Smith Named SEC Pitcher Of The Week

ATHENS------University of Georgia junior left-hander Kevin Smith has been named the SEC Pitcher of the Week, the league announced Monday.

Smith registered a career-high 11 strikeouts in a 3-2 series-clinching win over sixth-ranked Arkansas this past Saturday. He limited the league's top-hitting team to a pair of runs on four hits in seven innings. He improved to a team-best 8-1 overall with a 3.17 ERA as nationally ranked Georgia ran its record to 37-17 overall. The victory gave the Bulldogs a tie for second place in the SEC with an 18-12 league record. Currently, Georgia owns a No. 3 RPI and is ranked as high as No. 6 this week in the major top 25 polls.

In his past two SEC starts, Smith has beaten No. 1 Florida 4-1 in Gainesville and now the Razorbacks in Athens. On his 21^st birthday (May 13), Smith led Georgia to a win over the Gators, going seven innings and allowing just one run on three hits. It was the first time this year in the SEC that the Bulldogs went into the final game of a series trying to avoid a sweep. He took the mound this past Saturday with the SEC series tied one game apiece.

The Bulldogs have earned the No. 3 seed for the SEC Tournament that begins Tuesday in Hoover, Ala. As a top four seed, Georgia has a bye until Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. ET. The Bulldogs will face the winner of Vanderbilt and Texas A&M as they square off Tuesday at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. Georgia is enjoying its finest season since 2008 when it captured the SEC title and advanced to the College World Series Finals.

University of Georgia Athletics

Players Mentioned

Kevin Smith

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