10 early contenders for the 2018 Golden Spikes Award
10 early contenders for the 2018 Golden Spikes Award NCAA.com
Like power? Then Beer is your guy. In his two years with the Tigers, the first baseman/outfielder has a combined 140 hits, 34 home runs and 123 RBIs, with career splits of .333/.506/.651. The two-time All-American is one of the best pure hitters in the country yet again, and expect another stellar performance from the 6-3, 195-pound junior in 2018. Cyr: Griffin Conine, Duke As Wayne had pointed out, the Blue Devils haven't gone above .500 in conference play since the 2014 season. If this is the year Duke finally emerges from the middle of the pack within the ACC, the Blue Devils will need hefty production from the junior outfielder Conine. Although his 2017 stats aren’t as eye-popping as some of the other top outfielders around the country — .298/.425/.546 65 hits, 13 home runs, 56 RBI — Conine has one of the highest upsides heading into the season after a terrific summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League. “I started off not too hyped. I’m getting a lot of attention now, it’s not something I’ve had before,” Conine, a D1baseball.com preseason first-team All-American . “I don’t think it changed anything for me. It’s cool to get these preseason honors, but it’s weird because I didn’t do anything to accomplish them. It’s what they are predicting. It's a huge honor, but I want the ones at the end of the season for our team.” Cyr: Jeremy Eierman, Missouri State Eierman is my personal preseason favorite to win the 2018 Golden Spikes Award, and if his jump from freshman to sophomore year was any indication, this season should be a special one. Coming off an impressive 2017 campaign where the Bears finished 43-20 and made an appearance in the Super Regional, Eierman displayed serious power, finishing with .313/.431/.675 splits, 23 home runs, 68 RBIs, 15 doubles and 76 hits. Check out the jump he took from 2016 to 2017: Year AVG AB Runs Hits 2B 3B HR RBI OBP% SLG% OPS BB SO 2016 .296 230 45 68 13 4 9 48 .336 .504 .840 12 67 2017 .313 243 67 76 15 2 23 68 .431 .675 1.106 41 61 At 6-1, 205 pounds, Eierman has a bigger frame than a traditional shortstop, but his athleticism is far from an issue for him in the middle infield. He made only 10 errors in 178 attempts last season (.962 fielding percentage) and was successful in 17 of his 19 stolen base attempts. Eierman played some third base for Team USA over the summer and could move to the corner infield at the next level, but for now you can mark him as one of the top handful — if not the best — shortstops in the country, RELATED: Anthony Chiusano: Nick Madrigal, Oregon State From Dustin Pedroia to Jose Altuve, there are plenty of flattering comparisons that fit Madrigal’s play for the Beavers. The junior slashed .380/.449/.532 at the plate in 2017 and boasted one of the best gloves in the nation in the middle of the infield. He also has sneaky power, cranking four homers and 20 doubles last year. Reminder: He’s listed at only 5-8, 165 pounds. One amazing stat on Nick. In 432 at bats with the Beavers, he has struck out just 30 times (and walked 42 times).
That's an average of one K per every 14.4 at bats. That's basically one strikeout per series.
That is phenomenal. — Oregon State Baseball (@BeaverBaseball) The do-it-all Madrigal returns to an Oregon State team that went 56-6 last year before falling in the College World Series semis. Seven starting position players return in all, including Madrigal’s running mate at the top of the order in Steven Kwan. The duo combined for 85 runs scored in 2017. Madrigal was a semifinalist in last year’s Golden Spikes Award race. With his all-around game on a highly-talented team expected to get back to Omaha, Madrigal should be a popular pick to win the award this season. Cavadi: Casey Mize, Auburn Cyr: Brady Singer, Florida After pitchers dominated the Golden Spikes for a decade from 2000-09 with six winning the award, there hasn’t been a true pitcher to win since UCLA’s Trevor Bauer did so in 2011. If there ever was a pitcher to break that trend, Singer has the potential to do so. After breaking through in the CWS last year where he picked up two wins, including Game 1 of the finals where he tallied a CWS-record 12 strikeouts in a 4-3 win, FILTHY (filTHē)
adjective
1. disgustingly dirty.
2. Brady Singer last night. — NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) MORE: Chiusano: Matt Wallner, Southern Miss Let’s take a look at the past four winners of the Golden Spikes: Brendan McKay (1B/P), Kyle Lewis (OF), Andrew Benintendi (OF), A.J. Reed (1B/P). Two-way play has long been lauded in college baseball, and this recent history shows how important it may be when it comes to award season. Wallner can be the top two-way player in the nation this year after a very promising freshman season. The lefty-hitting outfielder/right-handed pitcher led So. Miss with 19 homers and a .655 slugging percentage in 2017 en route to being named the nation’s Freshman Hitter of the Year. On the mound, he had three saves but was limited to nine appearances due to a hip injury. Whether he's used as a reliever or starter, Wallner will toe the rubber plenty more times in 2018. And if he can juggle both roles like McKay did so well for three seasons, we may see a two-way player lift the hardware for the third time in five years. Congrats are in order to Matt Wallner who made the Golden Spikes Award watch list — SouthernMissBaseball (@SouthernMissBSB) Chiusano: Zach Watson, LSU Simply put, Watson was a stud last year as a freshman. On an experienced squad that reached the CWS finals, it was Watson who led LSU with a .317 average to go along with 21 extra base hits (nine homers), 37 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. His mix of power and speed helped earn him third team NCBWA preseason All-America honors entering 2018. It’s worth wondering how Watson will develop, now forced into a larger spotlight as one of the many left behind by last year’s departures. But Watson already gave a glimpse of what he can do on the biggest of stages under the most immense pressure — he batted .346 with a home run in seven games in Omaha last year.
FALL CHAMPS
TONIGHT
PRESENTED BY USA Baseball released its Golden Spikes preseason watch list on Feb. 9, highlighting the 55 student-athletes contending for the best amateur baseball player honors. RELATED: That sample will be cut down as the season progresses and the cream of the crop rises. But NCAA.com staff members Wayne Cavadi, Andrew Cyr and Anthony Chiusano attempted to narrow down the list before the season gets underway Friday. Below are our picks for the top 10 contenders for the 2018 Golden Spikes Award:The Contenders
Name Position Conference School Luken Baker DH/ 1B Big 12 TCU Seth Beer 1B/ OF ACC Clemson Griffin Conine OF ACC Duke Jeremy Eierman SS MVC Missouri State Nick Madrigal 2B Pac-12 Oregon State Casey Mize RHP SEC Auburn Brady Singer RHP SEC Florida Travis Swaggerty OF Sun Belt South Alabama Matt Wallner OF/RHP C-USA Southern Miss Zach Watson OF SEC LSU Note: All student-athletes listed in alphabetical orderWayne Cavadi Luken Baker TCU
“I’m ready to go, I don’t feel any lingering effects," . "I’ve felt 100 percent since two or three weeks after I was fully cleared. I’m excited to get back out there and win a championship.” Andrew Cyr: Seth Beer, Clemson NCAA BaseballLike power? Then Beer is your guy. In his two years with the Tigers, the first baseman/outfielder has a combined 140 hits, 34 home runs and 123 RBIs, with career splits of .333/.506/.651. The two-time All-American is one of the best pure hitters in the country yet again, and expect another stellar performance from the 6-3, 195-pound junior in 2018. Cyr: Griffin Conine, Duke As Wayne had pointed out, the Blue Devils haven't gone above .500 in conference play since the 2014 season. If this is the year Duke finally emerges from the middle of the pack within the ACC, the Blue Devils will need hefty production from the junior outfielder Conine. Although his 2017 stats aren’t as eye-popping as some of the other top outfielders around the country — .298/.425/.546 65 hits, 13 home runs, 56 RBI — Conine has one of the highest upsides heading into the season after a terrific summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League. “I started off not too hyped. I’m getting a lot of attention now, it’s not something I’ve had before,” Conine, a D1baseball.com preseason first-team All-American . “I don’t think it changed anything for me. It’s cool to get these preseason honors, but it’s weird because I didn’t do anything to accomplish them. It’s what they are predicting. It's a huge honor, but I want the ones at the end of the season for our team.” Cyr: Jeremy Eierman, Missouri State Eierman is my personal preseason favorite to win the 2018 Golden Spikes Award, and if his jump from freshman to sophomore year was any indication, this season should be a special one. Coming off an impressive 2017 campaign where the Bears finished 43-20 and made an appearance in the Super Regional, Eierman displayed serious power, finishing with .313/.431/.675 splits, 23 home runs, 68 RBIs, 15 doubles and 76 hits. Check out the jump he took from 2016 to 2017: Year AVG AB Runs Hits 2B 3B HR RBI OBP% SLG% OPS BB SO 2016 .296 230 45 68 13 4 9 48 .336 .504 .840 12 67 2017 .313 243 67 76 15 2 23 68 .431 .675 1.106 41 61 At 6-1, 205 pounds, Eierman has a bigger frame than a traditional shortstop, but his athleticism is far from an issue for him in the middle infield. He made only 10 errors in 178 attempts last season (.962 fielding percentage) and was successful in 17 of his 19 stolen base attempts. Eierman played some third base for Team USA over the summer and could move to the corner infield at the next level, but for now you can mark him as one of the top handful — if not the best — shortstops in the country, RELATED: Anthony Chiusano: Nick Madrigal, Oregon State From Dustin Pedroia to Jose Altuve, there are plenty of flattering comparisons that fit Madrigal’s play for the Beavers. The junior slashed .380/.449/.532 at the plate in 2017 and boasted one of the best gloves in the nation in the middle of the infield. He also has sneaky power, cranking four homers and 20 doubles last year. Reminder: He’s listed at only 5-8, 165 pounds. One amazing stat on Nick. In 432 at bats with the Beavers, he has struck out just 30 times (and walked 42 times).
That's an average of one K per every 14.4 at bats. That's basically one strikeout per series.
That is phenomenal. — Oregon State Baseball (@BeaverBaseball) The do-it-all Madrigal returns to an Oregon State team that went 56-6 last year before falling in the College World Series semis. Seven starting position players return in all, including Madrigal’s running mate at the top of the order in Steven Kwan. The duo combined for 85 runs scored in 2017. Madrigal was a semifinalist in last year’s Golden Spikes Award race. With his all-around game on a highly-talented team expected to get back to Omaha, Madrigal should be a popular pick to win the award this season. Cavadi: Casey Mize, Auburn Cyr: Brady Singer, Florida After pitchers dominated the Golden Spikes for a decade from 2000-09 with six winning the award, there hasn’t been a true pitcher to win since UCLA’s Trevor Bauer did so in 2011. If there ever was a pitcher to break that trend, Singer has the potential to do so. After breaking through in the CWS last year where he picked up two wins, including Game 1 of the finals where he tallied a CWS-record 12 strikeouts in a 4-3 win, FILTHY (filTHē)
adjective
1. disgustingly dirty.
2. Brady Singer last night. — NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) MORE: Chiusano: Matt Wallner, Southern Miss Let’s take a look at the past four winners of the Golden Spikes: Brendan McKay (1B/P), Kyle Lewis (OF), Andrew Benintendi (OF), A.J. Reed (1B/P). Two-way play has long been lauded in college baseball, and this recent history shows how important it may be when it comes to award season. Wallner can be the top two-way player in the nation this year after a very promising freshman season. The lefty-hitting outfielder/right-handed pitcher led So. Miss with 19 homers and a .655 slugging percentage in 2017 en route to being named the nation’s Freshman Hitter of the Year. On the mound, he had three saves but was limited to nine appearances due to a hip injury. Whether he's used as a reliever or starter, Wallner will toe the rubber plenty more times in 2018. And if he can juggle both roles like McKay did so well for three seasons, we may see a two-way player lift the hardware for the third time in five years. Congrats are in order to Matt Wallner who made the Golden Spikes Award watch list — SouthernMissBaseball (@SouthernMissBSB) Chiusano: Zach Watson, LSU Simply put, Watson was a stud last year as a freshman. On an experienced squad that reached the CWS finals, it was Watson who led LSU with a .317 average to go along with 21 extra base hits (nine homers), 37 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. His mix of power and speed helped earn him third team NCBWA preseason All-America honors entering 2018. It’s worth wondering how Watson will develop, now forced into a larger spotlight as one of the many left behind by last year’s departures. But Watson already gave a glimpse of what he can do on the biggest of stages under the most immense pressure — he batted .346 with a home run in seven games in Omaha last year.