Courtesy of USABaseball.com and GoldenSpikesAward.com
DURHAM, N.C. -- USA Baseball released its 30-man midseason Golden Spikes
Award watch list on Thursday, bringing the organization one step closer to
naming the top amateur baseball player in the country.
The watch list
will continue to be a "rolling" list until the semifinalists for the award are
announced on May 27, ensuring that athletes can play themselves into
consideration for the award. The Golden Spikes Award trophy will be awarded live
in Los Angeles on July 17.
Six new players were added to the list since
its last release on April 10, joining 24 others from the first watch list. The
Southeastern Conference and the Big West Conference led all conferences in watch
list players, with four each on the second midseason update. Additionally, 15
different NCAA conferences are represented on the list. The West Coast
Conference, PAC 12 Conference and Atlantic Sun Conference all had three athletes
on the list.
All the schools represented have one athlete each, except
Oregon State which boasts two players on the list. Cal State Fullerton's Thomas
Eshelman and Louisiana State's Aaron Nola are both featured on the 2014 Golden
Spikes Award 30-man watch list after being named semifinalists for the award in
2013.
USA Baseball officials will announce the list of semifinalists for
the 2014 Golden Spikes Award on Tuesday, May 27. The list of athletes will then
be sent to a voting body consisting of 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
2014. Tuesday, May 27 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 names.
Last year,
University of San Diego infielder, Kris Bryant, took home the prestigious award,
joining a group of recent winners that includes Mike Zunino (2012), Trevor Bauer
(2011), Bryce Harper (2010), Stephen Strasburg (2009) and Buster Posey
(2008).
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 2014 USA Baseball Golden
Spikes Award dates include:Friday, Feb. 14:
60-man preseason watch list released, shaped by USA Baseball officials and
advisors
Thursday, April 10: 50-man midseason watch list
released, shaped by USA Baseball officials and advisors
Thursday, May
8: 30-man watch list, shaped by USA Baseball officials and
advisors
Tuesday, May 27: Semifinalists announced, selected
by USA Baseball officials; semifinalist voting begins; voters to select
three
Friday, May 30: Deadline to vote for finalists, 5 p.m.
ET
Tuesday, June 3: Finalists announced; finalist voting
begins; voters to select one
Friday, June 13: Deadline to
vote for winner, 5 p.m. ET
Thursday, July 17: Golden Spikes
Award presentation
The complete 2014 30-man midseason Golden Spikes Award watch list is as
follows:
Name, Position, Class, School (in order of last name, new players
bolded)
Caleb Adams, OF, Junior, Louisiana LafayetteAaron Brown,
OF/LHP, Junior, Pepperdine
Nick Burdi, RHP, Junior, Louisville
Michael
Conforto, OF, Junior, Oregon State
Tyler Davis, RHP, Junior,
Washington
Chris Ellis, RHP, Junior, Mississippi
Joey Epperson, OF/IF,
RS-Senior, UC Santa Barbara
Thomas Eshelman, RHP, Sophomore, Cal State
Fullerton
Erick Fedde, EHP, Junior, UNLV
Brandon Finnegan, LHP, Junior,
TCU
Mike Franco, RHP, Junior, Florida InternationalKyle
Freeland, LHP, Junior, Evansville
Casey Gillaspie, IF, Junior, Wichita
State
Grayson Greiner, C, Junior, South Carolina
Matt Imhof, LHP, Junior,
Cal Poly
Connor Joe, IF, Junior, San DiegoMichael Katz,
IF, Junior, William & Mary
Nathan Kirby, LHP, Sophomore,
Virginia
Jordan Luplow, OF, Junior, Fresno StateAndrew
Morales, RHP, Senior, UC Irvine
Michael Murray, RHP, Sophomore, Florida Gulf
Coast
Aaron Nola, RHP, Junior, Louisiana State
Max Pentecost, C, Junior,
Kennesaw State
Josh Prevost, RHP, Senior, Seton HallA.J.
Reed, LHP/IF, Junior, Kentucky
DJ Stewart, OF, Sophomore, Florida
State
Sam Travis, IF, Junior, Indiana
Drew Weeks, OF/IF, Junior,
North FloridaBen Wetzler, LHP, Senior, Oregon State
Bradley
Zimmer, OF, Junior, San Francisco