BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Tennessee junior outfielders Jordan Beck and Drew Gilbert were named Preseason All-SEC second team, as voted on by the coaches and announced by the league office on Thursday afternoon.

Beck and Gilbert  both played major roles in helping lead the Vols to an historic season in 2021, which included the program’s first SEC eastern division title since 1997 and culminated with UT’s fifth trip to the College World Series and first appearance in Omaha since 2005. 

For Beck, this marks the latest honor on a long list of preseason accolades that also includes All-America recognition from the NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Baseball America.

The Hazel Green, Alabama, native enters the year with high expectations after a breakout sophomore campaign that saw him lead the team with 15 home runs and 64 runs batted in. The junior slugger is regarded as one of the most talented players in the country and is as a potential first-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.

Gilbert is also coming off a breakout sophomore season where he homered 10 times and finished second on the team with 62 RBIs. Gilbert is the team’s retuning hits leader after racking up 74 base knocks in 2021. The Stillwater, Minnesota, native was named the 2021 NCAA Knoxville Regional Most Outstanding Player and earned a spot on the 2021 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team last summer.

Vols Picked Fourth in Eastern Division
Despite winning the SEC’s eastern division for the first time since 1997 a year ago, UT was picked to finish fourth in this year’s preseason coaches’ poll. Vanderbilt was chosen to win the division with nine first-place votes and 87 points while Florida (three first-place votes and 77 points) and Georgia (two first-place votes and 68 points) were picked to finish second and third, respectively. Arkansas was selected to win the western division with five first-place votes and 80 points.

The full SEC Preseason Poll and All-SEC teams can be seen HERE.

The Vols open their 2022 campaign on Feb. 18 with a three-game series at home against Georgia Southern. Single-game tickets for Tennessee’s first 15 home games can be purchased at AllVols.com.

Tennessee Baseball 2022 Preseason Honors

OF Jordan Beck
Preseason All-SEC – Second Team
NCBWA Preseason All-American – Second Team
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason All-American – Second Team
Baseball America Preseason All-American – Third Team

OF Drew Gilbert
Preseason All-SEC – Second Team

C Evan Russell
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason All-American – Third Team

RHP Blade Tidwell
Baseball America Preseason All-American – First Team
NCBWA Preseason All-American – First Team
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason All-American – First Team
Perfect Game Preseason All-American – Second Team

-UT Athletics

2022 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll, Preseason All-SEC Team Announced

Ole Miss Picked To Win 2022 SEC Baseball Championship

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Feb. 10, 2022)—–Ole Miss has been predicted to win the 2022 Southeastern Conference baseball championship as voted by the league’s 14 head coaches in the annual preseason poll released Thursday. The Preseason All-SEC First and Second Teams were also announced.

Six different schools received first place votes to win the SEC championship. Ole Miss led the way with four, followed by Arkansas with three, Florida, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt with two and LSU with one. Arkansas was predicted to win the SEC Western Division, while Ole Miss and Mississippi State tied for the second most votes. Vanderbilt was the pick to win the Eastern Division, followed by Florida and Georgia.

Two Preseason All-SEC Teams were selected by a vote of the head coaches. Ten schools were represented on the All-SEC teams with Ole Miss leading the way with five selections. Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt each had three. LSU and Vanderbilt claimed an SEC-best three first team accolades.

The 2022 regular season for SEC teams begins Feb. 18 with conference play set to begin March 18. Eight SEC teams have been ranked in the top-25 of the preseason polls.

The 2022 SEC Baseball Tournament will take place May 24-29 at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Ala.

2022 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll

Eastern Division

1. Vanderbilt (9) – 87

2. Florida (3) – 77

3. Georgia (2) – 68

4. Tennessee – 63

5. South Carolina – 43

6. Kentucky – 34

7. Missouri – 20

Western Division

1. Arkansas (5) – 80

T2. Ole Miss (4) – 77

T2. Mississippi State (4) – 77

4. LSU (1) – 62

5. Alabama – 38

6. Texas A&M – 36

7. Auburn – 22

() – First place votes

SEC Champion: Ole Miss (4), Arkansas (3), Florida (2), Mississippi State (2), Vanderbilt (2), LSU (1)

2022 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team

First Team

C: Logan Tanner, Mississippi State

1B: Tre’ Morgan, LSU

2B: Robert Moore, Arkansas

3B: Jacob Berry, LSU

SS: Jacob Gonzalez, Ole Miss

OF: Dylan Crews, LSU

OF: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt

OF: Jud Fabian, Florida

DH/UTL: Dominic Keegan, Vanderbilt

SP: Landon Sims, Mississippi State

SP: Hunter Barco, Florida

RP: Nick Maldonado, Vanderbilt

Second Team

C: Hayden Dunhurst, Ole Miss

1B: Tim Elko, Ole Miss

2B: Peyton Chatagnier, Ole Miss

3B: Cayden Wallace, Arkansas

SS: Ryan Ritter, Kentucky

OF: Jordan Beck, Tennessee

OF: Drew Gilbert, Tennessee

OF: Brady Slavens, Arkansas*

OF: Kevin Graham, Ole Miss*

DH/UTL: Luke Hancock, Mississippi State

SP: Jonathan Cannon, Georgia

SP: Will Sanders, South Carolina

RP: Jaden Woods, Georgia

-SEC