Three LSU players named All-SEC first team preseason baseball

BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU outfielder Dylan Crews, first baseman Tre’ Morgan and infielder Jacob Berry were named 2022 First-Team Preseason All-SEC Thursday by the league coaches.

LSU and Vanderbilt claimed an SEC-best three first-team selections. In addition, the league coaches in their annual preseason survey predicted the Tigers to finish fourth in the SEC Western Division.

Crews, the 2021 Perfect Game National Freshman of the Year, hit .362 (89-for-246) last season with 16 doubles, two triples, 18 homers, 42 RBI, 64 runs scored and 12 stolen bases.

The product of Longwood, Fla., also received All-America, Freshman All-America, Second-Team All-SEC and Freshman All-SEC recognition, and he was voted the Louisiana Freshman of the Year.

Crews finished No. 1 in the SEC last season in total bases (163), No. 3 in batting average, No. 3 in on-base percentage (.453), No. 4 in base hits, No. 4 in runs scored, No. 5 in doubles and No. 5 in home runs.

Morgan, a product of New Orleans, La., batted .357 (89-for-249) in 2021 with 16 doubles, four triples, six homers, 42 RBI, 64 runs scored and 15 stolen bases. He received Freshman All-America, Second-Team All-SEC and Freshman All-SEC honors, and he was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team.

He finished No. 4 in the SEC in batting average, No. 4 in base hits, No. 4 in runs scored, No. 4 in triples, No. 5 in doubles, No. 5 in stolen bases and No. 7 in on-base percentage (.441).

Berry, who transferred last summer to LSU from Arizona, led the Wildcats to the 2021 College World Series and the Pac-12 championship.

A product of Queen Creek, Ariz., Berry batted .352 in 2021 with team highs of 17 homers and 70 RBI, and Collegiate Baseball newspaper named him the National Co-Freshman of the Year.

Berry earned first-team All-America recognition from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and he received second-team All-America honors from D1Baseball and Perfect Game.

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

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)