UF center fielder Jud Fabian and starting pitcher Hunter Barco were both named to the coaches’ All-SEC First Team.
Additionally, the Gators were picked to finish second in the SEC East behind Vanderbilt. They received three votes to win the East and two votes to win the entire conference. Their 77 points trailed only Vanderbilt and Arkansas in the rankings.
Barco was also named to all five preseason All-America teams. The NCBWA, Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball selected him to their first teams, while D1Baseball and Perfect Game placed him on their second teams.
Barco led the Gators with 10 wins in 2021. He posted a 4.01 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 83 innings. Opponents batted just .239 against him, and he put together a streak of nine consecutive starts without being charged with a loss.
He was named to the SEC All-Newcomer Team and the Southeast-ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Second Team. He was recently named the No. 7 college prospect for the 2022 MLB Draft by Baseball America. MLB Pipeline ranked the Jacksonville native as the 54th-best prospect in the draft overall.
Fabian was named to Collegiate Baseball’s preseason All-America first team, the NCBWA’s second team and D1Baseball’s and Perfect Game’s third teams.
The Ocala, Florida, native became just the fifth Gator to ever slug 20 home runs in a season, a total that also ranked second in the SEC. He also ranked ninth in the SEC in walks (40) and tied for 13th in slugging percentage (.560).
He recorded four games with multiple home runs, and he reached base safely in 23 consecutive games at one point.
Fabian played superb defense in center field, posting a .971 fielding percentage and two outfield assists in 139 chances. He was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team for his performance.
Here is the complete preseason All-SEC team and the predicted order of finish.
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