Golden Spikes Award 2019 Candidates

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- Noah Song
- Pitcher, Navy
- finalist
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- finalist
- 2019
- Noah Song
- Pitcher, Navy
- Bats/Throws: R/R | IP: 94 | W-L: 11-1 | ERA: 1.44 | BB: 31 | SO: 161
- Navy senior right-handed pitcher Noah Song has notched a record-breaking season in his final year at Navy. He was named the Patriot League Pitcher of the Year in 2019 and has rewritten the program record books. Song has set the program's career strikeout record with 417, which also broke the Patriot League record. He also broke the career wins record with 32 in his four seasons while also tying the program record for career shutouts with nine. All three program records that Song has broken were originally set back in 1961. Song also broke a 59-year-old record of single-season strikeouts with 150 thus far. Song has led the nation for most of the year in strikeouts, while he currently leads the nation in wins and is second in ERA.
- JJ Bleday
- Outfielder, Vanderbilt
- finalist
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- finalist
- 2019
- JJ Bleday
- Outfielder, Vanderbilt
- Bats/Throws: L/L | Avg: .346 | H: 74 | R: 68 | HR: 25 | RBI: 64
- Vanderbilt's JJ Bleday has caught the attention of college baseball and Major League scouts alike. The projected top-10-overall pick is tied for the national lead in home runs (23), and became the Commodores' single-season home-run leader on April 21. The Panama City, Florida, native was named the Cape Cod League's top pro prospect by scouts last summer. He has reached base in 78 of his last 79 games, including 47 consecutive between March 4, 2018, and March 17, 2019. Bleday leads the SEC in home runs, slugging percentage (.747), RBIs (61) and total bases (148).
- Andrew Vaughn
- Infielder, California
- finalist
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- finalist
- 2019
- Andrew Vaughn
- Infielder, California
- Bats/Throws: R/R | Avg: .387 | H: 67 | R: 49 | HR: 15 | RBI: 49
- After winning the 2018 Golden Spikes Award as a sophomore, Andrew Vaughn produced an outstanding encore this season. The first baseman batted .374 with 15 home runs and 50 RBI in 52 games, to go with a .539 on-base percentage (third in the country) and a .704 slugging percentage (third in Pac-12). Considered by many as the top hitting prospect in this year's draft class, Vaughn posted three multi-homer games and 21 games with two or more hits. Most impressive, Vaughn did his damage despite seeing far fewer pitches to hit than 2018. His 60 walks (23 of them intentional) set a new Cal single-season record.
- Adley Rutschman
- Catcher, Oregon State
- winner
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- winner
- 2019
- Adley Rutschman
- Catcher, Oregon State
- Bats/Throws: S/R | Avg: .419 | H: 75 | R: 56 | HR: 17 | RBI: 57
- Adley Rutschman set the College World Series record with 17 hits as the Beavers won the national championship in 2018. And to think, he was just getting started. Rutschman used his MVP honor in Omaha as a springboard for the 2019 season, in which he has established himself as arguably the top player in the country and has come to be regarded as one of the top MLB First-Year Player Draft choices come early June. He's a consistent threat for the Beavers from both sides of the plate, ranking in the top 10 in just about every major offensive category in the Pac-12 and key categories nationally. Fans and opponents have raved about his offensive capabilities, but he's also garnered national recognition for his skills behind the plate, where he's helped manage one of the top pitching staffs in the country.
- Reid Detmers
- Pitcher, Louisville
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Reid Detmers
- Pitcher, Louisville
- Bats/Throws: L/L | IP: 89.1 | W-L: 11-2 | ERA: 2.44 | BB: 20 | SO: 138
- Louisville sophomore starting pitcher Reid Detmers has emerged in 2019 as one of the best pitchers in the country. Detmers slotted in as Louisville's Friday-night starter this season and has not disappointed. Through 13 starts, the left-hander entered the final week of the regular season leading the Atlantic Coast Conference in wins, ERA, strikeouts and opponents' batting average. Detmers has four starts this year in which he has allowed one hit or fewer, and has taken a no-hitter into the eighth inning on two occasions.
- Isaiah Campbell
- Pitcher, Arkansas
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Isaiah Campbell
- Pitcher, Arkansas
- Bats/Throws: R/R | IP: 90 | W-L: 10-1 | ERA: 2.53 | BB: 15 | SO: 97
- Arkansas redshirt junior right-hander Isaiah Campbell has had quite the year after his up-and-down season in 2018. Campbell sits at 9-1 for 2019, which ties for second-most wins in the SEC. Campbell has been Arkansas' Friday-night starter all season and has worked six or more innings in 10 of last 11 starts. He has yet to give up more than three walks in 25 consecutive outings and goes into the final series of the regular season with 10 quality starts out of 13 appearances. The Olathe, Kansas, native has four starts of 10 strikeouts or more this year, and is tied for first in the league with 84 innings pitched. He's also tied for fifth with 91 strikeouts, a personal best.
- Hunter Bishop
- Outfielder, Arizona State
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Hunter Bishop
- Outfielder, Arizona State
- Bats/Throws: L/R | Avg: .347 | H: 74 | R: 64 | HR: 22 | RBI: 61
- Sun Devil Baseball's Hunter Bishop sits second nationally in home runs (22) and one off the national lead in one of the most prolific offensive campaigns in the BBCOR era. Bishop is five shy of ASU's single-season record for home runs. The junior is ranked in the top 15 nationally in numerous offensive categories, including home runs, slugging (3rd), runs (8th), RBIs (14th) and total bases (4th). He has reached base in all but two games this season and had a 44-game on-base streak at one point, after reaching in the first 38 games of this season and the last six of 2018. The junior is ranked in the Pac-12 top-10 in every major offensive category and is top-five in average, slugging, on-base percentage, runs, RBIs, hits, home runs, triples, total bases and walks. He is a three-time Pac-12 Player of the Week and a unanimous midseason All-American by several media outlets.
- Ryan Garcia
- Pitcher, UCLA
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Ryan Garcia
- Pitcher, UCLA
- Bats/Throws: R/R | IP: 76 | W-L: 9-0 | ERA: 1.42 | BB: 24 | SO: 101
- UCLA junior right-hander Ryan Garcia has established himself as one of the most unhittable pitchers in college baseball, putting together a 7-0 record and ranking in the top-10 nationwide in ERA (1.27, fourth), WHIP (0.83, sixth) and hits allowed per nine innings (4.9, eighth), with two weeks to go in the regular season. Garcia has earned three Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week Awards this season despite not making his first full start until March 24, and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in every outing this year. His 14 strikeouts on April 26 are the most by a Pac-12 pitcher this season and the most by a Bruin since Trevor Bauer in 2011. He has 82 strikeouts on the campaign in just 64 innings, an average of 11.5 per nine innings.
- Nick Gonzales
- Infielder, New Mexico State
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Nick Gonzales
- Infielder, New Mexico State
- Bats/Throws: R/R | Avg: .438 | H: 92 | R: 78 | HR: 15 | RBI: 77
- Nick Gonzales was named the WAC Freshman of the Year as well as a NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball, D1 Baseball, Perfect Game and Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American in 2018, allowing the second baseman to earn a roster spot in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League to finish out the summer of 2018. He will now compete for the Cotuit Kettleers in the CCBL for the entirety of the 2019 summer. Gonzales continues to prove why he is a top player collegiately, as he was named the best second baseman in the country by Aaron Fitt and D1 Baseball during a sophomore season that sees him leading the NCAA in batting average and runs scored, and ranking third in hits and on-base percentage, as well as fourth in slugging percentage, RBIs and total bases. The Vail, Arizona, native also leads the Western Athletic Conference with three Hitter of the Week honors during the 2019 season, and was named the Collegiate Baseball and NCBWA National Player of the Month for his play in February.
- John Doxakis
- Pitcher, Texas A&M
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- John Doxakis
- Pitcher, Texas A&M
- Bats/Throws: L/L | IP: 89.2 | W-L: 7-3 | ERA: 2.04 | BB: 22 | SO: 96
- Texas A&M's John Doxakis was named NCBWA National Pitcher of the Month for February. Twice in 2019 the southpaw has fanned 12 without walking a batter (vs. Fordham and vs. Baylor). He became the 18th Aggie to reach the 200-strikeout mark in his career, and now ranks No. 13 on the all-time list. Doxakis earned All-Tournament at the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic after holding then-No. 18 Baylor to one run on four hits while striking out 12 over eight innings. He was named SEC Pitcher of the Week and earned Golden Spikes Award Performance of the Week following his season-opening effort against Fordham, in which he yielded just one hit while striking out a career-high 12 in seven innings. Doxakis built momentum off a summer in which made three starts with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
- George Kirby
- Pitcher, Elon
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- George Kirby
- Pitcher, Elon
- Bats/Throws: R/R | IP: 82.2 | W-L: 8-1 | ERA: 2.07 | BB: 6 | SO: 105
- Elon junior right-hander George Kirby has been pivotal to the team's success this season. The Rye, New York, native owns an 8-1 record with a 2.07 ERA and 105 strikeouts through 13 starts and 82 2/3 innings pitched. Kirby has thrown three complete games this season, including a one-hit shutout of Bryant on March 10, and has been named CAA Pitcher of the Week three times. He is currently the national leader in strikeout-to-walk ratio (17.50) and also ranks second in walks allowed per nine innings (0.65), fifth in WHIP (0.82) and eighth in complete games. He has recorded double-digit strikeouts five times, including a season-high 12 punchouts in six scoreless innings at Hofstra on May 4.
- Emerson Hancock
- Pitcher, Georgia
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Emerson Hancock
- Pitcher, Georgia
- Bats/Throws: R/R | IP: 82.2 | W-L: 8-2 | ERA: 1.33 | BB: 18 | SO: 91
- Georgia sophomore pitcher Emerson Hancock ranks as one of the nation's top pitchers, as he has led the Bulldogs to a consensus top-10 national ranking. With one week left in the regular season, he rates No. 1 nationally in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (4.4) and WHIP (0.73), and is No. 5 nationally in ERA (1.31). His two losses this year were a 1-0 defeat vs. No. 10 LSU and a complete-game, 2-0 loss at Tennessee. He leads the SEC in opponents' batting average at .146. In seven SEC starts, he has an SEC-best 1.74 ERA and held league opponents to a .145 batting average. In eight of his 11 starts this year, he allowed one or zero runs.
- Kody Hoese
- Infielder, Tulane
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Kody Hoese
- Infielder, Tulane
- Bats/Throws: R/R | Avg: .388 | H: 87 | R: 69 | HR: 23 | RBI: 60
- Hoese currently leads Tulane in batting average, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs, total bases, runs, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, and is second on the team in stolen bases and tied for the second-fewest strikeouts among starters. He leads the team with 17 multi-RBI games, driving in two runs 10 times, three runs five times and four runs twice. Hoese went on the longest hitting streak for any Tulane player at 19 games, while also reaching base safely in 35 consecutive games, an individual season-high. His 23 home runs are second in the country; he's the first Green Wave player since 2006 to hit 20 home runs in a season and is now tied for the second-most hit in a single season in Tulane history. The 23 home runs are also an American Athletic Conference record. Hoese became the 15th player in school history to hit three home runs in a game, against Lamar, and was the first player since 2013 to have five hits in a game, against New Orleans. Both the home-run and hits totals are individual game highs for the conference.
- Josh Jung
- Infielder, Texas Tech
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Josh Jung
- Infielder, Texas Tech
- Bats/Throws: R/R | Avg: .333 | H: 62 | R: 49 | HR: 9 | RBI: 49
- Texas Tech junior infielder Josh Jung is one of the most talented all-around players in the nation and has followed his sophomore All-America campaign with yet another sensational season. His brilliance has been on display throughout the back end of the season, hitting .442 over the last 15 games leading into the final week of the regular season, with eight doubles, five home runs, 19 RBIs, 21 runs scored and 18 walks over that span. Jung flashed his defensive prowess and versatility by sliding from third base over to shortstop, shoring up a Red Raiders defense and propelling Tech to 11 wins in its last 12 games. Entering the final week of the regular season, Jung's offensive numbers rank among the Big 12's best in hits (5th), runs (2nd), home runs (5th), doubles (T-1st), RBIs (2nd), total bases (2nd), walks (1), on-base percentage (3rd) and slugging percentage (4th).
- Asa Lacy
- Pitcher, Texas A&M
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Asa Lacy
- Pitcher, Texas A&M
- Bats/Throws: L/L | IP: 76 | W-L: 7-4 | ERA: 2.17 | BB: 38 | SO: 115
- Southpaw Asa Lacy is the first Aggie sophomore to record 100 strikeouts in a season since Michael Wacha in 2011. In a 1-0 win over then-No. 7 Mississippi State, he tossed the Aggies' first complete-game shutout since May 2016. Lacy earned spots on the Perfect Game Midseason All-America Second Team and Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list. The Kerrville, Texas, native has ranked in the top 10 in the nation in strikeouts, strikeouts per nine innings and hits allowed per nine innings for much of the season. Lacy was named to All-Tournament Team at the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic after holding then-No. 17 TCU to one hit while striking out nine in seven innings. He gained momentum off a summer in which he was named the Alaska Baseball League's top prospect by Baseball America and Perfect Game.
- Jake Mangum
- Outfielder, Mississippi State
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Jake Mangum
- Outfielder, Mississippi State
- Bats/Throws: S/L | Avg: .375 | H: 95 | R: 65 | HR: 1 | RBI: 39
- A constant in the Mississippi State leadoff spot during his four seasons at Mississippi State, Jake Mangum is enjoying his finest season to date in the maroon and white. The switch-hitting leadoff hitter enters the final weekend of the regular season ranked among the top 25 nationally in five categories; batting average (.401), hits (93), doubles (20), runs (21) and fewest strikeouts (5th). His 93 hits helped him eclipse the Mississippi State and Southeastern Conference all-time records, while pushing his career total to 368, which is tied for No. 7 on the NCAA's all-time list. The three-time All-American is nearing his career-high mark of 101 hits, set in 2018, and he is poised to become the first Diamond Dawg in program history with multiple 100-hit seasons.
- Austin Martin
- Infielder, Vanderbilt
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Austin Martin
- Infielder, Vanderbilt
- Bats/Throws: R/R | Avg: .432 | H: 89 | R: 71 | HR: 6 | RBI: 36
- Austin Martin is off to a historic pace for the Commodores. The sophomore, who was named First-Team Preseason All-SEC, is batting .428 (36-for-84) with 29 runs and 16 walks in 21 starts against ranked opponents. Martin leads the Commodores with 27 multihit games, including 13 in his last 18 outings. The Jacksonville, Florida, native leads the SEC in batting average (.433), runs (63) and on-base percentage (.518). He was named a 2018 Freshman All-American by Baseball America, NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game.
- Jackson Rutledge
- Pitcher, San Jacinto College
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Jackson Rutledge
- Pitcher, San Jacinto College
- Bats/Throws: R/R | IP: 82.2 | W-L: 9-2 | ERA: 0.88 | BB: 30 | SO: 134
- Jackson Rutledge is the No. 1 overall NJCAA Region XIV All-Region team member. Rutledge recorded one of the best seasons at San Jacinto College in 2019. His ERA (0.88) led the nation. Rutledge went 10-1 for the Gators with four complete games over 82 2/3 innings pitched. Rutledge was second in strikeouts across the country with 134 strikeouts (14.6 K's per game). Rutledge's fastball was clocked as high as 101 mph and was consistently clocked from 96-98 well into the later innings of his outings. Rutledge is the first GSA semifinalist from San Jacinto College, whose alumni includes MLB greats Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, .
- Alek Manoah
- Pitcher, West Virginia
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Alek Manoah
- Pitcher, West Virginia
- Bats/Throws: R/R | IP: 94.1 | W-L: 8-3 | ERA: 1.92 | BB: 22 | SO: 125
- WVU junior right-hander Alek Manoah is having one of the most impressive seasons in Mountaineer baseball history. The NCBWA Pitcher of the Month for April, and a two-time NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week, Manoah is the first pitcher in Big 12 history to be named Pitcher of the Week three consecutive weeks and the fourth player in conference history to earn four Pitcher of the Week accolades in the same season. Manoah also is the first player to earn the Golden Spikes Award/D1Baseball.com Performance of the Week award three consecutive weeks. Manoah is the only Big 12 player since at least 2003 to have struck out 15 batters in a complete-game shutout in back-to-back weeks. Statistically, Manoah ranks No. 6 nationally with 121 strikeouts and is No. 13 in WHIP (0.89), No. 22 in ERA (1.89), No. 23 in hits allowed per nine innings (5.86), No. 29 in strikeouts per nine innings (12.01) and complete games (2), and No. 30 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.50). Manoah also leads the Big 12 with seven victories and has 11 quality starts in 14 starts.
- T.J. Sikkema
- Pitcher, Missouri
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- T.J. Sikkema
- Pitcher, Missouri
- Bats/Throws: L/L | IP: 88.2 | W-L: 7-4 | ERA: 1.33 | BB: 31 | SO: 101
- Junior LHP T.J. Sikkema (Dewitt, Iowa) has been one of the SEC and NCAA's premier pitchers throughout the 2019 campaign. Nationally, the Tigers southpaw's microscopic 1.36 ERA ranks sixth. In SEC only play, his 1.65 ERA ranks first. He also ranks top-50 in the country in hits allowed per nine innings (5.76, 19th), strikeouts (91, 45th) and WHIP (1.02, 47th). Within SEC individual rankings, Sikkema places top-10 in ERA (2nd), fewest earned runs allowed (2nd), strikeouts looking (3rd), total strikeouts (T-5th), wins (T-6th), innings pitched (6th), and opponents' batting average (7th). At No. 2 Vanderbilt (May 11), Sikkema tallied his team-best seventh victory of the year, his fifth in SEC play. His five wins in conference action are the most by a Tigers hurler in four years (5 - Tanner Houck, 2015). Currently, his 248 career strikeouts ranks seventh all time in program history, recently surpassing Tigers legend RHP Max Scherzer. On the year, he possesses four 10-plus strikeout performances, the most by a Tigers hurler in a single season since 2009.
- Bryson Stott
- Infielder, UNLV
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Bryson Stott
- Infielder, UNLV
- Bats/Throws: L/R | Avg: .361 | H: 75 | R: 61 | HR: 10 | RBI: 36
- UNLV junior Bryson Stott has been the catalyst of the Rebels offense the past two seasons, after being named the Mountain West's Co-Freshman of the Year. Just one year ago, the Las Vegas native took over the leadoff spot in the lineup and subsequently led the nation in doubles and was ranked 15th overall in hits en route to garnering All-America recognition from two different outlets. As a junior, he has placed his name atop nearly all offensive statistical categories not just for the team, but also the conference and NCAA. To date, he is 10th in the nation in walks, 18th in runs, 19th in doubles, 24th in on-base percentage, 30th in total bases and 36th in hits. Additionally, he owns a .636 slugging percentage, which has been built off 31 extra-base hits -- 10 of which have gone for home runs.
- Ethan Small
- Pitcher, Mississippi State
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Ethan Small
- Pitcher, Mississippi State
- Bats/Throws: L/L | IP: 83 | W-L: 8-1 | ERA: 1.86 | BB: 22 | SO: 139
- There is nothing crafty about left-hander Ethan Small, as he has attacked batters with a 92 mph fastball all season on his way to a 7-1 record, 1.73 ERA and 132 strikeouts. The redshirt junior ranks among the top 15 nationally in six categories: ERA (1.73), hits allowed per nine innings (4.85), strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.95), strikeouts (132), strikeouts per nine innings (15.23) and WHIP (0.78). Small has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 12 of his 13 starts entering the final weekend of the regular season, and owns a 6-1 record in Southeastern Conference starts. In his 13 starts, he has struck out double-digit batters in nine of them, including six in SEC play. His 132 strikeouts are a career high and make him one of six pitchers in MSU history to post multiple 100-strikeout seasons.
- Zack Thompson
- Pitcher, Kentucky
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Zack Thompson
- Pitcher, Kentucky
- Bats/Throws: L/L | IP: 90 | W-L: 6-1 | ERA: 2.45 | BB: 34 | SO: 130
- Kentucky junior left-hander Zack Thompson has posted a dominant 2019 season and etched his name all over the school's career and single-season record books with one of the best season's in the program's history. With one more scheduled start, Thompson already ranks third on the single-season strikeout list and surpassed current New York Yankees star James Paxton for the most in a season by a left-hander in school history. Thompson also ranks fourth on the school's career list despite missing seven starts as a sophomore. He currently has the sixth-lowest ERA in a single season, second-fewest hits allowed per nine innings, and has been nearly untouchable in Southeastern Conference play (5-1, 1.91 ERA, 84 strikeouts and 38 hits in 61 1/3 innings). He ranks sixth nationally in total strikeouts this season, and he threw a complete game shutout vs. No. 4 Georgia and a complete game (one unearned run) on the road at national power Florida. He came within two outs of a complete game against high-powered Arkansas. For his career in SEC play he has posted a 1.84 ERA in 83 1/3 innings with just 48 hits allowed and 113 strikeouts.
- Spencer Torkelson
- Infielder, Arizona State
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Spencer Torkelson
- Infielder, Arizona State
- Bats/Throws: R/R | Avg: .348 | H: 79 | R: 62 | HR: 21 | RBI: 60
- After an All-American-caliber freshman season, Sun Devil Baseball's Spencer Torkelson has followed that with an equally impressive sophomore campaign in the Maroon and Gold. Torkelson has 19 home runs this season, which is second in the Pac-12 and ninth in the country. After posting 25 homers as a freshman, Torkelson now has 44 in his career at ASU, tied for sixth in program history and just 12 shy of the Sun Devils school record of 56 held by former Golden Spikes Award winner Bob Horner. Torkelson finds himself ranked in the top 10 in nearly every major offensive category, including average (10th), slugging percentage (4th), RBIs (3rd), runs (3rd), doubles (10th), total bases (2nd), walks (8th) and hits (3rd). He sits in the top 30 nationally in home runs, runs, RBIs, slugging and total bases. Torkelson has helped turn 12 more double plays than any other player in the Pac-12 (51). Since introducing semifinalists to the voting process, Torkelson joins Brett Wallace as the only other Sun Devil to be a two-time Golden Spikes Award semifinalist.
- Bobby Witt Jr.
- Outfielder, Colleyville Heritage High School
- 2019
- 2019 Candidates
  GSA Winners
- 2019
- Bobby Witt Jr.
- Outfielder, Colleyville Heritage High School
- Bats/Throws: R/R | Avg: .510 | H: 52 | R: 53 | HR: 13 | RBI: 43
- Colleyville-Heritage High School's Bobby Witt Jr. had a stellar senior campaign, finishing the season slashing .510/.589/1.115, belting 13 home runs and swiping 16 bags in 31 games played. Witt, who is the first-ever high school baseball player to be named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist, is a projected top-10 pick in the upcoming MLB First-Year Player Draft, and was also recently named MVP of the gold-medal winning USA Baseball 18U National Team that played in the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships this past summer. Witt also earned the 2018 USA Baseball International Performance of the Year Award after hitting for a natural cycle in the gold-medal game.