Tennessee’s Dean Curley earns Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List nod

As the season is now officially less than a week away, the hype train keeps on rolling for Tennessee shortstop Dean Curley. On Friday, it was announced that the former Freshman All-American was named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List.

The Golden Spikes Award is widely considered the most prestigious honor in amateur baseball. It’s handed out after each season and updated throughout with a Midseason Watch List and Semifinal list. The watch list includes 41 schools and 12 conferences represented with the Southeastern Conference leading all conferences with 17 players, followed by the ACC with 14 and the Big 12 with six.

Curley had a banner year as a freshman on Rocky Top (literally) as the 6-foot-3, 212-pounder picked up Freshman All-American honors from D1 Baseball and Baseball America, was named to the SEC All-Freshmen Teram, was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team and was a 2024 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Participant following his rookie campaign. The true freshman starting shortstop for the Big Orange hit .285 with 12 home runs and 50 RBI in 67 games played. Curley tallied 63 hits, scored 51 runs and walked 31 times.

The second-year player recently checked in at No. 24 on MLB.com’s Top 100 Draft Prospects for 2025.  

As a true freshman, Curley scored three runs on five occasions, tallied a trio of three-hit days and drive in nine runs and launched three home runs against Kansas State. At shortstop, he recorded a season-high five putouts against Florida State in the College World Series and registered a career-best six assists against Illinois.  

The rising sophomore has cracked numerous preseason lists already, including being named first-team All-SEC, first-team All-American by Baseball America, second-team All-American by Perfect Game. Curley was also named the No. 8 sophomore in college baseball by Perfect Game entering the 2025 campaign.

Tennessee Vols 2025 Preseason Accolades

SS Dean Curley: First-Team All-American (Baseball America) | Second-Team All-American (Perfect Game) | No. 8 sophomore in country (Perfect Game) ” Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List
RHP Nate Snead: First-Team All-American (Baseball America, NCBWA) | Second-Team All-American (Perfect Game) | No. 38 junior in country (Perfect Game)
3B Andrew Fischer: Third-Team All-American (Baseball America) | No. 14 junior in country (Perfect Game)
RHP AJ Russell: First-Team All-American (Baseball America) | No. 30 junior in country (Perfect Game)
INF Gavin Kilen: Second-Team All-American (Baseball America) | No. 25 junior in country (Perfect Game) | SEC’s Best Transfer (Baseball America)
LHP Liam Doyle: Third-Team All-American (Baseball America) | No. 55 junior in country (Perfect Game)
C Cannon Peebles: No. 92 junior in country (Perfect Game)
OF Hunter Ensley: No. 2 senior in country (Perfect Game)
UTL Alex Perry: No. 73 senior in country (Perfect Game)
UTL Jay Abernathy: No. 3 Best Freshman (Baseball America) | No. 6 Best Freshmen (Perfect Game)
UTL Levi Clark: No. 21 Best Freshman (Perfect Game)
RHP Tegan Kuhns: No. 46 Best Freshman (Perfect Game)
RHP Anson Seibert: No. 52 Best Freshman (Perfect Game)
MIF Manny Marin: No. 56 Best Freshman (Perfect Game)