LB Dantzler Named To Golden Spikes Award Watch List

COLUMBIA, S.C. (USC SID) — South Carolina senior first baseman LB Dantzler is one of 60 players in the nation named to the 2013 Golden Spikes Award Watch List, as announced by USA Baseball on Thursday morning. Dantzler is the team‘s leading hitter in all three Triple Crown categories with a .342 average (55-for-161) for the season with 12 homers and 44 RBI. Dantzler currently ranks third in the SEC in homers (12) and slugging percentage (.658), tied for third in doubles (13), fourth in total bases (106), tied for fourth in walks (28), fifth in runs batted in (44), seventh in on-base percentage (.447) and 12th in batting average (.342). He has an eight-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 22 straight games. The watch list will continue to be a “rolling” list until May 28 — when the 30 semifinalists for the award are announced — ensuring that athletes can play themselves into consideration for the award. The Golden Spikes Award trophy will be awarded live on MLB Network for the third year in a row, with a live presentation scheduled during The Rundown on Friday, July 19. Through USA Baseball’s partnership with MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM), the presentation will also be simulcast with a live stream available from GoldenSpikesAward.com and USABaseball.com. USA Baseball officials will announce the 30 semifinalists for the 2013 Golden Spikes Award on Tuesday, May 28. The list of 30 will then be sent to a voting body consisting of 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 2013. Tuesday, May 28, marks the day when amateur baseball fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite semifinalist on GoldenSpikesAward.com. As part of this selection process all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list of 30 names. On Tuesday, June 4, USA Baseball will announce the three finalists, and voting will once again commence that same day. USA Baseball partnered with MLBAM to create GoldenSpikesAward.com in 2008. Later that year, Florida State’s Buster Posey was presented the award at MLB All-Star FanFest in New York City. Stephen Strasburg of San Diego States won the award in 2009 in St. Louis, and Bryce Harper of Southern Nevada took home the trophy from Anaheim, Calif., in 2010. UCLA’s Trevor Bauer was the 2011 winner and Florida’s Mike Zunino won the 2012 award. Bauer and Zunino accepted their trophies as part of live presentations from MLB Network’s Studio 42. Other past winners of the Golden Spikes Award include Terry Francona (1980), Will Clark (1985), Robin Ventura (1988), Jason Varitek (1994), J.D. Drew (1997), Mark Prior (2001), Jered Weaver (2004), Tim Lincecum (2006) and David Price (2007). Important 2013 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award dates include: Thursday, Feb. 14: 50-man preseason watch list released, shaped by USA Baseball officials and advisors Thursday, May 2: 60-man midseason watch list released, shaped by USA Baseball officials and advisors Tuesday, May 28: 30 semifinalists announced, selected by USA Baseball officials; semifinalist voting begins; voters to select three Friday, May 31: Deadline to vote for finalists, 5 p.m. ET Tuesday, June 4: Three finalists announced; finalist voting begins; voters to select one Friday, June 14: Deadline to vote for winner, 5 p.m. ET Friday, July 19: Live Golden Spikes Award presentation airing on MLB Network’s The Rundown The complete 2013 Golden Spikes Award Watch List is as follows: Name, Position, Class, School, Conference (in order of last name, new players bolded) Chris Anderson, RHP, Junior, Jacksonville, Atlantic Sun Mark Appel, RHP, Senior, Stanford, Pac-12 Barrett Astin, RHP, Junior, Arkansas, SEC Michael Bass, IF, Senior, UNC-W, Colonial Athletic Tyler Beede, RHP, Sophomore, Vanderbilt, SEC Aaron Blair, RHP, Junior, Marshall, C-USA Matt Boyd, LHP, Senior, Oregon State, Pac-12 Alex Bregman, IF, Freshman, Louisiana State, SEC Kris Bryant, UTL, Junior, San Diego, West Coast Danny Collins, OF, Junior, Troy, Sun Belt Michael Conforto, OF, Sophomore, Oregon State, Pac-12 Kyle Crockett, LHP, Junior, Virginia, ACC LB Dantzler, IF, Senior, South Carolina, SEC Kent Emanuel, LHP, Junior, North Carolina, ACC Phillip Ervin, OF, Junior, Samford, SoCon Thomas Eshelman, RHP, Freshman, Cal State Fullerton, Big West Zane Evans, C/RHP, Junior, Georgia Tech, ACC Buck Farmer, RHP, Senior, Georgia Tech, ACC Johnny Field, OF, Junior, Arizona, Pac-12 Mitchell Garver, C, Senior, New Mexico, Mountain West Marco Gonzales, LHP, Junior, Gonzaga, West Coast Jonathan Gray, RHP, Junior, Oklahoma, Big 12 Ryon Healy, IF, Junior, Oregon, Pac-12 Jeff Hoffman, RHP, Sophomore, ECU, USA Jason Hursh, RHP, RS Sophomore, Oklahoma St, Big 12 Eric Jagielo, IF, Junior, Notre Dame, Big East Aaron Judge, OF, Junior, Fresno State, Mountain West Mason Katz, IF, Senior, Louisiana State, SEC Jared King, OF, Junior, Kansas State, Big 12 Andrew Knapp, C, Junior, California, Pac-12 Corey Knebel, RHP, Junior, Texas, Big 12 Michael Lorenzen, OF/RHP, Junior, Cal State Fullerton, Big West Sean Manaea, LHP, Junior, Indiana State, Missouri Valley Trey Masek, RHP, Junior, Texas Tech, Big 12 Kyle McGowin, RHP, Junior, Savannah State, Mid-Eastern Colin Moran, IF, Junior, North Carolina, ACC Aaron Nola, RHP, Sophomore, Louisiana State, SEC Matt Oberste, IF, Junior, Oklahoma, Big 12 Daniel Palka, UTL, Junior, Georgia Tech, ACC D.J. Peterson, IF, Junior, New Mexico, Mountain West Nick Petree, RHP, RS Junior, Missouri State, Missouri Valley Andrew Pierce, RHP, Senior, Southern Mississippi, C-USA Adam Plutko, RHP, Junior, UCLA, Pac-12 Bryan Radziewski, LHP, Junior, Miami, ACC Hunter Renfroe, OF, Junior, Mississippi State, SEC Carlos Rodon, LHP, Sophomore, NC State, ACC Kyle Schwarber, C/OF, Sophomore, Indiana, Big Ten Jimmie Sherfy, RHP , Junior, Oregon, Pac-12 Braden Shipley, RHP, Junior, Nevada, MWC Dan Slania, RHP, Junior, Notre Dame, Big East Ryne Stanek, RHP, Junior, Arkansas, SEC Jeff Thompson, RHP, Junior, Louisville, Big East Trea Turner, IF, Sophomore, NC State, ACC Stuart Turner, C, Junior, Mississippi, SEC Bobby Wahl, RHP, Junior, Mississippi, SEC Trevor Williams, RHP, Junior, Arizona State, Pac-12 Tom Windle, LHP, Junior, Minnesota, Big 10 Derrick Workman, OF, Junior, Mercer, Atlantic Sun Jimmy Yezzo, IF, Junior, Delaware, Colonial Athletic Kevin Ziomek, LHP, Junior, Vanderbilt, SEC About the Golden Spikes Award Since 1978, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden Spikes Award. Following the first-ever presentation of the Award to Bob Horner of Arizona State, the Golden Spikes Award has been presented each year to the player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship. The 2012 Golden Spikes Award winner was Mike Zunino of the University of Florida. Past winners of this prestigious award include current Major League Baseball players such as Bryce Harper (‘10), Stephen Strasburg (’09), Buster Posey (’08), David Price (‘07), Tim Lincecum (‘06), Alex Gordon (‘05), Jered Weaver (‘04), Rickie Weeks (‘03) and Mark Kotsay (‘95). Former Major League stars that have captured the award include Pat Burrell (‘98), Robin Ventura (‘88), Jim Abbott (‘87), Will Clark (‘85), Dave Magadan (‘83), Terry Francona (‘80), Tim Wallach (‘79), and Horner (‘78). For more information, please visit GoldenSpikesAward.com. Fans can follow the Golden Spikes Award on Twitter @USAGoldenSpikes. About USA Baseball USA Baseball is the national governing body for the sport of baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). The organization selects and trains the World Baseball Classic, World Cup and Pan Am teams (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team; the USA Baseball 18U, 15U and 12U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women‘s National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year. USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. For more information, please visit USABaseball.com.