DURHAM, N.C. – LSU junior shortstop Alex Bregman was named Friday as one of 21 semifinalists for the 2015 Golden Spikes Award.
USA Baseball announced the semifinalists for the award, sponsored by Major League Baseball and presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation to the top amateur baseball player in the United States.
Bregman, a product of Albuquerque, N.M., is batting .330 this season with 22 doubles, three triples, nine homers, 47 RBI, 54 runs and 32 steals in 41 attempts. He has a .977 fielding percentage, having committed only seven errors in 307 chances.
Bregman is No. 1 in the SEC in stolen bases and doubles, No. 4 in runs scored and No. 5 in total bases (130).
He was voted earlier this week to the 2015 first-team All-SEC squad by the league coaches, and he is also candidate for the Brooks Wallace Award, presented annually to the nation’s best shortstop.
GoldenSpikesAward.com — powered by MLB Advanced Media — is the online home for the award. The website features content devoted exclusively to the GSA, including news, voting history, past winner photo galleries, and photographs and biographical information for the 2015 semifinalists. Fans can follow online at GoldenSpikesAward.com as the list of 21 players is narrowed to a group of finalists on Tuesday, June 2.
The Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference lead with four athletes each on the Golden Spikes Award semifinalist list. The Pac 12 contributed a trio of athletes while the Big 10 and Big West each posted a pair. The American Athletic, Atlantic Sun, Colonial Athletic, Missouri Valley, Patriot League and the Scenic West each had an athlete on the list.
USA Baseball officials will announce the list of finalists for the 2015 Golden Spikes Award on Tuesday, June 2. To select the finalists, the list of semifinalists is sent to a voting body consisting of past Golden Spikes Award winners, past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of media that closely follow the amateur game, select professional baseball personnel, and current USA Baseball staff, representing a group of more than 200 voters in total.
Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2015. Voting for amateur baseball fans from across the country is now open on GoldenSpikesAward.com. As part of this selection process, all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list of names. Fan voting will be open until Friday, May 29.
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.
Former LSU pitcher Ben McDonald won the 1989 Golden Spikes Award.
The complete 2015 Golden Spikes Award semifinalist list follows:
Name, Position, Class, School
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
Taylor Clarke, RHP, RS-Junior, College of Charleston, CAA
Matthew Crownover, LHP, Junior, Clemson, ACC
Donnie Dewees, OF, RS-Sophomore, North Florida, Atlantic Sun
Thomas Eshelman, RHP, Junior, Cal State Fullerton, Big West
Carson Fulmer, RHP, Junior, Vanderbilt, SEC
Luke Gillingham, LHP, Junior, Navy, Patriot League
Ian Happ, OF, Junior, Cincinnati, American Athletic
Tyler Jay, LHP, Junior, Illinois, Big 10
Kevin Kaczmarski, OF, RS-Senior, Evansville, Missouri Valley
Scott Kingery, 2B, Junior, Arizona, Pac 12
Brendan McKay, IF/OF, Freshman, Louisville, ACC
Andrew Moore, RHP, Junior, Oregon State, Pac 12
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
David Thompson, 3B, Junior, Miami, ACC