FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
(DURHAM, N.C.) — USA Baseball announced its preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List on Thursday, marking the organization’s first step toward identifying the top amateur baseball player in the country. Sponsored by Major League Baseball, the Golden Spikes Award will be presented in 2013 for the 36th time.
The Watch List features 50 of the nation’s top amateur players, and it will be a “rolling” list to ensure that athletes can play themselves into consideration for the Golden Spikes Award. The Golden Spikes Award trophy will be awarded live on MLB Network for the third year in a row, with a live presentation scheduled during The Rundown on Friday, July 19. Through USA Baseball’s partnership with Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM), the presentation will also be simulcast with a live stream available from GoldenSpikesAward.com and USABaseball.com.
Headlining the 2013 Watch List are seven athletes who finished among the 30 semifinalists for the 2012 Golden Spikes Award, including Mark Appel (RHP, Senior, Stanford), Kris Bryant (OF/3B/1B, Junior, San Diego), Marco Gonzales (LHP, Junior, Gonzaga), D.J. Peterson (3B/1B, Junior, New Mexico), Nick Petree (RHP, RS Junior, Missouri State), Raph Rhymes (OF, Senior, Louisiana State) and Carlos Rodon (LHP, Sophomore, North Carolina State).
“2013 marks the thirty sixth year USA Baseball has presented the Golden Spikes Award, and with two of last year’s finalists on this year’s preseason watch list, it should be another exciting year for amateur baseball,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO. “We look forward to an exciting start to the college baseball season this weekend and to following all of these players in the coming months.”
Louisiana State and Stanford lead all schools with three players named to the Watch List, while 10 other schools from six different conferences are represented with two players. For the fourth consecutive year, the Southeastern Conference tops all conferences with 12 players. The Pac-12 Conference has 10 players on the list, and the Atlantic Coast Conference has the third-most with five. Juniors make up the majority of the list with 41 players named, increasing from 30 in 2012. Sophomores and seniors are represented by five and four players, respectively.
Following the release of a second, 60-player Watch List on Thursday, May 2, USA Baseball officials will announce the 30 semifinalists for the 2013 Golden Spikes Award on Tuesday, May 28. The list of 30 will then be sent to a voting body consisting of past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of the media that closely follow the amateur game, select professional baseball personnel and current USA Baseball staff, representing a group of more than 200 voters in total.
Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2013. Tuesday, May 28 marks the day when amateur baseball fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite semifinalist on GoldenSpikesAward.com. As part of this selection process, all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list of 30 names. On Tuesday, June 4 USA Baseball will announce the three finalists, and voting will once again commence that same day.
Beginning with Florida State’s Buster Posey in New York in 2008, USA Baseball partnered with MLBAM to create GoldenSpikesAward.com, and until 2011, streamed its annual presentations online live from MLB All-Star FanFest. Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State won the award in 2009 in St. Louis, and Bryce Harper of Southern Nevada took home the trophy from Anaheim in 2010. UCLA’s Trevor Bauer was the 2011 winner and Florida’s Mike Zunino won the 2012 award. Both accepted the trophy as part of live presentations in MLB Network’s Studio 42.
Other past winners of the Golden Spikes Award include Terry Francona (1980), Will Clark (1985), Robin Ventura (1988), Jason Varitek (1994), J.D. Drew (1997), Mark Prior (2001), Jered Weaver (2004), Tim Lincecum (2006) and David Price (2007).
Important 2013 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award dates include:
Thursday, Feb. 14: 50-man preseason Watch List released, shaped by USA Baseball officials and advisors
Thursday, May 2: 60-man midseason Watch List released, shaped by USA Baseball officials and advisors
Tuesday, May 28: 30 semifinalists announced, selected by USA Baseball officials; semifinalist voting begins; voters select three
Friday, May 31: Deadline to vote for finalists, 5 p.m. ET
Tuesday, June 4: Three finalists announced; finalist voting begins; voters to select one
Friday, June 14: Deadline to vote for winner, 5 p.m. ET
Friday, July 19: Live Golden Spikes Award presentation airing on MLB Network
The complete 2013 preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List is as follows:
Name, Position, Class, School, Conference
Mark Appel, RHP, Senior, Stanford, Pac-12
Aaron Blair, RHP, Junior, Marshall, C-USA
Kris Bryant, OF/3B/1B, Junior, San Diego, West Coast
Boomer Collins, OF, RS Senior, Dallas Baptist, WAC
Michael Conforto, OF, Sophomore, Oregon State, Pac-12
Austin Cousino, OF, Sophomore, Kentucky, SEC
Jonathon Crawford, RHP, Junior, Florida, SEC
Josh Deezse, RHP/DH, Junior, Ohio State, Big 10
Kent Emanuel, LHP, Junior, North Carolina, ACC
Phillip Ervin, OF, Junior, Samford, SoCon
Buck Farmer, RHP, Senior, Georgia Tech, ACC
Johnny Field, OF/INF, Junior, Arizona, Pac-12
Adam Frazier, SS, Junior, Mississippi State, SEC
Scott Frazier, RHP, Junior, Pepperdine, West Coast
Mitchell Garver, C, Senior, New Mexico, Mountain West
Marco Gonzales, LHP/1B, Junior, Gonzaga, West Coast
Jonathan Gray, RHP, Junior, Oklahoma, Big 12
Conrad Gregor, 1B, Junior, Vanderbilt, SEC
Eric Jagielo, 3B/OF, Junior, Notre Dame, Big East
JaCoby Jones, 2B/OF, Junior, Louisiana State, SEC
Aaron Judge, OF, Junior, Fresno State, Mountain West
Jared King, OF, Junior, Kansas State, Big 12
Andrew Knapp, C, Junior, California, Pac-12
Corey Knebel, RHP, Junior, Texas, Big 12
Corey Littrell, LHP, Junior, Kentucky, SEC
Michael Lorenzen, OF/RHP, Junior, Cal State Fullerton, Big West
Sean Manaea, LHP, Junior, Indiana State, Missouri Valley
Colin Moran, 3B, Junior, North Carolina, ACC
Aaron Nola, RHP, Sophomore, Louisiana State, SEC
Michael O’Neill, OF, Junior, Michigan, Big 10
Dillon Overton, LHP, Junior, Oklahoma, Big 12
D.J. Peterson, 3B/1B, Junior, New Mexico, Mountain West
Nick Petree, RHP, RS Junior, Missouri State, Missouri Valley
Adam Plutko, RHP, Junior, UCLA, Pac-12
Brian Ragira, 1B, Junior, Stanford, Pac-12
Hunter Renfroe, OF, Junior, Mississippi State, SEC
Raph Rhymes, OF, Senior, Louisiana State, SEC
George Roberts, RHP/INF, Senior, Kent State, Mid-American
Carlos Rodon, LHP, Sophomore, NC State, ACC
Jimmie Sherfy, RHP , Junior, Oregon, Pac-12
Ryne Stanek, RHP, Junior, Arkansas, SEC
Trea Turner, SS, Sophomore, NC State, ACC
Konner Wade, RHP, Junior, Arizona, Pac-12
Michael Wagner, RHP, Junior, San Diego, WCC
Bobby Wahl, RHP, Junior, Mississippi, SEC
Ben Wetzler, LHP, Junior, Oregon State, Pac-12
Trevor Williams, RHP, Junior, Arizona State, Pac-12
Austin Wilson, OF, Junior, Stanford, Pac-12
Tom Windle, LHP, Junior, Minnesota, Big 10
Kevin Ziomek, LHP, Junior, Vanderbilt, SEC
About the Golden Spikes Award
Since 1978, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden Spikes Award. Following the first ever presentation of the Award to Bob Horner of Arizona State, the Golden Spikes Award has been presented each year to the player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship. The 2012 Golden Spikes Award winner was Mike Zunino of the University of Florida. Past winners of this prestigious award include current Major League Baseball players such as Stephen Strasburg (’09), Buster Posey (’08), David Price (’07), Tim Lincecum (’06), Alex Gordon (’05), Jered Weaver (’04), Rickie Weeks (’03) and Mark Kotsay (’95). Former Major League stars that have captured the award include Pat Burrell (’98), Robin Ventura (’88), Jim Abbott (’87), Will Clark (’85), Dave Magadan (’83), Terry Francona (’80), Tim Wallach (’79), and Horner (’78). For more information, please visit GoldenSpikesAward.com. Fans can follow the Golden Spikes Award on Twitter @USAGoldenSpikes.com.
About USA Baseball
USA Baseball is the national governing body for the sport of baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). The organization selects and trains the World Baseball Classic, World Cup and Pan Am teams (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team; the USA Baseball 18U, 15U and 12U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women’s National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year. USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. For more information, please visit USABaseball.com.
