Georgia Baseball: Pair of Pitchers Named Preseason All-Americans

Baseball America released its preseason All-American team, and a pair of Georgia pitchers were named to the list. Emerson Hancock and Cole Wilcox.

Baseball America announced its preseason All-American lists on Monday, and among the names are Emerson Hancock and Cole Wilcox, both pitchers for the Bulldogs.

Hancock, a junior out of Cairo, Georgia, has been named a first-team All American. He is coming off a very impressive sophomore campaign. In a team-high 90.1 innings, Hancock posted an 8-3 record with a 1.99 ERA. This was the lowest ERA by a Georgia starting pitcher since Chuck Fore in 1977, and his 0.84 WHIP was third-lowest in the entire nation. 

His impressive season earned him All-American honors through 6 different baseball media outlets after the season. With 2020 being his junior year, Hancock has the ability to declare for the MLB Draft after the season, and he is considered by many to be the top arm in this summer’s draft class.

Wilcox, a sophomore from Chickamauga, Georgia, was named a third-team All American. He posted a 3-2 record its a 4.07 ERA in his 19 appearances last season. The hard-throwing right-hander, whose fastball can reach 100 MPH, struck out 64 batters and held them to a .216 batting average. 

While only making six starts, he tossed a complete game against Florida to lock up Georgia’s first series sweep against the Gators rivals since 2006. Despite being a projected first-round MLB Draft pick out of Heritage High School, Wilcox announced his intent to honor his commitment to the Bulldogs.

These two-star pitchers played a big role in the Bulldog pitching staff setting school records for strikeouts (601) and opponents batting average (.200). They also helped the staff post the second-best ERA in school history at 3.24. The Bulldogs will toe the rubber for the 2020 season on Friday, February 14th against Richmond at Foley Field in Athens.

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