PHOENIX - USA Baseball unveiled the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list on Wednesday, moving closer to naming the top amateur baseball player in the country. Three Sun Devils were recognized in the announcement with infielder Spencer Torkelson earning the nod for the second consecutive season, alongside teammates and first-time selections outfielder Hunter Bishop and right-hander Alec Marsh.
Presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the winner of the 42nd Golden Spikes Award will be announced on June 14.
The midseason watch list features 40 of the nation's top amateur players from the high school and college ranks, and includes 21 athletes whom have played their way onto the watch list since the preseason list was announced on February 5. 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 15.
Arizona State leads all schools with three athletes on the 2019 midseason watch list while Mississippi State, NC State, Oregon State, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Washington each placed two athletes on the list.
Torkelson highlights the class for the Sun Devils after being named a semifinalist for the award last season as a freshman. The sophomore first baseman has really come alive in recent weeks from a power standpoint and finds himself batting .382 on the season with nine homers, nine doubles and a .656 slugging percentage.
Torkelson has homered in three straight games for ASU and finds himself fourth in the Pac-12 and 31stin the country. The sophomore is third in the Pac-12 and 27thin the country with 39 RBIs and sits 20thnationally and fourth in the league with 39 runs scored.
Hunter Bishop took the nation by storm in the first half of the year, earning consensus Midseason National Player of the Year honors. Bishop is second in the nation with 16 homers on the season and 11thnationally with 42 RBIs.
The junior leads the country in slugging percentage at .942 and runs (47), while his .535 OBP is good for eighth in the nation.
Marsh is enjoying a breakout campaign of his own, tied for the national lead with seven victories on the season and a 7-1 record. He is third in the Pac-12 with a 2.19 ERA and sixth in the league with 45 strikeouts.
Marsh has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 25 of his last 27 appearances, dating back to his freshman season and has posted a quality start in 11 of his last 16 starts dating back to last season.
Since the start of the midseason watch list announcements in 2012, ASU has had nine selections with the addition of today's trio. Those nine midseason selections are tied for 11thin the country in that time.
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).
On Wednesday, May 15, USA Baseball will announce the semifinalists for the 2019 Golden Spikes Award. The list of semifinalists will then be sent to a voting body consisting of baseball media members, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball staff and 40 of the previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters. As part of this selection process, all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list of semifinalists. On May 29, USA Baseball will announce the finalists, and voting for the winner will begin that same day.
Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2019. Beginning with the semifinalist announcement and continuing through the finalist round voting deadline, fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite player on GoldenSpikesAward.com.
The winner of the 42nd Golden Spikes Award will be named on Friday, June 14.
USA Baseball has partnered with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation to host the Golden Spikes Award since 2013. The Foundation was formed to honor legendary University of Southern California and USA Baseball Olympic team coach, Rod Dedeaux, and supports youth baseball and softball programs in underserved communities throughout Southern California.
Presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the winner of the 42nd Golden Spikes Award will be announced on June 14.
The midseason watch list features 40 of the nation's top amateur players from the high school and college ranks, and includes 21 athletes whom have played their way onto the watch list since the preseason list was announced on February 5. 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 15.
Arizona State leads all schools with three athletes on the 2019 midseason watch list while Mississippi State, NC State, Oregon State, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Washington each placed two athletes on the list.
Torkelson highlights the class for the Sun Devils after being named a semifinalist for the award last season as a freshman. The sophomore first baseman has really come alive in recent weeks from a power standpoint and finds himself batting .382 on the season with nine homers, nine doubles and a .656 slugging percentage.
Torkelson has homered in three straight games for ASU and finds himself fourth in the Pac-12 and 31stin the country. The sophomore is third in the Pac-12 and 27thin the country with 39 RBIs and sits 20thnationally and fourth in the league with 39 runs scored.
Hunter Bishop took the nation by storm in the first half of the year, earning consensus Midseason National Player of the Year honors. Bishop is second in the nation with 16 homers on the season and 11thnationally with 42 RBIs.
The junior leads the country in slugging percentage at .942 and runs (47), while his .535 OBP is good for eighth in the nation.
Marsh is enjoying a breakout campaign of his own, tied for the national lead with seven victories on the season and a 7-1 record. He is third in the Pac-12 with a 2.19 ERA and sixth in the league with 45 strikeouts.
Marsh has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 25 of his last 27 appearances, dating back to his freshman season and has posted a quality start in 11 of his last 16 starts dating back to last season.
Since the start of the midseason watch list announcements in 2012, ASU has had nine selections with the addition of today's trio. Those nine midseason selections are tied for 11thin the country in that time.
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).
On Wednesday, May 15, USA Baseball will announce the semifinalists for the 2019 Golden Spikes Award. The list of semifinalists will then be sent to a voting body consisting of baseball media members, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball staff and 40 of the previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters. As part of this selection process, all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list of semifinalists. On May 29, USA Baseball will announce the finalists, and voting for the winner will begin that same day.
Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2019. Beginning with the semifinalist announcement and continuing through the finalist round voting deadline, fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite player on GoldenSpikesAward.com.
The winner of the 42nd Golden Spikes Award will be named on Friday, June 14.
USA Baseball has partnered with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation to host the Golden Spikes Award since 2013. The Foundation was formed to honor legendary University of Southern California and USA Baseball Olympic team coach, Rod Dedeaux, and supports youth baseball and softball programs in underserved communities throughout Southern California.