .339 batting average with a team-leading 11 home runs. He ha 15 doubles and 55 runs batted in.
Bell is expected to be taken in the Major League Baseball Draft in June.
Auburn head coach Tom Slater said. “He made a commitment to be our starting catcher this year and as the year went on he improved tremendously both at the plate and behind it. He did a really nice job of handling our pitching staff all year long.”
If Auburn makes the NCAA Tournament field, which will be announced on Monday, Madden will have played a major role in that bid. He has the conference’s best earned run average at 1.64. He has a 6-2 record with seven saves and has allowed just six extra base hits in 76 2/3 innings.
John Madden's senior season has been by far his finest as a collegian.
“John did a great job for us this year as our stopper,” Slater says. “He has been tremendous for us all year long out of the bullpen and has been a guy we have been able to rely on all year.”
Thomas hit .327 and leads the SEC with five triples. He has 21 stolen bases and has scored 62 runs, which is fourth in the conference. He is expected to be selected in the June draft.
Thomas was rewarded for his season by being voted onto the second team. One of only three players to start every game this season for the Tigers, he hit .327 as AUG everyday right fielder. His 62 runs scored is a career-high, and fourth in the conference, while his nine outfield assists leads AUG outfielders. He also leads the league with five triples and is second on the team with 21 stolen bases.
“Clete has done a great job this year and I am really proud of him,” Slater says. “He has come to the park everyday and been a key component to our team all year.”
Clete Thomas has been a key player for Auburn in recent seasons.
Auburn, which missed a spot in this week’s SEC Tournament, has posted a 32-24 record this season. Auburn is 13-17 in conference games.
The Tigers are practicing on campus this week in anticipation of receiving an at-large NCAA Tournament bid thanks to a very high RPI built by playing one of the nation’s toughest schedules. However, losing the tiebreaker to get into the SEC Tournament this week in Hoover was not helpful to AU’s NCAA hopes.
Matt LaPorta of Florida has been named SEC Player of the Year and Luke Hochevar of Tennessee is the SEC Pitcher of the Year. UT’s J.P. Arencibia won the award as the league’s top freshman and Pat McMahon of Florida is the league’s coach of the year.
All-SEC First Team
1B--Matt LaPorta, Florida
2B--Adam Davis, Florida
3B--Chase Headley, Tennessee
SS--Steven Tollesen, South Carolina
C--Josh Bell, Auburn
OF--Ryan Patterson, LSU
OF--Brian Pettway, Ole Miss
OF--Eli Iorg, Tennessee
OF--Gabe Scott, Alabama
DH--Stephen Head, Ole Miss
P--Luke Hochevar, Tennessee
P--Greg Smith, LSU
RP--John Madden, Auburn
All SEC Second Team
1B--Steve Pearce, South Carolina
2B--John Shelby, Kentucky
3B--Chris Coghlan, Ole Miss
SS--Justin Tordi, Florida
C--Brian Jeroloman, Florida
OF--Jeff Corsaletti, Florida
OF--Clete Thomas, Auburn
OF--Nick Stavinoha, LSU
DH--Blake Gill, LSU
P--Clay Dirks, LSU
P--Jensen Lewis, Vanderbilt
RP--Connor Falkenbach, Florida
All SEC Freshman Team
1B--Justin Henry, Ole Miss
2B--Ryan Wilkes, Kentucky
2B--Cale Iorg, Alabama
3B--Brandon McArthur, Florida
3B--Chris Jackson, LSU
SS--Zack Cozart, Ole Miss
C--J.P. Arencibia, Tennessee
OF--Julio Borbon, Tennessee
OF--Antone DeJesus, Kentucky
OF--Clint Arnold, Arkansas
DH--Jordan Mayer, LSU
DH--Joshua Fields, Georgia
P--James Adkins, Tennessee
P--Nick Schmidt, Arkansas
RP--David Robertson, Alabama