Emerson Hancock has been named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, USA Baseball announced Wednesday.
Hancock, who owns a 6-1 record and 1.02 Earned Run Average (ERA), ranks among the national leaders in Wins, ERA and Fewest Hits Allowed Per Nine Innings (4.3). This season, the 6-4, 215-pound native of Cairo, Ga., has made eight starts, tallying 53 innings with 57 strikeouts and only 15 walks. He has served as the game one starter all season for the Bulldogs who are ranked No. 2 nationally with a 28-6 record and a league-leading 9-3 SEC mark.
The midseason watch list features 40 of the nation's top amateur players from the high school and college ranks, and includes 21 athletes whom have played their way onto the watch list since the preseason list was announced on Feb. 5. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue to maintain a rolling list of athletes, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award before announcing the semifinalists on May 15.
The Golden Spikes Award annually goes to the top amateur baseball player in the country. Presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the winner of the 42nd Golden Spikes Award will be announced on June 14.
The watch list is headlined by Adley Rutschman (Oregon State),Spencer Torkelson (Arizona State) and Andrew Vaughn (California), who are being recognized on the midseason watch list for the second straight year. Torkelson and Vaughn were also named semifinalists for the award in 2018 before Vaughn was ultimately named the Golden Spikes Award winner after a stellar sophomore campaign in Berkeley.
“We are happy to honor forty amateur athletes on the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list who have performed at an elite level through the midway part of their season,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball’s Executive Director and CEO. “Each one of these athletes are deserving of this recognition and we look forward to joining the rest of the amateur baseball world in watching the rest of their seasons unfold before announcing the Golden Spikes Award semifinalists in May.”
The list of semifinalists will then be sent to a voting body consisting of baseball media members, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball staff and 40 of the previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters. As part of this selection process, all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list of semifinalists. On May 29, USA Baseball will announce the finalists, and voting for the winner will begin that same day.
Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2019. Beginning with the semifinalist announcement and continuing through the finalist round voting deadline, fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite player on GoldenSpikesAward.com. Fans can follow the Golden Spikes Award on Twitter @USAGoldenSpikes.
Hancock, who owns a 6-1 record and 1.02 Earned Run Average (ERA), ranks among the national leaders in Wins, ERA and Fewest Hits Allowed Per Nine Innings (4.3). This season, the 6-4, 215-pound native of Cairo, Ga., has made eight starts, tallying 53 innings with 57 strikeouts and only 15 walks. He has served as the game one starter all season for the Bulldogs who are ranked No. 2 nationally with a 28-6 record and a league-leading 9-3 SEC mark.
The midseason watch list features 40 of the nation's top amateur players from the high school and college ranks, and includes 21 athletes whom have played their way onto the watch list since the preseason list was announced on Feb. 5. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue to maintain a rolling list of athletes, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award before announcing the semifinalists on May 15.
The Golden Spikes Award annually goes to the top amateur baseball player in the country. Presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the winner of the 42nd Golden Spikes Award will be announced on June 14.
The watch list is headlined by Adley Rutschman (Oregon State),Spencer Torkelson (Arizona State) and Andrew Vaughn (California), who are being recognized on the midseason watch list for the second straight year. Torkelson and Vaughn were also named semifinalists for the award in 2018 before Vaughn was ultimately named the Golden Spikes Award winner after a stellar sophomore campaign in Berkeley.
“We are happy to honor forty amateur athletes on the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list who have performed at an elite level through the midway part of their season,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball’s Executive Director and CEO. “Each one of these athletes are deserving of this recognition and we look forward to joining the rest of the amateur baseball world in watching the rest of their seasons unfold before announcing the Golden Spikes Award semifinalists in May.”
The list of semifinalists will then be sent to a voting body consisting of baseball media members, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball staff and 40 of the previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters. As part of this selection process, all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list of semifinalists. On May 29, USA Baseball will announce the finalists, and voting for the winner will begin that same day.
Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2019. Beginning with the semifinalist announcement and continuing through the finalist round voting deadline, fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite player on GoldenSpikesAward.com. Fans can follow the Golden Spikes Award on Twitter @USAGoldenSpikes.