DURHAM, N.C. — USA Baseball unveiled its 30-player USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list on Thursday, recognizing potential candidates for the top amateur baseball player in the country. Sponsored by Major League Baseball, and presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the Golden Spikes Award will be presented for the 38th time on Tuesday, June 23, in Los Angeles.
The watch list will continue to be a “rolling” list until May 22 — when the semifinalists for the award are announced — ensuring that athletes can play themselves into consideration for the award.
Nine players have played themselves onto the watch list since the 60-player midseason iteration that was released on April 9. The nine athletes join 21 other candidates that were recognized on the midseason update. The Southeastern Conference led the way with seven athletes, while the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Pac-12 Conference each had four athletes on the watch list. In total, 12 NCAA Division I conferences have at least one athlete represented, as well as two NJCAA conferences and one NCAA Division II conference.
Louisiana State leads all institutions with three athletes on the watch list, while the University of Arizona and defending NCAA Division I national champion, Vanderbilt, each have a pair of representatives. Fourteen athletes are pitchers, 13 athletes are position players and three of the players are two-way athletes.
On May 22, USA Baseball will announce the semifinalists for the 2015 Golden Spikes Award. The semifinalists list will be sent to a voting body consisting of past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of the media that follow the amateur game closely, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball staff and the 37 previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters.
Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2015. Friday, May 22, marks the day when amateur baseball fans across the country will be able to vote for their favorite semifinalists at GoldenSpikesAward.com. As part of this selection process, all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list. On Tuesday, June 2, USA Baseball will announce the finalists, and voting will once again commence that same day.
The 2015 Golden Spikes Award winner will be named on Tuesday, June 23, at a presentation in Los Angeles. The finalists and their families will be honored at the Rod Dedeaux Foundation Dinner that evening at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles.
Last year, University of Kentucky’s two-way star, A.J. Reed, took home the prestigious award, joining a group of recent winners that includes Kris Bryant (2013), Mike Zunino (2012), Trevor Bauer (2011), Bryce Harper (2010), Stephen Strasburg (2009) and Buster Posey (2008).
GoldenSpikesAward.com – created in 2008 and powered by MLB Advanced Media — is the online home for the award. The website features content devoted exclusively to the GSA, including news, the weekly Golden Spikes Award spotlight, voting history and past winner photo galleries.
The anticipated timeline for the 2015 Golden Spikes Award announcements is:
• Tuesday, February 10: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award 50-player preseason watch list
• Thursday, April 9: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award 60-player midseason watch list
• Thursday, May 7: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award 30-player preliminary list
• Friday, May 22: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award semifinalists voting begins
• Friday, May 29: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award semifinalists voting ends
• Tuesday, June 2: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award finalists voting begins
• Friday, June 12: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award finalists voting ends
• Tuesday, June 23: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award trophy presentation
A complete list of the 30-player USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list is as follows:
Name, Position, Class, School, Conference (New players in bold)
Andrew Benintendi, OF, Sophomore, Arkansas, SEC
David Berg, RHP, Senior, UCLA, Pac 12
Phil Bickford, RHP, Sophomore, CC of Southern Nevada, Scenic West (JC)
Alex Bregman, SS, Junior, LSU, SEC
Willie Calhoun, IF/OF, Sophomore, Yavapai College, ACCAC (JC)
Taylor Clarke, RHP, RS-Junior, College of Charleston, CAA
Will Craig, 1B/RHP, Sophomore, Wake Forest, ACC
Carson Cross, RHP, RS-Senior, UConn, American Athletic
Matthew Crownover, LHP, Junior, Clemson, ACC
Bobby Dalbec, 3B/RHP, Sophomore, Arizona, Pac 12
Donnie Dewees, OF, RS-Sophomore, North Florida, Atlantic Sun
Riley Ferrell, RHP, Junior, TCU, Big 12
Michael Freeman, LHP, Senior, Oklahoma State, Big 12
Carson Fulmer, RHP, Junior, Vanderbilt, SEC
Luke Gillingham, LHP, Junior, Navy, Patriot League
Ian Happ, OF, Junior, Cincinnati, American Athletic
Kyle Holder, SS, Junior, San Diego, West Coast
Tyler Jay, LHP, Junior, Illinois, Big 10
Kevin Kaczmarski, OF, RS-Senior, Evansville, Missouri Valley
Scott Kingery, 2B, Junior, Arizona, Pac 12
Alex Lange, RHP, Freshman, LSU, SEC
Brendan McKay, IF/LHP, Freshman, Louisville, ACC
Andrew Moore, RHP, Junior, Oregon State, Pac 12
Kade Scivicque, C, Senior, LSU, SEC
Nick Sell, 3B, Senior, Seton Hill, PSAC (D2)
Mike Shawaryn, RHP, Sophomore, Maryland, Big 10
DJ Stewart, OF, Junior, Florida State, ACC
Dansby Swanson, SS, Junior, Vanderbilt, SEC
Dillon Tate, RHP, Junior, UCSB, Big West
Logan Taylor, OF, Junior, Texas A&M, SEC
