Before we get into the teams, a note on how I built them.
I’m not here to argue with the coaches or the voters who put together the official All-SEC selections. They know things I don’t. They watch their opponents up close every week. The official teams are based on a vote that accounts for factors I’m not privy to — conference-only games, internal evaluations, relationships between programs. I have nothing but respect for that process.
What I’m doing here is different. This is my All-SEC pitching team, built around the criteria I’ve valued all season in this space: durability, consistency, body of work across an entire year, and the ability to hold your spot in a weekend rotation when the stakes were highest. The arms that showed up not once or twice, but every single time the lights came on. That’s the standard. Here’s my team.
AT A GLANCE
First Team
Starters: Dylan Volantis (Texas), Aidan King (Florida), Tomas Valincius (Mississippi State), Hunter Dietz (Arkansas), Jake Marciano (Auburn)
Relievers: Walker Hooks (Ole Miss), Sam Cozart (Texas)
Second Team
Starters: Andreas Alvarez (Auburn), Tyler Fay (Alabama), Jaxon Jelkin (Kentucky), Cade Townsend (Ole Miss), Tegan Kuhns (Tennessee)
Relievers: Jackson Sanders (Auburn), Clayton Freshcorn (Texas A&M)
Third Team
Starters: Alex Petrovic (Auburn), Joey Volchko (Georgia), Taylor Rabe (Ole Miss), Ruger Riojas (Texas), Liam Peterson (Florida)
Relievers: Cam Appenzeller (Tennessee), Caden Aoki (Georgia)
Freshman Standouts: Myles Upchurch (Alabama), Sam Cozart (Texas), Cam Appenzeller (Tennessee), Taylor Tracey (Tennessee), Xander Mercurius (Oklahoma)
FIRST TEAM — STARTING PITCHERS
Dylan Volantis — Texas 8-1, 76.2 IP, 109 K, 2.05 ERA
One of the best pitchers in the SEC this season, for a second straight year. Volantis moved from the bullpen — where he was Baseball America’s National Freshman of the Year in 2025 — into the Friday rotation this spring and looked like he had been starting his whole career. His 2.05 ERA leads the conference. His 109 strikeouts are third-most in the league. His FIP (1.73) is the second-best in the country. When Texas needed him in the biggest games, he delivered, including his performance against the best hitters in the conference week in and week out all spring. He’s a finalist for Baseball America’s national Pitcher of the Year. The résumé speaks for itself.
Aidan King — Florida 7-2, 74.0 IP, 77 K, 2.19 ERA | SEC Pitcher of the Year
The conference’s official Pitcher of the Year, and deserving of every vote he got. King was the most consistent arm in the league from opening day through the final weekend — 16 walks in 74 innings, a 2.19 ERA, and a week-over-week reliability that made Florida’s rotation the most dependable in the country. When evaluating pitchers, I always come back to command and durability first. King led the conference in both. That earns the top spot on this team.
Tomas Valincius — Mississippi State 8-2, 75.0 IP, 105 K, 2.52 ERA
The anchor of Mississippi State’s all-sophomore rotation and one of the most dominant arms in college baseball this year. Valincius reached 105 strikeouts — one of two pitchers in the conference to crack triple digits — with only 16 walks in 75 innings. That strikeout-to-walk ratio is elite at any level of baseball. His 8-2 record against one of the most difficult schedules in the country tells you everything you need to know about what he did when the games mattered most.
Hunter Dietz — Arkansas 7-2, 72.2 IP, 108 K, 3.22 ERA
The first pitcher in the SEC to reach 100 strikeouts this season, and the headliner of an Arkansas program that has now produced a First-Team All-SEC pitcher for four consecutive years. Dietz missed his entire sophomore and junior seasons to elbow issues and came back to do this. What he accomplished over a full season — 108 strikeouts in 72.2 innings, seven quality starts in SEC play — is one of the better stories in college baseball in 2026. He earns his spot here on durability and impact alone.
Jake Marciano — Auburn 4-4, 81.2 IP, 100 K, 2.65 ERA
The quietest elite pitcher in the conference. Marciano’s record doesn’t reflect his season — a 2.65 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 81.2 innings, with only 17 walks, is a body of work that belongs in the same conversation as anyone on this list. His 0.97 WHIP is one of the best among qualified SEC starters. He threw more innings than any arm in this ranking and did it against the toughest schedule in the country as Auburn’s Sunday starter. The wins didn’t always come. The quality did, every single time.
FIRST TEAM — RELIEVERS
Walker Hooks — Ole Miss 3-1, 46.2 IP, 53 K, 2.12 ERA, 7 saves
The first Rebels pitcher to earn First-Team All-SEC honors since Doug Nikhazy in 2021, and the first Ole Miss relief pitcher to earn First-Team honors since the league began differentiating between starting and relief pitchers in 2004. That history tells you something about the season Hooks put together. A 2.12 ERA, 53 strikeouts against only nine walks in 46.2 innings, seven saves, and a .181 batting average against. He led the SEC in ERA (1.73), WHIP (0.80), and appearances during conference play. Ole Miss built their postseason identity around him in the back of the bullpen, and he delivered.
Sam Cozart — Texas 6-0, 45.1 IP, 66 K, 1.59 ERA, 8 saves
A 6-foot-6, 260-pound freshman right-hander from High Point, North Carolina, Cozart posted a 0.64 WHIP in SEC play — first among all qualified pitchers in the conference — with a co-league-best seven saves and a 1.01 ERA in conference games. He’s 6-0 on the year. He hasn’t allowed a run in 13 of his 20 appearances. For a freshman closer on the second-ranked team in the country, the word “unflappable” keeps coming up, and the numbers back it up every time. He also earned USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp consideration. This is one of the best freshman relief seasons the SEC has ever seen.
SECOND TEAM — STARTING PITCHERS
Andreas Alvarez — Auburn 8-2, 64.1 IP, 87 K, 2.66 ERA
The headliner of Auburn’s remarkable rotation — 8-2 with a 2.66 ERA from a Friday arm in the SEC is elite. He held opponents to a .217 average all season and set the tone for one of the best weekend staffs in college baseball. His season alone would be First Team worthy in most years. The depth of this conference is the only reason he lands on the second team.
Tyler Fay — Alabama 8-3, 78.1 IP, 88 K, 4.48 ERA
Fay earns his second consecutive All-SEC honor, joining a select group of Alabama pitchers to earn back-to-back all-conference recognition. The ERA climbed late in the season, but what Fay gave Alabama all year was 78.1 innings of durability — the most of any arm in this entire ranking — at 8-3. Programs that build toward postseason runs need starters who take the ball and pitch deep. Fay was that arm for Alabama every single week.
Jaxon Jelkin — Kentucky 8-2, 80.2 IP, 92 K, 3.57 ERA
The most durable starter in the SEC by innings pitched, and one of the most reliable Friday arms in the conference from first weekend to last. Jelkin’s 80.2 innings are the most of any arm in this space, and his 8-2 record is among the best in the league. His complete game performance late in the season at Florida — nine innings, one walk, 12 strikeouts — was the signature start of his career. He gave Kentucky an identity every Friday.
Cade Townsend — Ole Miss 5-2, 55.1 IP, 77 K, 3.25 ERA
Townsend was inconsistent late in the season, but his overall body of work is legitimate — 77 strikeouts against only 14 walks in 55.1 innings, a 3.25 ERA, and the steadiness that gave Ole Miss a foundation heading into the postseason. His early-season stretch was as good as anyone’s in the conference. He earns his spot on this team on the full season, not just the final month.
Tegan Kuhns — Tennessee 4-4, 72.0 IP, 95 K, 3.13 ERA
The most underrated arm in the conference all year. Kuhns had the most consistent command of any starter in the SEC — 13 walks in 72 innings is remarkable at this level — and finished the year with 95 strikeouts and a 3.13 ERA. His performance in his final start against Texas — seven innings, four hits, zero runs, 15 strikeouts — was the best single game any pitcher had in this conference all season. His 4-4 record doesn’t capture what he was. This team does.
SECOND TEAM — RELIEVERS
Jackson Sanders — Auburn 4 wins, 3 saves, 58.0 IP, 80 K, 2.95 ERA
Sanders moved from a relief role as a freshman in 2025 to a hybrid starter/closer role in 2026, and the results were outstanding — 80 strikeouts in 58 innings with a 2.95 ERA and only nine walks. He earned SEC Pitcher of the Week honors for a seven-inning shutout against Winthrop where he retired nine straight batters with seven strikeouts. Auburn’s bullpen is one of the best in the conference, and Sanders has been the engine of it all year.
Clayton Freshcorn — Texas A&M 2-1, 8 saves, 2.00 ERA, 33 K, 8.25 K/BB ratio
Seven saves tied for the most in the SEC. Scoreless outings in 13 of 17 appearances. An 8.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Three saves of three innings each — Freshcorn wasn’t just a one-inning closer, he was a weapon Texas A&M deployed for length when the moment demanded it. He earned his place on the official First Team. I have him on my second team only because my first-team slots went to Hooks and Cozart — but this is a distinction without much difference. All three had remarkable seasons.
THIRD TEAM — STARTING PITCHERS
Alex Petrovic — Auburn 7-2, 71.1 IP, 71 K, 3.15 ERA
Petrovic drops from second team to third only because of how deep this conference’s arms are — on most rosters he’s a Friday ace. He’s 7-2 with a 3.15 ERA across 71.1 innings and was the steadiest presence in Auburn’s remarkable rotation all year. The Tigers’ pitching staff was the best in the country, and Petrovic was the third piece that made it complete.
Joey Volchko — Georgia 7-2, 65.1 IP, 81 K, 4.41 ERA
The most frustrating arm in the conference — in the best possible way. When Volchko’s command was on, there may not have been a more electric pitcher in the SEC. Eighty-one strikeouts in 65.1 innings is legitimate production. The 35 walks have been the story all year. There were stretches where he looked top-five in college baseball, and stretches where the walks derailed him completely. The talent earns third team. The command earns him nothing higher.
Taylor Rabe — Ole Miss 3-3, 51.1 IP, 68 K, 4.56 ERA
Seven walks in 51.1 innings. The ERA has been inflated by outings where the command was immaculate but the results didn’t follow — and at the end of the season he was still striking out 14 in a single start while walking nobody. That command profile at the college level is rare enough to earn recognition regardless of surface results.
Ruger Riojas — Texas 5-2, 64.2 IP, 100 K, 4.02 ERA
The century mark in strikeouts for a Saturday arm on one of the country’s best teams — and a 5-2 record to go with it. Riojas had a dominant first half and a rockier second half, but his overall body of work was too good to leave off. Texas’s rotation wouldn’t have been what it was without him holding down the middle spot every week.
Liam Peterson — Florida 1-5, 67.1 IP, 88 K, 4.28 ERA
The hardest arm to rank in this exercise. His record (1-5) is the worst of anyone on these teams. His walk rate (34 in 67.1 innings) is the highest. And yet — 88 strikeouts from a Florida arm that was in the draft conversation all spring. When Peterson was commanding his fastball, he was as electric as anyone on this list. The inconsistency drops him to third team. The stuff earns him a spot.
THIRD TEAM — RELIEVERS
Cam Appenzeller — Tennessee 2.00 ERA, 33 K, 6 walks, 27 IP
The most dominant freshman reliever in the conference, and one of the best freshman arms in the country. A 6-foot-5 right-hander out of Glenwood, Illinois, Appenzeller was a legitimate first-round talent who honored his commitment to Tennessee over the MLB Draft and then posted a 2.00 ERA with a 5.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 27 innings out of the Vols’ bullpen. Baseball America put him on their midseason freshman watch list. He makes both this team and the freshman standouts section — and he’s only getting started.
Caden Aoki — Georgia 8-0, 59.0 IP, 78 K, 3.20 ERA
Still undefeated. Eight-and-oh. Aoki never lost a game he started this year, and 78 strikeouts in 59 innings from Georgia’s Sunday spot with a 3.20 ERA is a legitimate body of work. Wes Johnson leaned on him down the stretch and Aoki delivered every time.
FRESHMAN STANDOUTS
The following arms stood out among the SEC’s 2026 freshman class. These are true freshmen who made a meaningful impact in the highest-leverage games the SEC had to offer.
Myles Upchurch — Alabama (RHP) The story of the freshman class among starters. The only rookie starter in the SEC to fulfill all 10 available conference starts — one of four Power Four freshmen to complete all 14 available weekend starts nationally. A 3.91 ERA in SEC play. USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp invitation. He was a 19th-round pick by the Reds out of high school and chose Alabama instead. The Reds will regret that for a long time.
Sam Cozart — Texas (RHP) Already covered above. 6-0, 1.59 ERA, 66 K, 0.64 WHIP in SEC play, eight saves. First-Team All-SEC. USA Baseball Training Camp invite. The best freshman relief season the conference has seen in years. Let’s not forget how dominant he was a mid-week starter before Texas realized they had one of the best high-leverage arms in the league.
Cam Appenzeller — Tennessee (RHP) Also covered above. 2.00 ERA, 33 K, 6 walks in 27 innings. Baseball America midseason freshman watch list. Tennessee built their late-game identity around him, and he didn’t flinch once.
Taylor Tracey — Tennessee (LHP/OF) The most unique arm on this list — a 6-foot-6 left-handed pitcher and right-handed hitting outfielder from Texas whom Josh Elander describes as “backwards, as we say in the scouting world — sneaky power.” Tracey made 12 appearances out of Tennessee’s bullpen as a true freshman, bringing a loose, quick arm and confident mound presence that had evaluators paying attention all spring. He’s a two-way talent whose best years are ahead of him, and the fact that he contributed at all in his first SEC season says everything about what kind of arm he is.
Xander Mercurius — Oklahoma (RHP) A freshman right-hander who stepped into a meaningful role for Oklahoma and delivered in some of the most hostile environments the SEC had to offer. His five-inning, no-walk performance against LSU in Baton Rouge was the signature moment of his freshman season — and for a first-year pitcher to handle that atmosphere and that lineup the way he did is a genuine preview of what he can become. Xander seemed to get stronger as the year went on, reportedly up to 98/99 mph at times.
Cord Rager — Oklahoma (LHP) A true freshman lefty who sits in the low to mid-90’s is always fun, and Rager proved he belonged in the SEC right away. Rager was thrown into the Sunday role from the season’s start, and held his own throughout the year before some injuries slowed him down.
Final Thought
The SEC pitching class of 2026 was one of the deepest in recent memory — not at the very top, where the class was thin, but through the middle and the back of the depth chart, where you found legitimate weekend arms at virtually every program in the conference. Three teams’ worth of arms, all of whom held their spots, threw their innings, and showed up when the stakes were highest.
That’s what earns recognition in this space. Not one great start or a hot April — but a whole season of doing the hardest thing in college baseball: taking the ball in the SEC, week after week, and competing.
These guys did that. Congratulations to every arm on all three teams.