Two Tigers, Two Gamecocks earn Collegiate Baseball All-American honors

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The first postseason All-American team was released by Collegiate Baseball on Thursday morning and both Clemson and South Carolina were well represented.

The Tigers had 2 players named first team All-Americans in infielder Billy Amick and LHP and 1B Caden Grice.

It’s the first time since 2016 that multiple Clemson players have earned first team All-American honors in the same year.

Amick is hitting .418 with 12 homers, two triples, 17 doubles, 58 RBIs, 36 runs, a .778 slugging percentage, .464 on-base percentage and two steals in 43 games (39 starts). He was also a First-Team All-ACC selection.

Grice has been a two-way standout for the Tigers in 2023. He is 8-1 with a 3.25 ERA, .195 opponents’ batting average and 91 strikeouts against 32 walks in 69.1 innings pitched over 13 starts on the mound. At the plate, he is hitting .302 with 16 homers, a triple, 13 doubles, 63 RBIs, 56 runs, a .409 on-base percentage and three steals in 56 games (55 starts). He was also named ACC Tournament MVP on Sunday, leading Clemson to its 16th ACC title.

South Carolina had 2 players named third team All-Americans, Catcher and Summerville alum Cole Messina along with OF Ethan Petry.

Messina is hitting .311 with 56 runs scored, 17 doubles, 17 home runs, 63 RBI, six stolen bases and 35 walks, staring in 57 of the 58 games for the Gamecocks in 2023. He is a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and is on the Buster Posey Award Watch List. In conference play, Messina has nine doubles, seven home runs and 26 RBI.

Petry leads the Gamecocks and is sixth in the SEC with a .376 batting average. He has 50 runs scored, nine doubles, 22 home runs, 72 RBI, 28 walks and 14 hit by pitches. Petry is slugging at a .748 clip and has a .468 on-base percentage. He is a semifinalist for both the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy and was a four-time SEC Freshman of the Week honoree. In conference play, Petry is hitting .359 with three doubles, 13 home runs and 42 RBI.

Messina and Petry become the first Gamecocks to be named All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball since Wes Clarke in 2021.

Coastal Carolina also had relief pitcher Teddy Sharkey named a 2nd team All-American.

The junior has pitched in 25 games for the Chants on the season, striking out 69 hitters over 47.0 innings of work out of the bullpen. He has posted a 2.68 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and held opponents to a .201 batting average on the year. Eight of his 10 saves have been 1.2 innings or longer, while in six of his seven wins, he threw 2.1 innings or more of the late innings in the contest. In SBC play, Sharkey was 5-1 with two saves in 12 appearances and struck out 41 batters compared to just 10 walks over 26.0 innings.