DURHAM, N.C. – Samford junior outfielder Phillip Ervin was named to the watch list for USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award, the organization announced on Thursday.

Ervin is one of 50 players named to the list for the award, which goes to the top college baseball player in the country.

As a sophomore in 2012, Ervin batted .327 with a team-high 18 doubles. He also hit 10 home runs and drove in 52 runs, ranking third on the team in both categories. Ervin also led the team in stolen bases with 16 in 21 attempts.

Ervin had 23 multi-hit games and 12 multi-RBI games last season. He also had a team-best 16-game hit streak during the season.

Ervin helped lead the Bulldogs to the best season in school history, as the Bulldogs won a school-record 41 games and earned the program’s first-ever Southern Conference Tournament title and first NCAA tournament bid.

During the summer, Ervin played for the Harwich Mariners in the prestigious Cape Cod League. Ervin was named the league’s Most Valuable Player after leading his team in batting with a .323 average, RBI with 31, runs scored with 29 and stolen bases with 10 in 12 attempts. He ranked second on the team in home runs with 11 and in doubles with five.

In addition to being named to the watch list for the Golden Spikes Award, Ervin was named a first-team All-American by Baseball America and third-team Preseason All-American by both Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game. Ervin was also named the SoCon’s Preseason Player of the Year.

Ervin and the Bulldogs open the 2013 season on Friday, when Samford plays host to Youngstown State. The teams will play a doubleheader, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Central, at Joe Lee Griffin Field.