Left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco received second-team honors while outfielder Jud Fabian hauled in a third-team nod.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15091&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=DbUhQWm52NymAthOgc4B8N5Va5PsyFLVU1G3_7y5hoj4Zc6MOOlUa3Ar_juP_fD_&s=X3rxUkITJ81Mz2xNhN4YREcaupxTwCZc6a8KRJzAQrY&e= > and outfielder Jud Fabian<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15127&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=DbUhQWm52NymAthOgc4B8N5Va5PsyFLVU1G3_7y5hoj4Zc6MOOlUa3Ar_juP_fD_&s=qGUVbbuIW2-HoWpnkp_FFdpl-GdufOV1NwLzs6KwuyQ&e= > garnered Preseason All-America recognition from Perfect Game, as announced on Wednesday morning. Barco received second-team honors, while Fabian hauled in a third-team nod.
The announcement comes on the heels of Collegiate Baseball releasing its own Preseason All-America teams last month<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2021_12_21_baseball-2Dbarco-2Dfabian-2Dtabbed-2Dfirst-2Dteam-2Dpreseason-2Dall-2Damericans.aspx&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=DbUhQWm52NymAthOgc4B8N5Va5PsyFLVU1G3_7y5hoj4Zc6MOOlUa3Ar_juP_fD_&s=Gx1SXyB_Vh1bGrmGSg7_VH33QkqJQpXNCK263qkViZI&e= >. On that list, Barco and Fabian each collected first-team honors.
As detailed by Perfect Game, this year’s Preseason All-Americans were selected based on a combination of factors including statistics from 2021, prospect status, 2022 expectations and rankings relative to their draft status.
Barco is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he was named to the Newcomer All-SEC Team and Southeast-ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Second Team. While pacing the Gators with 10 wins in a team-high 16 starts, Barco finished the year with a 4.01 ERA, .239 batting average against and 94 strikeouts in 83 innings pitched. The second-year performance came on the heels of a standout freshman season in which Barco went 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA and 26 strikeouts across 19.1 frames.
Fabian returns to Florida for a fourth season after producing a 2021 campaign that saw him become just the fifth Gator to hit 20 home runs in a single season en route to collecting Third Team All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA. Thanks to a .249/.364/.560 batting line with 30 extra-base hits, 51 runs, 46 RBI and a .971 fielding percentage, Fabian was also named Southeast-ABCA/Rawlings First Team, First Team All-SEC and to the SEC All-Defensive Team. Overall, the Ocala, Fla. native is a .249/.366/.512 career hitter with 32 homers, 25 doubles, 102 runs and 85 RBI in 132 games.
Florida is set to open the 2022 season at home the weekend of Feb. 18-20 in the form of a three-game series against Liberty of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
