Straight from the pages of Gatorzone:
University of Florida senior first baseman Matt LaPorta (Port Charlotte, Fla.) was selected as the 2007 SEC Baseball Player of the Year for the second time in three years on Tuesday morning, while senior outfielder Brian Leclerc (Clearwater, Fla.) joined his classmate as a member of the first team. The Gators matched Ole Miss with a league-high three choices on the All-Freshman Team: outfielder Matt den Dekker (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), shortstop Cole Figueroa (Tallahassee, Fla.) and outfielder Jonathan Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.).
Winning one of these things is no easy task. LaPorta's recognition as conference POY in 2005 was the only time that a Gator had ever won it prior to this morning's announcement (how Brad Wilkerson didn't in 1996, I have no clue, but that's another story). Winning it for the second time in three years is an amazing feat for one of the best Gators of all-time.
Congratulations to Matt, as well as all of the Gators who received conference honors this season. You can't overlook their contributions to the team in '07, and for the freshman, we're looking forward to seeing them contribute down the line in Gainesville.
The Gators will take on South Carolina tomorrow in the SEC tournament. The game is scheduled for 2 pm and will be taking place in Hoover, Alabama. Beating the Gamecocks in round one will be no easy task -- they had one of the best lineups I witnessed all season, beating the Gators in two of three games in Gainesville.
Go Gators!