DURHAM, N.C. — LSU sophomore right-hander Alex Lange has been named by USA Baseball to the 50-player preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list. The unveiling of the list begins the process of identifying the top amateur baseball player in the country for the 2016 season. Sponsored by Major League Baseball, and presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the 39th Golden Spikes Award will be presented on June 30 in Los Angeles.
The preseason watch list features 50 of the nation’s top amateur players, from high school and college baseball. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will maintain a rolling list of athletes, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award throughout the season.
Lange posted a 12-0 record in 2015 with a 1.97 ERA in 114 innings. In 17 starts, he recorded 131 strikeouts and limited opponents to a .212 cumulative batting average.
Lange, a native of Lee’s Summit, Mo., was voted the 2015 National Freshman Pitcher of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year, and he received first-team All-America and first-team All-SEC recognition.
Nineteen different collegiate athletic conferences from NAIA and the NCAA are represented on the 2016 preseason watch list. The Southeastern Conference leads the way with 11 representatives, while the Atlantic Coast Conference has nine and the Pac-12 Conference has six. Florida and Louisville lead all schools in representation with three players each. Missouri, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, and Virginia all had a pair of athletes identified on the watch list.
Starting on April 11 and ending April 17, fans will be able to nominate their favorite players for the Golden Spikes Award for the first time ever prior to the reveal of Midseason Watch List on April 20. 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 38 previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters.
Fan voting will continue to be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2016, starting on June 1 with the naming of the Golden Spikes Award semifinalists. Amateur baseball fans across the country will be able to vote for their favorite semifinalists at GoldenSpikesAward.com. On June 13, USA Baseball will announce the finalists and voting will begin that day and last until June 25.
The winner of the 39th Golden Spikes Award will be named on Thursday, June 30, 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.
A complete list of the 50-player USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list follows:
Name, Position, Class, School, Conference
Will Albertson, C, Senior, Catawba, South Atlantic Conference
Nick Banks, OF, Junior, Texas A&M, Southeastern Conference
Carmen Benedetti, UT, Junior, Michigan, Big Ten Conference
Keivan Berges, RHP/OF, Junior, Keiser, Sun Conference (NAIA)
Ryan Boldt, OF, Junior, Nebraska, Big Ten Conference
Bryson Brigman, IF, Sophomore, San Diego, West Coast Conference
Zack Collins, C, Junior, Miami, Atlantic Coast Conference
Will Craig, RHP/IF, Junior, Wake Forest, Atlantic Coast Conference
Bobby Dalbec, IF, Junior, Arizona, Pac-12 Conference
Sam Dexter, IF, Senior, Southern Maine, Little East Conference
Kyle Funkhouser, RHP, Senior, Louisville, Atlantic Coast Conference
Luke Gillingham, LHP, Senior, Navy, American Athletic Conference
Reese Gregory, RHP/IF, Senior, St. Cloud State, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
Jason Groome, LHP, Senior (High School), Barnegat High School, High School
Alec Hansen, RHP, Junior, Oklahoma, Big XII Conference
KJ Harrison, C/IF, Sophomore, Oregon St., Pac-12 Conference
Kevin Hill, RHP, RS-Junior, South Alabama, Sun Belt Conference
Keston Hiura, UT, Sophomore, UC Irvine, Big West Conference
Tanner Houck, RHP, Sophomore, Missouri, Southeastern Conference
Ryan Howard, IF, Junior, Missouri, Southeastern Conference
Zach Jackson, RHP, Junior, Arkansas, Southeastern Conference
Daulton Jefferies, RHP, Junior, California, Pac-12 Conference
Kel Johnson, OF, Sophomore, Georgia Tech, Atlantic Coast Conference
Connor Jones, RHP, Junior, Virginia, Atlantic Coast Conference
Anthony Kay, LHP, Junior, UCONN, American Athletic Conference
Matt Krook, LHP, Sophomore, Oregon, Pac-12 Conference
Alex Lange, RHP, Sophomore, LSU, Southeastern Conference
Andrew Lantrip, RHP, Junior, Houston, American Athletic Conference
Eric Lauer, LHP, Junior, Kent State, Mid-American Conference
Kyle Lewis, OF, Junior, Mercer, Southern Conference
Brendan McKay, LHP/IF, Sophomore, Louisville, Atlantic Coast Conference
Tyson Miller, RHP, Junior, California Baptist, Pacific West Conference
Sheldon Neuse, RHP/IF, Junior, Oklahoma, Big XII Conference
Chris Okey, C, Junior, Clemson, Atlantic Coast Conference
Corbin Olmstead, RHP/IF, Senior, North Florida, Atlantic Sun Conference
Ryan Olson, RHP, Junior, Cal Poly Pomona, California Collegiate Athletic Association
Riley Pint, RHP, Senior (High School), Saint Thomas Aquinas High School, High School
A.J. Puk, LHP, Junior, Florida, Southeastern Conference
Cal Quantrill, RHP, Junior, Stanford, Pac-12 Conference
Corey Ray, OF, Junior, Louisville, Atlantic Coast Conference
Buddy Reed, OF, Junior, Florida, Southeastern Conference
Bryan Reynolds, OF, Junior, Vanderbilt, Southeastern Conference
JJ Schwarz, C, Sophomore, Florida, Southeastern Conference
Nick Senzel, IF, Junior, Tennessee, Southeastern Conference
Mike Shawaryn, RHP, Junior, Maryland, Big Ten Conference
Matt Thaiss, C, Junior, Virginia, Atlantic Coast Conference
Mitchell Traver, RHP, RS-Junior, TCU, Big XII Conference
Donnie Walton, IF, Senior, Oklahoma State, Big XII Conference
Colby Woodmansee, IF, Junior, Arizona State, Pac-12 Conference
Kyle Wright, RHP/IF, Sophomore, Vanderbilt, Southeastern Conference