Preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list released

With the 2022 college baseball season set to kick off this weekend, USA Baseball released its 55-man preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list on Tuesday, an award given annually to the nation’s top amateur baseball player.

Six of the 55 players that make up this year’s field were Golden Spikes Award semifinalists during the 2021 baseball season: Landon Sims (Mississippi State), Jacob Berry (LSU), Jace Jung (Texas Tech), Austin Knight (Charlotte), Ethan Long (Arizona State) and Paul Skenes (Air Force). The 2022 list also features nine additional members of the 2021 Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list. In the end, Arkansas pitcher Kevin Kopps took home the Golden Spikes Award in 2021; he was later selected in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres.

USA Baseball selected players from 16 different collegiate athletic conferences in its 2022 preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list, and six conferences have multiple selections: the ACC, Big 12, Big West, CAA, Pac-12 and SEC.

LSU leads all schools with three players named to the preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list, while eight other schools have a pair of candidates: Arizona State, Arkansas, California, Florida, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas and Vanderbilt.

2022 Preseason Golden Spikes Award watchlist released

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