BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Auburn players Tanner Burns, Cody Greenhill and Rankin Woley have been voted Preseason Second Team All-SEC by Southeastern Conference head coaches, the conference office announced Thursday.
The Tigers were also picked by the league's coaches to finish tied for third in the Western Division, garnering two first-place votes in the division and one vote to be the SEC champion. The third-place finish is the highest Auburn has been picked in the sixth edition of the preseason poll.
With Burns picking up his second consecutive preseason All-SEC recognition, Auburn's three honorees are the most the Tigers have had in the award's sixth year of existence. Auburn also joins Arkansas, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt as one of four teams with three or more preseason all-conference honorees.
Also garnering preseason All-America recognition from Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, D1 Baseball and Perfect Game, Burns is coming off a sophomore campaign in which he posted a 4-4 record with a 2.82 ERA and went on to become the 25th All-American in program history. Despite battling injury late in the season, Burns struck out 101 batters and issued 23 walks in 79.2 innings of work. He joined former Auburn ace and No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize as the only Auburn pitchers since 2000 to strike out 100 or more batters in a season.
A stalwart in the Auburn bullpen for the last two seasons, Greenhill enters his junior year ranked sixth in program history with 17 career saves. After turning in a team-best 2.30 ERA and earning freshman All-America honors in 2018, the Russellville, Alabama, native made 28 appearances and 12 saves a season ago, including seven saves in conference play. Greenhill's 12 saves were tied for the fourth most in a single-season in Auburn history, and his seven saves in SEC play were second most in the league. The right-hander was also named a Preseason Second Team All-American by NCBWA.
Woley made an instant impact for the Tigers in 2019 after transferring from Chattahoochee Valley Community College, where he turned in a NJCAA All-America and Alabama Community College Conference Player of the Year campaign in 2018. The Atlanta native played and started in 64 games of Auburn's 66 games at first base and led everyday players with a .996 fielding percentage. Woley ultimately led the team in doubles (17) while also ranking second in hits (71) and RBI (45) and third in average (.277).
2020 SEC BASEBALL COACHES PRESEASON POLL
Eastern Division
1. Vanderbilt (9) – 87
2. Florida (3) – 77
3. Georgia (2) – 76
4. Tennessee – 50
5. South Carolina – 48
6. Missouri – 32
7. Kentucky – 22
Western Division
1. Arkansas (5) – 82
2. Mississippi State (4) – 73
T3. Auburn (2) – 67
T3. LSU (3) – 67
5. Texas A&M – 44
6. Ole Miss – 38
7. Alabama – 21
SEC Champion: Vanderbilt (8), Florida (2), Arkansas (1), Auburn (1), Georgia (1), Mississippi State (1)
2020 SEC BASEBALL COACHES PRESEASON ALL-SEC TEAMS
First Team
C: Casey Opitz, Arkansas
1B: Cade Beloso, LSU*
1B: T.J. Collett, Kentucky*
2B: Justin Foscue, Mississippi State
3B: Austin Martin, Vanderbilt
SS: Casey Martin, Arkansas
OF: Daniel Cabrera, LSU
OF: Alerick Soularie, Tennessee
OF: Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas
DH/UTL: Matt Goodheart, Arkansas
SP: Emerson Hancock, Georgia
SP: Asa Lacy, Texas A&M
RP: Tyler Brown, Vanderbilt
Second Team
C: Ty Duvall, Vanderbilt
1B: Josh Hatcher, Mississippi State*
1B: Rankin Woley, Auburn*
2B: Noah Campbell, South Carolina*
2B: Harrison Ray, Vanderbilt*
2B: Riley King, Georgia*
3B: Tyler Keenan, Ole Miss
SS: Jordan Westburg, Mississippi State
OF: Jud Fabian, Florida
OF: Tyler Gentry, Alabama
OF: Rowdey Jordan, Mississippi State*
OF: Zach DeLoach, Texas A&M*
DH/UTL: Tanner Allen, Mississippi State
SP: Kumar Rocker, Vanderbilt
SP: Tanner Burns, Auburn
RP: Cody Greenhill, Auburn
*Tie (ties are not broken)
The Tigers open the 2020 campaign with a four-game series against Illinois-Chicago beginning Friday, Feb. 14 at Plainsman Park. Mini plan and single game ticket options are available. Fans can reach the Auburn ticket office by phone at 855-282-2010 or by emailing tickets@auburn.edu. To order tickets online, click here.