Kentucky picked to finish 10th in SEC
Senior catcher Devin Burkes was selected to the preseason All-SEC First Team, and senior reliever Robert Hogan landed on the All-SEC Second Team
*Correction: an earlier version of this story said Kentucky was picked to finish 11th, not 10th.
Kentucky was picked to finish 10th in the 2025 SEC Preseason Coaches Poll released on Wednesday morning. Texas A&M, under first year head coach Michael Earley, was picked to win the league. Tennessee, the defending national champion, was picked as the runner-up. The Volunteers and Aggies played for the national championship last season.
Arkansas, LSU and Florida rounded out the top five.
Kentucky redshirt senior catcher Devin Burkes and senior reliever Robert Hogan earned preseason honors for Kentucky. Burkes was picked to the preseason All-SEC First Team, and Hogan was named to the preseason All-SEC second team.
Burkes will enter his third season as a starter for the Wildcats. For his career, Burkes has 36 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 98 runs batted in. Hogan is entering his second year in the program. A transfer from Texas A&M, Hogan developed into a key piece of last year’s bullpen. He went 1-0 in 24 appearances with a 3.10 ERA in 40.2 innings pitched.
2025 SEC Preseason Coaches Poll Projected Finish
1. Texas A&M (10) – 228
2. Tennessee (1) – 215
3. Arkansas (3) – 214
4. LSU (1) – 204
5. Florida (1) – 183
6. Georgia – 165
7. Vanderbilt – 156
8. Texas – 146
9. Mississippi State – 112
10. Kentucky - 102
11. Oklahoma – 101
12. Auburn – 100
13. Alabama – 98
14. South Carolina - 61
15. Ole Miss – 60
16. Missouri – 31
() represents first place votes.
2025 Preseason First Team All-SEC
C: Ike Irish, Auburn
C: Devin Burkes, Kentucky
1B: Jared Jones, LSU
1B: Hunter Hines, Mississippi State
2B: Cade Kurland, Florida
3B: Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M
SS: Justin Lebron, Alabama*
SS: Dean Curley, Tennessee
OF: Jace LaViolette, Texas A&M
OF: Ethan Petry, South Carolina
OF: Max Belyeu, Texas*
OF: Tre Phelps, Georgia*
DH/Util: Hayden Schott, Texas A&M
SP: Ryan Prager, Texas A&M
SP: Gabe Gaeckle, Arkansas
SP: Liam Doyle, Tennessee
SP: Kade Anderson, LSU
RP: Nate Snead, Tennessee
RP: Alton Davis II, Georgia
RP: Gavin Guidry, LSU
2025 Preseason Second Team All-SEC
C: Rylan Galvan, Texas*
C: Luke Heyman, Florida*
1B: Cooper McMurray, Auburn
2B: Gavin Kilen, Tennessee
2B: Wyatt Henseler, Texas A&M
2B: Daniel Dickinson, LSU*
3B: Andrew Fischer, Tennessee
3B: Slate Alford, Georgia*
SS: Colby Shelton, Florida
OF: RJ Austin, Vanderbilt
OF: Hunter Ensley, Tennessee
OF: Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M
DH/Util: Will Hodo, Alabama
SP: Zane Adams, Alabama
SP: Landon Beidelschies, Arkansas
SP: Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss*
SP: JD Thompson, Vanderbilt*
SP: Kyson Witherspoon, Oklahoma*
RP: Christian Foutch, Arkansas
RP: Miller Green, Vanderbilt
RP: Robert Hogan, Kentucky
*indicates a tie