FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
DURHAM, N.C. — USA Baseball announced the semifinalists for the 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award on Friday. Twenty-one athletes from around the country were named semifinalists for the 38th Golden Spikes Award, sponsored by Major League Baseball and presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation to the top amateur baseball player in the U.S.
GoldenSpikesAward.com — powered by MLB Advanced Media — is once again the online home for the award. The website features content devoted exclusively to the GSA, including news, voting history, past winner photo galleries, and photographs and biographical information for the 2015 semifinalists. Fans can follow online at GoldenSpikesAward.com as the list of 21 players is narrowed to a group of finalists on Tuesday, June 2.
Two new players were added to the list since its last release on May 7, joining 19 others from the 30-player watch list. The Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference lead with four athletes each on the Golden Spikes Award semifinalist list. The Pac 12 contributed a trio of athletes while the Big 10 and Big West each posted a pair. The American Athletic, Atlantic Sun, Colonial Athletic, Missouri Valley, Patriot League and the Scenic West each had an athlete on the list.
Defending NCAA Division I national champion, Vanderbilt, is the only school with more than one athlete, with junior right-handed pitcher, Carson Fulmer, and junior shortstop, Dansby Swanson, both appearing. The list of 21 represent 19 different NCAA institutions, and one NJCAA member, Phil Bickford of College of Southern Nevada. CSN’s Bryce Harper won the Golden Spikes Award in 2010.
USA Baseball officials will announce the list of finalists for the 2015 Golden Spikes Award on Tuesday, June 2. To select the finalists, the list of semifinalists is sent to a voting body consisting of past Golden Spikes Award winners, past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of 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 2015. This announcement officially marks the opening of voting for amateur baseball fans from across the country on GoldenSpikesAward.com. As part of this selection process, all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list of names. Voting will be open until Friday, May 29.
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).
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
The complete 2015 Golden Spikes Award semifinalist list is as follows:
Name, Position, Class, School (in order of last name, new players bolded)
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
Taylor Clarke, RHP, RS-Junior, College of Charleston, CAA
Matthew Crownover, LHP, Junior, Clemson, ACC
Donnie Dewees, OF, RS-Sophomore, North Florida, Atlantic Sun
Thomas Eshelman, RHP, Junior, Cal State Fullerton, Big West
Carson Fulmer, RHP, Junior, Vanderbilt, SEC
Luke Gillingham, LHP, Junior, Navy, Patriot League
Ian Happ, OF, Junior, Cincinnati, American Athletic
Tyler Jay, LHP, Junior, Illinois, Big 10
Kevin Kaczmarski, OF, RS-Senior, Evansville, Missouri Valley
Scott Kingery, 2B, Junior, Arizona, Pac 12
Brendan McKay, IF/OF, Freshman, Louisville, ACC
Andrew Moore, RHP, Junior, Oregon State, Pac 12
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
David Thompson, 3B, Junior, Miami, ACC
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 2014 Golden Spikes Award winner was A.J. Reed of the University of Kentucky. Past winners of this prestigious award include current Major League Baseball players such as Mike Zunino (’12), Trevor Bauer (’11), Bryce Harper (’10), Stephen Strasburg (’09), Buster Posey (’08), David Price (’07), Tim Lincecum (’06), Alex Gordon (’05) and Jered Weaver (’04). Former Major League stars that have captured the award include Pat Burrell (’98), Mark Kotsay (’95), 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.
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 and the World Baseball Softball Confederation. 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.
