2026 SEC Baseball Midseason Awards

In some sports, the midway point of a season serves as a pit stop on a long road trip.

An opportunity to get out of the car, stretch your legs and work that crick out of your back as you waddle into the convenience store. Pop in for a couple snacks and a beverage, mosey your way back to the pump, refill the tank and get back on the road.

College baseball’s midseason does not offer that luxury.

With seven weekends of action in the books, the 2026 SEC car ride is beginning to take its toll on all passengers. Everyone could use a bathroom break, phone batteries are dying, and there’s only one charger to go around. South Carolina just started asking, “Are we there yet?”

No, South Carolina, we are not there yet. In fact, I just checked the map, and Hoover is still seven weeks away. It’s time to put the pedal to the metal.

The trip only gets more taxing from here, so before we put this thing into overdrive, let’s dole out some midseason awards. Players are putting together All-American seasons, and there have already been plenty of memorable moments.

On behalf of Just Baseball, I’m handing out 10 awards to some of the best in the SEC.

Player of the Year: Georgia C Daniel Jackson

Stats (29 G): .417/.515/.935, 45 H (6 2B, 1 3B, 16 HR), 46 RBI, 18 BB, 13 SB, 27 A

If you’ve been reading Just Baseball this season, then you’re well aware of the monumental rise of Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson. If you haven’t been reading along, then allow me to catch you up to speed.

Jackson came to Athens in 2025 after an impressive year at Wofford that saw him earn SoCon Freshman of the Year honors. He played a vital utility role for the Bulldogs last season, making starts at catcher, left field, right field and first base.

He made 36 starts in total. The numbers weren’t bad, but they weren’t great. He slashed .240/.365/.612, hit 14 home runs and drove in 36 runs. He was a secondary piece to the puzzle for UGA, striking out 30 percent of the time, but he also drew 19 walks and even stole 12 bases.

Clearly, there was room for improvement, but would Jackson be able to consistently hit his way into the everyday lineup? After all, no one shuffles the deck more than head coach Wes Johnson, and he brought in the No. 1 transfer portal class in the nation to go along with plenty of experienced returnees and some touted freshmen. Nothing is guaranteed with a roster that deep.

Just one look at Jackson’s stats this spring tells you everything you need to know: the answer is yes. He’s mollywhopping baseballs for fun, playing above-average defense behind the plate and looks like one of the SEC’s best athletes.

Straight out of the Dan Uggla School of Bicep Curling, Jackson is now second in the nation with 16 home runs on the season. Despite having the luxury of playing in a hitter-friendly yard like Foley Field, he’s rarely been the beneficiary of a short porch.

He’s swinging and missing less but isn’t sacrificing any power for more contact. Five of his 21 strikeouts came on opening weekend, and he’s had just two multi-K games since. He just had a six-hit weekend against South Carolina, slugging a homer on Friday and two doubles on Sunday.

Jackson now has 14 hits in nine SEC games, and just two of those knocks have gone over the fence. He continues to look like far more than a three-outcome slugger. The exit velocities are on the rise, and he’s doing serious damage against heaters and off-speed pitches.

Defensively, he’s now started 25 of Georgia’s 29 games at catcher. His assist tally is now up to 27, and he’s caught 10 runners stealing on the year. He threw just one runner out in 12 starts at catcher last season.

Then you add in the speed. Georgia has 27 stolen bases as a team, and Jackson is responsible for 13 of them. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder can move.

Jackson was not advertised as Georgia’s sole marquee bat in the heart of the order entering the season. He’s surrounded by tons of other high-octane athletes that can hit the ball a country mile, yet he continues to stand out. It’s been an incredible first half of the season. The Golden Spikes push starts now.

Pitcher of the Year: Texas RHP Ruger Riojas

Stats (7 G): 5-0, 1.59 ERA, 39.2 IP, 7 BB, 64 K

Just Baseball has talked plenty about Riojas this season, but to fully grasp his rise to stardom, it’s important to remember the role he played for Texas in 2025 and the role many expected him to play this spring.

The Wimberley, Texas native transferred to Austin last season after two great years at UTSA. He was a dynamo out of the bullpen for the Roadrunners, and that’s where he began for the Longhorns, too. An injury to last year’s ace, Jared Spencer, called for Riojas to make the move into the weekend rotation.

He made 10 total starts, and the transition went smoothly at first. He held eventual College World Series champs LSU to two runs over 5.2 innings. He dusted Mizzou on the road to the tune of seven scoreless with 10 strikeouts. He held Texas A&M scoreless over 5.2 IP in late April — which turned out to be his final good start of the year.

Riojas got sick toward the end of the year, and it took a toll on the right-hander. The flu, then bronchitis, resulted in him losing 20-plus pounds. In his last three starts against SEC teams, Riojas totaled just 7.1 IP and allowed 18 earned runs.

So, the focus this offseason was to get back into shape. He did that, but heading into 2026, it was still unknown where Riojas would fall amidst Texas’ loaded pitching group. Some assumed a high-leverage bullpen role was likely.

Veteran left-hander Luke Harrison and sophomore phenom Dylan Volantis each seemed like shoo-ins to nab a spot in the weekend rotation. There were plenty of other candidates for what was presumed to be the Sunday spot.

Instead, head coach Jim Schlossnagle surprisingly announced that it would be Riojas taking the ball on opening day against UC Davis. Seven weekends later, it’s easy to see why he earned that spot.

Through seven starts, Riojas has been nothing short of outstanding in the Friday role. He’s completed five innings in all but one outing and has allowed more than one earned run just once. Riojas is averaging over nine strikeouts per start. Opposing batters are hitting .193 and going down on strikes against the righty 41 percent of the time.

On Thursday night, he authored a seven-inning complete game shutout against rival Oklahoma, striking out eight while throwing a season-high 105 pitches. The week prior, he excelled in his first true road outing of the year, holding a top-five Auburn team to one run in 6.1 IP.

Riojas’ fastball has gone from solid to great thanks to an uptick in velocity. He’s now able to pump high-90s on a regular basis, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his arsenal. He attacks hitters from multiple arm slots, and that leads to an eclectic pitch mix.

Four-seamers become sinkers, cutters become sliders and splitters become changeups. It’s a deep bag, and he’s got terrific control over essentially everything. His seven walks on the year confirm that.

Riojas also boasts the personality of a Friday-night starter in the SEC. He’s going out to the mound to make the opposing team suffer for as long as possible, and he won’t be hiding any emotion, either.

He often bounces his way back to the dugout with his tongue out, either celebrating a strikeout or barking at himself for missing a spot or letting the rare at-bat get away from him. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the hair and mustache combo, too.

Pitching coach Max Weiner clearly knew what he had in Riojas coming into this season. Now we all know.

Freshman of the Year: Texas A&M 3B Nico Partida

Stats (27 G): .320/.413/.563, 33 H (4 2B, 7 HR), 23 RBI, 15 BB

Partida made his way to College Station as a touted two-way prospect — No. 107 on the Just Baseball draft board last summer — but it was unclear how much of an impact he’d make as a freshman for Texas A&M.

Head coach Michael Earley had to configure an infield that was without question going to include returning junior Gavin Grahovac and coveted Maryland transfer Chris Hacopian, two elite bats that had experience on the left side of the infield. Sophomore Sawyer Farr, as well as veterans Ben Royo and Travis Chestnut, also figured to be in the mix.

When the Feb. 13 lineup card was submitted, some were surprised to see that Grahovac and Hacopian were set to man the right side of the diamond at first and second base, respectively. Partida got the nod at third, while another freshman, Boston Kellner, landed at shortstop.

Partida has now started all 27 games at third base, and he’s been as advertised. It’s quite the cliché, but the Manvel, Texas product doesn’t look like a freshman out there. The 6-foot, 195-pounder is showcasing an impressive blend of poise, energy and production.

He has 11 multi-hit games under his belt and is second on the team in home runs with seven after smoking a pair at Mizzou on Saturday. Last Sunday against Georgia, he had his best day at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a double and home run, driving in six runs.

Not every freshman is ready to be thrust into the spotlight, playing a premium position that’s usually occupied by a veteran — just take a look at the frontline third basemen in the SEC this season. Partida has proven to be more than ready, four errors perhaps being the lone blemish.

The three-headed monster of Grahovac, Caden Sorrell and Hacopian sits atop the A&M order and draws the headlines. It’s Partida that’s been one of the key cogs in the middle of the order, thriving in the moment and giving the Aggies the feeling that they’ve got a future All-American over at the hot corner.

Newcomer of the Year: Mississippi State LHP Tomas Valincius

Stats (7 G): 6-0, 0.91 ERA, 39.2 IP, 11 BB, 56 K

When Brian O’Connor made the move from Virginia to Mississippi State, it felt inevitable that a swathe of Cavaliers were likely to enter the portal and follow him from Charlottesville to Starkville. That number ended up being five, and it was Valincius that checked in atop the Bulldogs’ transfer class.

The sophomore left-hander checked in as 64Analytics‘ No. 8 overall transfer this summer. To say he’s lived up to that billing would be an understatement.

Manning the Saturday role all seven weeks for State, Valincius is blossoming into a bona fide ace. He’s now completed five innings in all but one start and has only allowed four earned runs all season. He’s only gotten better as the year has gone on, too.

The box score may not show it, but Valincius was a touch shaky in the first few weeks of the year. February saw multiple Houdini acts to avoid damage against inferior competition. That hasn’t been the case in three SEC starts.

Facing Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss, Valincius has tallied 19 innings and allowed no earned runs, striking out 30 while walking five. The outings against the Razorbacks and Rebels both came on the road. He struck out 14 Commodores on March 21 in his best outing of the season.

Of those 14 strikeouts, 11 came on the slider, which has proven to be his moneymaker. He has superb command on the pitch and pairs it beautifully with a consistent heater that lives in the mid-90s.

The changeup follows, adding another wrinkle. He may have that classic lefty funk, but this isn’t some wacky eight-pitch mix. Everyone knows what Valincius is bringing to the table, and they still can’t touch it.

Valincius came to Virginia as the Gatorade Tennessee Baseball Player of the Year and was impressive as a freshman, owning a 4.59 ERA across 64.2 IP.

Sticking with O’Connor and learning under vaunted pitching coach Justin Parker, he’s taken a sizable leap and is now a crucial piece to an MSU squad that looks to be on the fast track to Omaha.

Coach of the Year: Mississippi State HC Brian O’Connor

Anytime new blood comes into the SEC, it’s only fair to question how they’ll adjust to the games just meaning more (please note the sarcasm here).

It’s a joke, of course…but is it? Time and time again, we’ve seen players and coaches alike attempt to make a splash upon joining the conference and it not turn out too well. That’s led to some resistance from fanbases when someone from somewhere outside the Southeast enters the picture.

Prime Sparky Anderson could take over an SEC club right now and there’d still be pundits questioning how he’d handle a Friday-night game on the road in Fayetteville. It’s the nature of the beast at this point.

All that to say…Brian O’Connor is a damn good coach, eh?

The Omaha native had it made at Virginia, but after 22 seasons, 917 wins, seven CWS appearances and a national title, he decided it was time for something new. He made the move to Starkville and inherited a program rich with history and talent, brought in a top-three portal class and had a rabid fanbase ready to believe again.

Now 24-4 (7-2 SEC), the Bulldogs look like one of the top teams in the nation, and O’Connor has quickly shown that the whole “adjusting to the SEC” malarky is for the birds. O’Connor is a master button-pusher. Time and time again this season, he’s proven to have tremendous feel for big moments, knowing when to make a move or bring someone off the bench.

Take State’s first game in Arlington against Arizona State, for example. It had just broken the deadlock in the fifth inning, and the Sun Devils had to make a move to the bullpen, bringing in a right-hander.

O’Connor pinch-hit for leadoff man Drew Wyers and sent switch-hitter Gehrig Frei up to bat with two runners on and two outs. Frei swatted a three-run homer on the first pitch he saw, breaking things open. MSU won 8-4.

Over the weekend in game one at Ole Miss, State was down 4-3 in the top of the ninth. After tying the game, O’Connor sent sophomore catcher Chone James — another Virginia transfer — up to pinch-hit for Kevin Milewski. James worked an at-bat and sent an RBI triple down the right field line, which ended up scoring the winning run, kicking off a road sweep of the rival Rebels.

Now, it should be noted that these are not Bobby Cox double-switch masterclass chess moves from O’Connor. And yes, he’s working with one of the deepest, most talented rosters in the country. Any coach can try his hand at nailing pinch-hit scenarios, but it’s the rate at which these moves are paying off for O’Connor that paints the bigger picture.

This is a veteran baseball brain that has an exceptional understanding of what makes his roster tick. We already knew that Starkville got a good one, but seeing it come together so far this season drives that point home tenfold.

Game of the Year: Vanderbilt Stunningly Sweeps Tennessee

It’s rare that two games from the same series could qualify for this award, but Tennessee and Vanderbilt gave us a couple of classics over the weekend.

Saturday saw the in-state rivals play for four hours and 44 minutes in a 16-inning thriller. A suicide squeeze gave Vandy the 6-5 win. I had that penciled in for midseason game of the year…then Sunday’s finale happened.

We all know how wacky Sunday games can get, even in the SEC. Pitching is already feeling thin, but depth is far more limited after playing 16 innings the day prior. The wind was much more helpful than the day prior, and the Vandy Whistler was in midseason form. Chaos was bound to ensue.

Tennessee scraped across a run in the first, but Vandy came ready to roll in the bottom half, squaring up usual Vols starter Evan Blanco. Brodie Johnston and Rustan Rigdon each took the lefty deep, the latter being a three-run shot to put the Commodores ahead 4-1.

The Vols came right back and tied things up via a three-run bomb from Blaine Brown off spot starter Alex Kranzler. They would go on to score in each of the first five innings. Vandy kept pace thanks to a five-run third inning that featured five singles.

There was a scary moment in the top of the third, as Tennessee catcher Stone Lawless was hit in the face by a pitch and had to leave the game. Head coach Josh Elander did not provide an immediate update after the game, but Lawless was alert, coherent and transported to a local hospital.

After five innings, Tennessee led 12-10. The Vols did get 5.1 innings of three-hit, four-run relief from Nic Abraham. The sophomore right-hander helped steady the waters as the game suddenly saw runs come to a halt.

The score remained the same entering the ninth. Trying to avoid a sweep, Tennessee looked on the cusp of locking up a much-needed win. Manny Marin and Trent Grindlinger each drove in insurance runs to make it 15-10 heading to the final half inning.

Abraham came back out looking to finish the job, but it all unraveled from there. A single, fielder’s choice and two walks loaded the bases. Lefty Mark Hindy entered the game and quickly surrendered a two-run single to Mack Whitcomb.

Elander made another move and brought in righty Brayden Krenzel. He plunked Ryker Waite to load the bases. Up stepped pinch-hitter Tommy Goodin:

The walk-off grand slam was really the icing on the cake for what was a thrilling weekend for Vandy and an agonizing one for Tennessee. The ‘Dores walked off all three games, throwing a trio of gut-punches to send the Vols spiraling. Baseball is truly an unforgiving game.

Tennessee racked up 16 hits, went 10-for-21 with RISP but still left 12 runners on base. Vandy was a tad more clinical, going 8-for-13 with RISP while striking out just five times all game. There were just seven total extra-base hits between the two in the 31-run game.

Vandy, now 17-12 (5-4 SEC), has now walked it off in seven of its last 10 SEC wins, dating back to last season. It’s the first time it has swept Tennessee (18-10, 3-6 SEC) since 2013.

Performance of the Year: Alabama RHP Tyler Fay Throws No-Hitter

World War II rightfully obtained a majority of the headlines. “Mrs. Miniver” won best picture at the Academy Awards. Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” was about to top Billboard charts. Life was much different in 1942.

That April, Alabama’s Eddie Owcar no-hit Ole Miss. That was the last time that the Crimson Tide had a solo nine-inning no-no in their program’s history — until this spring.

Redshirt junior right-hander Tyler Fay etched his name into Bama lore on March 20, hurling a 132-pitch no-hitter against Florida inside Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa. He walked just two Gators and struck out 13 in the masterful effort.

There’s only so much one can say about a no-hitter. It’s one of baseball’s great feats and elicits a level of joy that can’t be matched by much, inside or outside of the game. All you can do is watch and feel the intensity ramp up as you get closer and closer with every out.

Fay certainly felt like an unlikely candidate. It hadn’t been a horrid start to the year, but he hadn’t exactly been dominant. His season-low in hits allowed through his first five starts was three, and the week prior, he was tagged for eight hits and six earned in a loss at Kentucky.

He had shown his ability to go deep into games, though. Fay completed seven innings despite the loss to UK and also went seven the week prior against North Florida.

Pitch count has been a hot topic for some, but that never seemed to be an issue for Fay on the night. He was in true flow state and looked fresh as a daisy walking out for the top of the ninth, sitting at 121 pitches. Head coach Rob Vaughn let his guy go execute and make history.

The story is even more unlikely when you recall that the Doniphan, Neb. native began his career as a walk-on. It’s a remarkable achievement that he’s even toeing the slab in the SEC on Friday nights, let alone tossing a no-hitter.

Fay and Owcar represent two different walks of life, but they’ll now forever be linked by the script A and one damn good night on the bump.

Play of the Year: Georgia OF Cole Johnson Robs HR To Win Series

Tennessee and Georgia opened SEC play at Foley Field in Athens, splitting the first two games of the series. An early rubber game called for a dramatic finish, and that’s exactly what transpired.

The Bulldogs took an 8-6 lead in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a three-run home run from Bryce Calloway. The Vols cut the lead to one in the top of the ninth via a leadoff homer from Blake Grimmer, then got the tying run on with two outs.

Tennessee called on Stone Lawless to pinch-hit. UGA made a pitching change, bringing in right-hander Justin Byrd. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Byrd left a slider right over the heart of the plate, and Lawless tattooed it.

Thinking he just gave the Vols the lead, Lawless spiked his bat with authority, pointed to his dugout and slapped his chest before beginning to round the bases. As it turns out, UGA freshman outfielder Cole Johnson had other ideas:

Johnson entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and started out in right field. He moved over to left for the ninth and became the highlight-reel hero shortly after. As he was mobbed by his teammates, Lawless and the Vols were picking their jaws up off the ground.

Every win in SEC play matters. If Tennessee winds up falling short of that 13-win mark in league play, then Johnson’s robbery — coupled with the debacle at Vandy over the weekend — will sting that much more.

Oh, the thrill and the agony. Josh Elander’s team is presumably quite tired of being on the wrong end of that phrase.

Cement Bones of the Year: Georgia 3B Tre Phelps

Tre Phelps, you’ve clearly been drinking your milk.

This is nothing more than a tip of the cap to Georgia’s junior third baseman, who’s already been hit by a pitch 18 times in 28 games. That’s a top-five mark nationally and the best in the SEC.

Wright State pitching pelted the man three times on opening day. He had four and five-game HBP streaks in non-conference play, but it didn’t stop there. South Carolina got him once in all three games over the weekend.

Phelps is no stranger to this life. He was hit 13 times in each of the last two seasons. Not everyone can withstand that type of punishment. For those counting, he’s been hit 44 times since the start of the 2024 campaign. That’s also how many times he’s walked during that span of 123 games.

And while we’re here, we may as well acknowledge the year he’s having at the dish. Slashing .410/.538/.770 with six doubles, 10 homers and 27 RBI, Phelps is doing more than his fair share of damage back to the baseballs.

Of note, the great Corey Collins recently set the UGA single-season HBP record with 28 in 2024. He was only at 11 through his first 28 games of the year, so Phelps is on a fantastic pace.

Facial Hair of the Year: Arkansas LHP Ethan McElvain‘s ‘Face Diesel’

On March 3, the incomparable Stephen Schoch, formerly of Virginia baseball fame, deployed a phrase so poetic it brought a tear to my eye.

Arkansas left-hander Ethan McElvain was making his third appearance of the season, a relief outing against Oral Roberts. He pitched a scoreless inning, but his facial hair was the story of the day.

“Gotta imagine it’s an easy +5 velo when you are toeing the rubber with this amount of face diesel,” Schoch wrote, accompanying a photo of McElvain’s thick horseshoe mustache:

Face diesel.

Now, I apologize if this is common terminology in the facial hair game. But now that I’m aware, I can’t get enough. The horseshoe is a powerful look. No chin attachment to make it a goatee and no extra length to cross into Fu Manchu territory.

McElvain discussed the diesel earlier this month as the Arkansas account leaned into his look:

“My dad is a firefighter in Tennessee, and he’s got one,” the Vanderbilt transfer explained. “When I transferred, I was allowed to have facial hair again. I got it to grow out again, and I was like, ‘Man, I think that looks pretty good.’ So I just kept it.”

The combination of the mustache, glasses and rosin-stained hat is untouchable. Mr. McElvain, we are all in awe of the face diesel. Mr. Shoch, you are a modern-day Troubador.