The Golden Spikes Award has released its preseason watch list of players up for the prestigious award, and the SEC is well represented.
The SEC has 15 nominees on the watch list, which overall features 55 of the nation’s top amateur players from high school and college baseball. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will maintain a rolling list of players, allowing athletes to play themselves into consideration for the award throughout the season.
Several household names are on this year’s preseason list after they had strong seasons last year.
That includes 6 Golden Spikes Award semifinalists from 2021, including 2021 College World Series champion Landon Sims (Mississippi State). Sims is joined by fellow 2021 semifinalists Jacob Berry (LSU), Jace Jung (Texas Tech), Austin Knight (Charlotte), Ethan Long (Arizona State), and Paul Skenes (Air Force).
Berry, Jung, Knight, and Sims were also named to the midseason watch list in 2021.
Here’s the full list:
Hunter Barco; LHP; Florida; Southeastern Conference
Dylan Beavers; OF; California; Pac-12 Conference
Jordan Beck; OF; Tennessee; Southeastern Conference
Jacob Berry; INF; LSU; Southeastern Conference
Enrique Bradfield; OF; Vanderbilt; Southeastern Conference
Justin Campbell; RHP/DH; Oklahoma State; Big 12 Conference
Cam Collier; INF/RHP; Chipola; Panhandle Conference
Dylan Crews; OF; LSU; Southeastern Conference
Gavin Cross; OF; Virginia Tech; Atlantic Coast Conference
Chase DeLauter; OF/LHP; James Madison; Colonial Athletic Association
Hayden Dunhurst; C; Ole Miss; Southeastern Conference
Jud Fabian; OF; Florida; Southeastern Conference
Jacob Gonzalez; INF; Ole Miss; Southeastern Conference
Peyton Graham; INF; Oklahoma; Big 12 Conference
Elijah Green; OF; IMG Academy
Caden Grice; 1B/LHP; Clemson; Atlantic Coast Conference
Pete Hansen; LHP; Texas; Big 12 Conference
Devereaux Harrison; RHP; Long Beach St.; Big West Conference
Sam Highfill; RHP/INF; NC State; Atlantic Coast Conference
Ty Hill; UTL; Jackson State; Southwestern Athletic Conference
Gabriel Hughes; RHP; Gonzaga; West Coast Conference
Termarr Johnson; INF; Mays High School
Brock Jones; OF; Stanford; Pac-12 Conference
Druw Jones; OF; Wesleyan High School
Jace Jung; INF; Texas Tech; Big 12 Conference
Austin Knight; INF; Charlotte; Conference USA
Brooks Lee; SS; Cal Poly; Big West Conference
Dylan Lesko; RHP; Buford High School
Tyler Locklear; INF; VCU; Atlantic 10 Conference
Ethan Long; INF; Arizona St.; Pac-12 Conference
Nick Maldonado; RHP; Vanderbilt; Southeastern Conference
Haydn McGeary; C; Colorado Mesa; Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Jared McKenzie; OF; Baylor; Big 12 Conference
Sean McLain; INF; Arizona St.; Pac-12 Conference
Parker Messick; LHP; Florida State; Atlantic Coast Conference
Robert Moore; INF; Arkansas; Southeastern Conference
Tre’ Morgan; 1B; LSU; Southeastern Conference
Zach Neto; RHP/INF; Campbell; Big South Conference
Carson Palmquist; LHP; Miami; Atlantic Coast Conference
Kevin Parada; C; Georgia Tech; Atlantic Coast Conference
Max Rajcic; RHP; UCLA; Pac-12 Conference
Ryan Ritter; INF; Kentucky; Southeastern Conference
Cam Schlittler; RHP; Northeastern; Colonial Athletic Association
Landon Sims; RHP; Mississippi State; Southeastern Conference
Paul Skenes; C/RHP; Air Force; Mountain West Conference
Jordan Sprinkle; INF; UC-Santa Barbara; Big West Conference
Daniel Susac; C; Arizona; Pac-12 Conference
Logan Tanner; C; Mississippi State; Southeastern Conference
Andrew Taylor; RHP; Central Michigan; Mid-American Conference
Kyle Teel; C/UTL; Virginia; Atlantic Coast Conference
Cayden Wallace; INF/OF; Arkansas; Southeastern Conference
Carson Whisenhunt; LHP; East Carolina; American Athletic Conference
Josh White; RHP; California; Pac-12 Conference
Brock Wilken; INF/C; Wake Forest; Atlantic Coast Conference
Tanner Witt; RHP; Texas; Big 12 Conference
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
