PHOENIX - USA Baseball released the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list on Tuesday and Sun Devil Baseball is well-represented as junior Gage Canning and freshman Spencer Torkelson both found themselves recognized for the prestigious honor. The midseason watch list features 40 of the nation's top amateur players from the college ranks.
Canning has put together an All-American caliber year and current sits third nationally and first in the Pac-12 with 51 hits this season. He is the national leader with nine triples and 19th in the NCAA with a .404 batting average past the midway point in the season. He is second nationally with 96 total bases reached this year.
He is second in the Pac-12 with 11 doubles this year and fourth in the league with 29 runs scored. Canning is slugging .706 on the season with three home runs, nine triples and 11 doubles, a slugging percentage good for 16th nationally and third in the Pac-12 despite starting every game this season as ASU's leadoff hitter.
Canning is ASU's top batter with two outs, currently posting a .429 clip on 12-of-28 hitting and he leads the team with a .400 average with runners in scoring position on 10-of-25 chances.
The junior is the NCAA's active career leader with 23 career triples, good for third in Sun Devil baseball history and just three shy of the school record. He reached base in the first 31 games of the season this year and has a hit in all but three of ASU's games to date. He has a team-leading 16 multi-hit games in 32 appearances this season and has three or more hits in seven of those.
Torkelson has taken the nation by storm with his long-ball prowess, currently in sole possession of the national lead with 15 home runs this season. Torkelson didn't even need half the season to break Barry Bonds' previous ASU freshman home run record of 11, doing so against Washington State in the 26th game of the season.
The freshman has a home run against all but two of ASU's 13 opponents this season – even including one-off midweek games. The 15 home runs overall are seven more than the next closest freshman and with over 20 games remaining in the season, he is quickly gaining on ASU's all-time Top-3 in the category with Jeff Larish, Barry Bonds and Oddibe McDowell currently tied for third in single season home runs at 23.
Torkelson is slugging .744 on the year, good for seventh nationally and second in the Pac-12 and his 90 total bases are 11th in the country and third in the league. Torkelson's 31 RBIs this year are sixth in the Pac-12 and already tied for the most by any Sun Devil in the entirety of last season. He has nine multi-RBI games this year and currently has the team's longest active reached base streak at 16 games.
Torkelson has 37 hits on the season, 23 of which have been extra base knocks with eight doubles in addition to his 15 big flies. He also has a team-leading 18 walks this season and is batting .306 with a .393 OBP. The frosh has been absolutely incredible when leading off an inning, batting .560 on 14-of-25 hitting with three leadoff home runs and four leadoff doubles.
The freshman has 13 two-out RBIs this season – six more than any other Sun Devil – and has been incredible at producing productive outs with 18 runners advancing on one of his outs, which is 10 more than any other Devil.
Torkelson is the only freshman in the nation represented on this year's midseason watch list. Since the Golden Spikes Award began releasing a midseason watch list in 2012, Torkelson is just the 13th freshman out of 400 overall selections to be honored and is the first since the 2016 season.
Since the start of the midseason watch list announcements in 2012, ASU has had six selections with the last coming from Ryan Burr in 2015. Torkelson and Canning are the only Sun Devil position players to be named to the midseason watch list besides Joey DiMichele in 2012.
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 Sun Devils have recorded three Golden Spikes National Players of the Year throughout history including Horner, Oddibe McDowell (1984) and Mike Kelly (1991).
Presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the 41st Golden Spikes Award will be presented on June 28 in Los Angeles. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue to maintain a rolling list of athletes, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award before announcing the semifinalists on May 21.
Canning has put together an All-American caliber year and current sits third nationally and first in the Pac-12 with 51 hits this season. He is the national leader with nine triples and 19th in the NCAA with a .404 batting average past the midway point in the season. He is second nationally with 96 total bases reached this year.
He is second in the Pac-12 with 11 doubles this year and fourth in the league with 29 runs scored. Canning is slugging .706 on the season with three home runs, nine triples and 11 doubles, a slugging percentage good for 16th nationally and third in the Pac-12 despite starting every game this season as ASU's leadoff hitter.
Canning is ASU's top batter with two outs, currently posting a .429 clip on 12-of-28 hitting and he leads the team with a .400 average with runners in scoring position on 10-of-25 chances.
The junior is the NCAA's active career leader with 23 career triples, good for third in Sun Devil baseball history and just three shy of the school record. He reached base in the first 31 games of the season this year and has a hit in all but three of ASU's games to date. He has a team-leading 16 multi-hit games in 32 appearances this season and has three or more hits in seven of those.
Torkelson has taken the nation by storm with his long-ball prowess, currently in sole possession of the national lead with 15 home runs this season. Torkelson didn't even need half the season to break Barry Bonds' previous ASU freshman home run record of 11, doing so against Washington State in the 26th game of the season.
The freshman has a home run against all but two of ASU's 13 opponents this season – even including one-off midweek games. The 15 home runs overall are seven more than the next closest freshman and with over 20 games remaining in the season, he is quickly gaining on ASU's all-time Top-3 in the category with Jeff Larish, Barry Bonds and Oddibe McDowell currently tied for third in single season home runs at 23.
Torkelson is slugging .744 on the year, good for seventh nationally and second in the Pac-12 and his 90 total bases are 11th in the country and third in the league. Torkelson's 31 RBIs this year are sixth in the Pac-12 and already tied for the most by any Sun Devil in the entirety of last season. He has nine multi-RBI games this year and currently has the team's longest active reached base streak at 16 games.
Torkelson has 37 hits on the season, 23 of which have been extra base knocks with eight doubles in addition to his 15 big flies. He also has a team-leading 18 walks this season and is batting .306 with a .393 OBP. The frosh has been absolutely incredible when leading off an inning, batting .560 on 14-of-25 hitting with three leadoff home runs and four leadoff doubles.
The freshman has 13 two-out RBIs this season – six more than any other Sun Devil – and has been incredible at producing productive outs with 18 runners advancing on one of his outs, which is 10 more than any other Devil.
Torkelson is the only freshman in the nation represented on this year's midseason watch list. Since the Golden Spikes Award began releasing a midseason watch list in 2012, Torkelson is just the 13th freshman out of 400 overall selections to be honored and is the first since the 2016 season.
Since the start of the midseason watch list announcements in 2012, ASU has had six selections with the last coming from Ryan Burr in 2015. Torkelson and Canning are the only Sun Devil position players to be named to the midseason watch list besides Joey DiMichele in 2012.
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 Sun Devils have recorded three Golden Spikes National Players of the Year throughout history including Horner, Oddibe McDowell (1984) and Mike Kelly (1991).
Presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the 41st Golden Spikes Award will be presented on June 28 in Los Angeles. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue to maintain a rolling list of athletes, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award before announcing the semifinalists on May 21.