April 9, 2015
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina senior first baseman Kyle Martin is one of 60 players in the nation to be named to USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List as announced on Thursday afternoon.
Martin is hitting .363 (45-for-124) with six homers, nine doubles, 30 runs scored and 35 RBI. He has 21 walks to 12 strikeouts with a .454 on-base percentage and a .597 slugging percentage. Martin is hitting .422 in SEC games with a .733 slugging percentage and a .526 on-base percentage in 12 league games. His 14 RBI in SEC game as well as his slugging percentage and on-base percentage is best in the SEC in SEC games.
On May 22, USA Baseball will announce the semifinalists for the 2015 Golden Spikes Award. The semifinalists list will be sent to a voting body consisting of past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of the media that follow the amateur game closely, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball staff and the 37 previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters.
Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2015. Friday, May 22, marks the day when amateur baseball fans across the country will be able to vote for their favorite semifinalists at GoldenSpikesAward.com. As part of this selection process, all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list. On Tuesday, June 2, USA Baseball will announce the finalists, and voting will once again commence that same day.
The 2015 Golden Spikes Award winner will be named on Tuesday, June 23, at a presentation in Los Angeles. The finalists and their families will be honored at the Rod Dedeaux Foundation Dinner that evening at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles.
Name, Position, Class, School, ConferenceNick Banks, OF, Sophomore, Texas A&M, SECHarrison Bader, OF, Junior, Florida, SECDavid Berg, RHP, Senior, UCLA, Pac 12Phil Bickford, RHP, Sophomore, CC of Southern Nevada, Scenic West (JC)Alex Bregman, SS, Junior, LSU, SECRyan Burr, RHP, Junior, Arizona State, Pac 12Austin Byler, 3B, Senior, Nevada, Mountain WestWill Craig, 1B/RHP, Sophomore, Wake Forest, ACCMatthew Crownover, LHP, Junior, Clemson, ACCCollins Cuthrell, 3B, RS-Senior, UNC-Pembroke, Peach Belt ConferenceTyler Davis, RHP, Senior, Washington, Pac 12Paul DeJong, 2B, RS-Junior, Illinois State, Missouri ValleyThomas Eshelman, RHP, Junior, Cal State Fullerton, Big WestRiley Ferrell, RHP, Junior, TCU, Big 12Michael Freeman, LHP, Senior, Oklahoma State, Big 12Carson Fulmer, RHP, Junior, Vanderbilt, SECKyle Funkhouser, RHP, Junior, Louisville, ACCLuke Gillingham, LHP, Junior, Navy, Patriot LeagueIan Happ, OF, Junior, Cincinnati, American AthleticJon Harris, RHP, Junior, Missouri State, Missouri ValleyKJ Harrison, 1B, Freshman, Oregon State, Pac 12Kyle Holder, SS, Junior, San Diego, West CoastTanner Houck, RHP, Freshman, Missouri, SECRyan Howell, IF/OF, Junior, Nevada, Mountain WestEric Hsieh, 1B, Senior, Yale, IvyCasey Hughston, IF/OF, Sophomore, Alabama, SECChris Iriart, 1B, Junior, Houston, American AthleticTyler Jay, LHP, Junior, Illinois, Big 10Ben Johnson, OF, Sophomore, Texas, Big 12James Kaprielian, RHP, Junior, UCLA, Pac 12Scott Kingery, 2B, Junior, Arizona, Pac 12Nathan Kirby, LHP, Junior, Virginia, ACCSam Koenig, OF/3B, Senior, UW-Milwaukee, Horizon LeagueKevin Kramer, 3B, RS-Junior, UCLA, Pac 12Alex Lange, RHP, Freshman, LSU, SECGrayson Long, RHP, Junior, Texas A&M, SECBrandon Lowe, 2B, Sophomore, Maryland, Big 10Kyle Martin, 1B, Senior, South Carolina, SECBrendan McKay, IF/OF, Freshman, Louisville, ACCAndrew Moore, RHP, Junior, Oregon State, Pac 12Preston Morrison, RHP, Senior, TCU, Big 12Kevin Newman, SS, Junior, Arizona, Pac 12Kade Scivicque, C, Senior, LSU, SECChris Shaw, OF, Junior, Boston College, ACCMike Shawaryn, RHP, Sophomore, Maryland, Big 10Logan Shore, RHP, Sophomore, Florida, SECBobby Stahel, OF, RS-Junior, USC, Pac 12DJ Stewart, OF, Junior, Florida State, ACCChristin Stewart, OF, Junior, Tennessee, SECGarrett Stubbs, C, Senior, USC, Pac 12Dansby Swanson, SS, Junior, Vanderbilt, SECDillon Tate, RHP, Junior, UCSB, Big WestDavid Thompson, 3B, Junior, Miami, ACCJosh Tobias, 3B, Senior, Florida, SECBlake Trahan, SS, Junior, Louisiana-Lafayette, Sun BeltMitchell Traver, RHP, RS-Sophomore, TCU, Big 12Mikey White, SS, Junior, Alabama, SECZander Wiel, 1B, RS Junior, Vanderbilt, SECTommy Williams, SS, Senior, UCF, American AthleticTrey York, 2B, Junior, East Tennessee State, SoCon
About the Golden Spikes Award
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 2014 Golden Spikes Award winner was A.J. Reed of the University of Kentucky. Past winners of this prestigious award include current Major League Baseball players such as Mike Zunino (’12), Trevor Bauer (’11), Bryce Harper (’10), Stephen Strasburg (’09), Buster Posey (’08), David Price (’07), Tim Lincecum (’06), Alex Gordon (’05) and Jered Weaver (’04). Former Major League stars that have captured the award include Pat Burrell (’98), Mark Kotsay (’95), Robin Ventura (’88), Jim Abbott (’87), Will Clark (’85), Dave Magadan (’83), Terry Francona (’80), Tim Wallach (’79), and Horner (’78). For more information, please visit GoldenSpikesAward.com. Fans can follow the Golden Spikes Award on Twitter @USAGoldenSpikes.
About USA Baseball
USA Baseball is the national governing body for the sport of baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The organization selects and trains the World Baseball Classic, World Cup and Pan Am teams (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team; the USA Baseball 18U, 15U and 12U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women’s National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year. USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. For more information, please visit USABaseball.com.
