DURHAM, N.C. -- USA Baseball announced its preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List Tuesday, marking the organization's first step toward identifying the top player in college baseball. Sponsored by Major League Baseball, the Golden Spikes Award will be presented in 2009 for the 32nd time. The watch list includes Elon senior outfielder/pitcher Cory Harrilchak and College of Charleston second baseman Brandon Sizemore
The watch list features 50 of the nation's top collegiate talents, and it will be a "rolling" list to ensure that athletes can play themselves into consideration for the Golden Spikes Award.
As a junior, Harrilchak batted .410, 27th in the nation, to become the first Elon player to conclude a season with a .400+ batting average since 1988. Harrilchak was named the 2008 SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player after hitting .591 with three homers, 11 RBI, 13 runs score (tying a tournament record) and a 1-0 record on the mound in the tournament. He was a First Team All-SoCon pick by both the league's coaches and media and was a Second Team ABCA All-Atlantic Region choice. Harrilchak also belted 11 homers and finished with 12 doubles, five triples, 71 runs, 46 RBI and was 24-of-25 in stolen base attempts. Harrilchak was also a First Team pick to the 2009 Louisville Slugger pre-season All-American squad, a Second Team selection to the ninth annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Pro-Line Athletic Preseason All-American team and a Second Team choice to the Ping!Baseball 2009 Preseason All-America squad earlier this year. Harrilchak was named the 2009 Preseason SoCon Player of the Year, was a First Team Preseason All-SoCon pick as an outfielder and a Second Team Preseason All-SoCon selection as a pitcher.
Sizemore, from Jacksonville, Fla., ranked 7th nationally in RBI and 21st in home runs. Sizemore hit .418 vs. lefties and .299 vs. right-handers. He hit .380 with runners on base, .636 with the bases loaded, .410 leading off an inning, .404 with runners in scoring position, .378 with two outs and was second on the team with 32 two-out RBI. Sizemore hit .371 with 13 homers and 51 RBI over 27 Southern Conference games.
On May 26, USA Baseball officials will cut the watch list of players to 30 names. The final list of 30 will then be sent to a voting body consisting of select professional baseball personnel, past USA Baseball National Team coaches, select members of the media, former USA Baseball sports information directors and current USA Baseball staff ? close to 150 voters in total.
Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2009. May 26 will also mark the day when college baseball fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite player for the Golden Spikes Award on www.goldenspikesaward.com. As part of this selection process all voters will be asked to choose five players from the list of 30 names. On June 2, USA Baseball will announce the five finalists, and voting will once again commence that same day.
The 2009 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award will be presented nationally July 15 on an award show via live telecast from St. Louis in conjunction with the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Weekend Festivities.