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CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today named the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, continuing the process of identifying the best amateur baseball player in the country for the 2024 season. The list features 45 of the nation’s top athletes from college and high school baseball. Twenty-seven athletes have played their way onto the list since the announcement of the Preseason Watch List on February 9. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue maintaining a rolling list of athletes throughout the season, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award before the announcement of the semifinalists on May 20. “We are honored to acknowledge the top forty-five amateur players in the nation for their stellar performances so far this season,” said USA Baseball CEO/Executive Director Paul Seiler. “There is unbelievable talent up and down the entire amateur baseball landscape, and the players on this list represent the best of the best. We look forward to watching the rest of the season unfold as we move closer to naming the 46th winner of the prestigious Golden Spikes Award.” A group of four players who were named Golden Spikes Award semifinalists last season earned spots on this year’s midseason list, including 2023 finalist Jac Caglianone (Florida). Charlie Condon (Georgia), Hagen Smith (Arkansas), and Tommy White (LSU) were also named to the Midseason Watch List following semifinalist runs in 2023. Eight players returned to the Midseason Watch List after earning spots in 2023, including Chase Burns (Wake Forest), who becomes just the fifth player in the award’s history to make the midseason list in three different seasons. Burns, Caglianone, Condon, and White are joined by Brody Brecht (Iowa), Jacob Cozart (NC State), Braden Montgomery (Texas A&M), and Trey Yesavage (East Carolina) as players who are making repeat appearances on the Midseason Watch List. For the third time in program history, Texas A&M features a trio of players on the midseason list. After having three athletes in both 2012 and 2013, the 3rd-ranked Aggies have placed Jace LaViolette, Montgomery, and Ryan Prager on the 2024 list. No. 14 Florida State also has three players on the Midseason Watch List: Jamie Arnold, Cam Smith, and James Tibbs III. Amidst a record-breaking season at the high school level, Konnor Griffin (Jackson Prep) is the only non-Division I athlete on this year’s midseason list. Griffin, who also earned a spot on the Preseason Watch List, broke the Jackson Prep record for stolen bases in a season with 41 in the team’s first 14 games of 2024. In total, 36 different schools and 12 NCAA conferences are represented on the Midseason Watch List. In addition to Florida State and Texas A&M, five other schools placed multiple athletes on the list: Duke, East Carolina, Florida, LSU, and Tennessee. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) leads all conferences with 15 players on the list, followed closely by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with 12. LSU’s Dylan Crews is the most recent winner of the Golden Spikes Award, earning the prestigious honor after helping lead the Tigers to a College World Series title in 2023. He joins an elite group of recent winners including Ivan Melendez (2022), Kevin Kopps(2021), Adley Rutschman (2019), Andrew Vaughn (2018), Brendan McKay (2017), Kyle Lewis (2016), Andrew Benintendi (2015), A.J. Reed (2014), Kris Bryant (2013), Mike Zunino (2012), Trevor Bauer (2011), Bryce Harper (2010), Stephen Strasburg(2009), Buster Posey (2008), and David Price (2007). The 2024 Golden Spikes Award timeline is as follows:May 20: Golden Spikes Award semifinalists announced, and fan voting beginsJune 3: Golden Spikes Award semifinalists fan voting endsJune 5: Golden Spikes Award finalists announced, and fan voting beginsJune 21: Golden Spikes Award finalists’ fan voting endsJune 22: Golden Spikes Award winner announcedFan voting will again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award in 2024. Baseball fans can vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com, beginning on May 20 with the naming of the semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 5, and fan voting will once again open at GoldenSpikesAward.com before closing on June 21. To stay up to date on the 2024 Golden Spikes Award, visit GoldenSpikesAward.com and follow @USAGoldenSpikes on Instagram and Twitter/X. A complete list of the 45-player 2024 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List is as follows: Name; Position; School; Conference Billy Amick; INF; Tennessee; SEC Jamie Arnold; LHP; Florida State; ACC RJ Austin; UTIL; Vanderbilt; SEC Blake Barthol; INF; Coastal Carolina; Sun Belt Ethan Bates; INF/RHP; Louisiana Tech; C-USA Travis Bazzana; INF; Oregon State; Pac-12 Brody Brecht; RHP; Iowa; Big Ten Chase Burns; RHP; Wake Forest; ACC Drew Burress; OF; Georgia Tech; ACC Jac Caglianone; INF/RHP; Florida; SEC Charlie Condon; 1B/OF; Georgia; SEC Casey Cook; OF; UNC; ACC Jacob Cozart; C; NC State; ACC Brady Day; INF/OF; Kansas State; Big 12 Carson DeMartini; INF; Virginia Tech; ACC Konnor Griffin; OF/RHP; Jackson Prep Brian Holiday; RHP; Oklahoma State; Big 12 Luke Holman; RHP; LSU; SEC Riley Huge; LHP; Winthrop; Big South Ike Irish; C; Auburn; SEC Walker Janek; C; Sam Houston; C-USA Ryan Johnson; RHP; Dallas Baptist; C-USA Dakota Jordan; OF; Mississippi State; SEC Caden Kendle; OF; UC Irvine; Big West Grant Knipp; C/RHP; Campbell; CAA Josh Kuroda-Grauer; INF; Rutgers; Big Ten Jace LaViolette; OF; Texas A&M; SEC Caleb Lomavita; C; California; Pac-12 Ben Miller; 1B; Duke; ACC Gage Miller; INF; Alabama; SEC Lyle Miller-Green; OF; Austin Peay; ASUN Braden Montgomery; OF/RHP; Texas A&M; SEC Christian Moore; INF; Tennessee; SEC Ryan Prager; LHP; Texas A&M; SEC Zach Root; LHP; East Carolina; AAC Jonathan Santucci; LHP; Duke; ACC Brett Sears; RHP; Nebraska; Big Ten Colby Shelton; INF; Florida; SEC Cam Smith; INF; Florida State; ACC Hagen Smith; LHP; Arkansas; SEC James Tibbs III; OF/1B; Florida State; ACC Jason Torres; INF; Miami (Fla.); ACC Tommy White; 3B; LSU; SEC Blake Wright; INF; Clemson; ACC Trey Yesavage; RHP; East Carolina; AAC |
About Golden Spikes AwardSince 1978, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden Spikes Award. The award, which is presented on ESPN annually, goes to the amateur baseball player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship. The 2023 Golden Spikes Award winner was Dylan Crews from Louisiana State University. Winners of this prestigious award from the past 20 years include Major League Baseball All-Stars such as Adley Rutschman (’19), Andrew Benintendi (’15), Kris Bryant (’13), 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). Fans can follow the Golden Spikes Award on Instagram and Twitter @USAGoldenSpikes. About USA BaseballWith its international headquarters located in Cary, North Carolina, USA Baseball is the national governing body for baseball in the United States and has been committed to serving, protecting, and supporting the game and its 15.6 million participants since 1978. As a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), its national teams have won a combined 69 gold medals in international competition. Off the diamond, the organization is dedicated to the proliferation and health of the sport through the creation and management of numerous development initiatives including BASE (Baseball Athlete Safety Education), Fun At Bat, Pitch Smart, PLAY BALL, and the Prospect Development Pipeline. Additionally, USA Baseball annually honors the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden Spikes Award. For more information on the organization, its national teams, and development-driven initiatives, visit the official website USABaseball.com or USABDevelops.com. |