Clarke Included on 30-Player Golden Spikes Award Watch List
5/7/2015 5:05:00 PM | Baseball
DURHAM, N.C. – College of Charleston junior ace Taylor Clarke has been named to the 30-player USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list on Thursday, recognizing potential candidates for the top amateur baseball player in the country.
Sponsored by Major League Baseball, and presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the Golden Spikes Award will be presented for the 38th time on Tuesday, June 23, in Los Angeles.
“We are excited to see Taylor be recognized as one of the best players in the country for what he has accomplished on the field this season,” said CofC head coach Monte Lee. “This is a tremendous honor to be on such a prestigious list.”
On the year, Clarke boasts a 10-1 record and 1.58 ERA across 85.1 innings pitched. With 107 strikeouts, he is the first CofC pitcher to eclipse the 100 mark since the 2007 season, and currently ranks third all-time in single-season Ks at The College. Clarke has limited his opponents to a lowly .187 batting average this season, and issued just 13 walks.
He ranks third in the nation in strikeouts on the year, while ranking second in victories, fifth in WHIP, and 13th in strikeout-to-walk ratio. He leads the Colonial Athletic Association in the same categories, in addition to ERA and opponent batting average.
The Ashburn, Va., native set a College of Charleston single-game record with 18 strikeouts against Radford on March 17, and was named the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week and NCAA.com National Player of the Week for his performance.
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.
Last year, University of Kentucky's two-way star, A.J. Reed, took home the prestigious award, joining a group of recent winners that includes Kris Bryant (2013), Mike Zunino (2012), Trevor Bauer (2011), Bryce Harper (2010), Stephen Strasburg (2009) and Buster Posey (2008).
GoldenSpikesAward.com – created in 2008 and powered by MLB Advanced Media -- is the online home for the award. The website features content devoted exclusively to the GSA, including news, the weekly Golden Spikes Award spotlight, voting history and past winner photo galleries.
Name, Position, Class, School, Conference
Andrew Benintendi, OF, Sophomore, Arkansas, SEC
David Berg, RHP, Senior, UCLA, Pac 12
Phil Bickford, RHP, Sophomore, CC of Southern Nevada, Scenic West (JC)
Alex Bregman, SS, Junior, LSU, SEC
Willie Calhoun, IF/OF, Sophomore, Yavapai College, ACCAC (JC)
Taylor Clarke, RHP, RS-Junior, College of Charleston, CAA
Will Craig, 1B/RHP, Sophomore, Wake Forest, ACC
Carson Cross, RHP, RS-Senior, UConn, American Athletic
Matthew Crownover, LHP, Junior, Clemson, ACC
Bobby Dalbec, 3B/RHP, Sophomore, Arizona, Pac 12
Donnie Dewees, OF, RS-Sophomore, North Florida, Atlantic Sun
Riley Ferrell, RHP, Junior, TCU, Big 12
Michael Freeman, LHP, Senior, Oklahoma State, Big 12
Carson Fulmer, RHP, Junior, Vanderbilt, SEC
Luke Gillingham, LHP, Junior, Navy, Patriot League
Ian Happ, OF, Junior, Cincinnati, American Athletic
Kyle Holder, SS, Junior, San Diego, West Coast
Tyler Jay, LHP, Junior, Illinois, Big 10
Kevin Kaczmarski, OF, RS-Senior, Evansville, Missouri Valley
Scott Kingery, 2B, Junior, Arizona, Pac 12
Alex Lange, RHP, Freshman, LSU, SEC
Brendan McKay, IF/LHP, Freshman, Louisville, ACC
Andrew Moore, RHP, Junior, Oregon State, Pac 12
Kade Scivicque, C, Senior, LSU, SEC
Nick Sell, 3B, Senior, Seton Hill, PSAC (D2)
Mike Shawaryn, RHP, Sophomore, Maryland, Big 10
DJ Stewart, OF, Junior, Florida State, ACC
Dansby Swanson, SS, Junior, Vanderbilt, SEC
Dillon Tate, RHP, Junior, UCSB, Big West
Logan Taylor, OF, Junior, Texas A&M, SEC
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.
