23 May 2022
COLUMBIA, S.C. — BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Senior Brandt Belk of the University of South Carolina baseball team was named to the All-Southeastern Conference second team while freshman Michael Braswell was selected to the SEC’s All-Freshman Team, the conference office announced the day before the start of the SEC Tournament.
Belk becomes Carolina’s second straight All-SEC honoree at the utility position. Wes Clarke earned Second Team honors in 2021. Belk leads the Gamecocks with a .340 batting average to go along with 43 runs scored, 10 doubles, a triple, six home runs and 38 RBI. Belk is second on the team with 11 stolen bases while splitting time between first base and the outfield. He had four hits against Texas on March 12 and had four RBI at Missouri on April 2. Belk had a 24-game hit streak from March 8-April 22 and a 27-game reached base streak this season.
Braswell has started at shortstop in 53 games for the Gamecocks, hitting .284 with 29 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples, two home runs and 27 RBI. He also made seven appearances on the mound with a win, three saves and nine strikeouts in five innings pitched. Braswell had the game-winning RBI on Feb. 20 against UNC Greensboro, helping him to an SEC Freshman of the Week honor. He had four hits at Clemson on March 6 and was a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI in a win over Kentucky on May 13.
In other specialty awards, Auburn’s Sonny DiChiara and LSU’s Dylan Crews shared Player of the Year honors, while Tennessee’s Chase Dollander and Drew Beam earned Pitcher and Freshman of the Year, respectively. Tennessee’s Tony Vitello earned Coach of the Year honors and Georgia’s Ben Anderson was the Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Carolina is the 10th seed in the SEC Tournament and will face seventh-seeded Florida on Tuesday afternoon (May 24) at approximately 2 p.m. Eastern time at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Ala.