HOOVER, Alabama – Texas A&M middle infielders Braden Shewmake and Michael Helman were honored by the Southeastern Conference as the league announced the 2018 Baseball Awards and All-SEC Teams Monday, recognizing standout performances from the season.
For the second consecutive season, Shewmake was named All-SEC First Team, this time garnering the honor at shortstop. The other half of the A&M double-play combo, Helman, was named All-SEC Second Team in his first season in Aggieland.
Shewmake, appeared in all but one game during his sophomore campaign, leading the team in RBI with 42. He hit .329 (71-for-216) with five home runs. The Wylie, Texas, native was even better in SEC play, recording a .333 average. Additionally, Shewmake was a perfect 12-for-12 in stolen base attempts.
The 2017 All-SEC First Team selection at second base, Shewmake is the second Aggie to gain multiple All-SEC honors joining Nick Banks (2014, 2015) and the first Aggie to be named an all-conference first teamer twice since Tyler Naquin (2011, 2012).
Helman, a Hutchinson College transfer, started all 55 regular season games at second base. He ranks second in the SEC with a .365 batting average and .455 on-base percentage. Helman became the spark at the top of Aggie offense, hitting in the first two slots in every game and leading the A&M offense in runs (54), hits (80), doubles (14) and at-bats (219). The Lincoln, Nebraska, native etched his name in the Aggie record book with a 20-game hitting streak earlier in the season, one of the ten longest in A&M history.
The Aggies open the SEC Tournament Tuesday as they play the Vanderbilt Commodores in the opener at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. The tournament opener is slated for 9:30 am with Kaylor Chafin (4-0, 3.47 ERA) slated to pitch for A&M against Tyler Brown (1-3, 6.07 ERA) of Vanderbilt.
2018 SEC Baseball Awards
Player of the Year: Jonathan India, Florida
Pitcher of the Year: Brady Singer, Florida
Freshman of the Year: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas
Coach of the Year: Kevin O’Sullivan, Florida
Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Keegan McGovern, Georgia
Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Nico Mascia, Tennessee
All-SEC First Team
C: JJ Schwarz, Florida
1B: Kole Cottam, Kentucky
2B: Carson Shaddy, Arkansas
3B: Jonathan India, Florida
SS: Braden Shewmake, Texas A&M
OF: Jake Mangum, Mississippi State
OF: Ryan Olenek, Ole Miss
OF: Keegan McGovern, Georgia
DH/UT: Luke Heyer, Kentucky
SP: Brady Singer, Florida
SP: Casey Mize, Auburn
RP: Michael Byrne, Florida
All-SEC Second Team
C: Nick Fortes, Ole Miss
1B: Adam Sasser, Georgia
2B: Michael Helman, Texas A&M
3B: Casey Martin, Arkansas
SS: Will Holland, Auburn
OF: Eric Cole, Arkansas
OF: Wil Dalton, Florida
OF: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas
DH/UT: Michael Curry, Georgia
SP: Blaine Knight, Arkansas
SP: Jackson Kowar, Florida
RP: Parker Caracci, Ole Miss
Freshman All-SEC Team
C: Mason Meadows, Georgia
1B: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State
2B: Anthony Servideo, Ole Miss
3B: Casey Martin, Arkansas
OF: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas
OF: Daniel Cabrera, LSU
OF: Steven Williams, Auburn
DH/UT: Edouard Julien, Auburn
SP: Ma’Khail Hilliard, LSU
SP: Tanner Burns, Auburn
RP: Cody Greenhill, Auburn
SEC All-Defensive Team
C: Grant Koch, Arkansas
1B: Cole Zabowski, Ole Miss
2B: Luke Jarvis, Auburn
3B: Jonathan India, Florida
SS: Connor Kaiser, Vanderbilt
OF: Zach Watson, LSU
OF: Jake Mangum, Mississippi State
OF: Dominic Fletcher, Arkansas
P: Will Neely, Tennessee