University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Vollmuth Named to Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List
2/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 17, 2011
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss junior shortstop B.A. Vollmuth (Biloxi, Miss.) has been named to the preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List for the 2011 season and presented by USA Baseball. The release of the watch list marks USA Baseball's first step toward identifying the top player in college baseball. Vollmuth joined junior Rice 3B Anthony Rendon as the lone representatives from Conference USA.
Sponsored by Major League Baseball, the Golden Spikes Award will be presented in 2011 for the 34th time. The Watch List features 50 of the nation's top amateur talents, and it will be a "rolling" list to ensure that athletes can play themselves into consideration for the Golden Spikes Award, to be presented live on Monday, July 11, at the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest in Phoenix.
Vollmuth was a first team All-Conference USA selection and also earned spots on the C-USA All-Tournament team and the Auburn All-Regional team. In his first full season as a starter, he led the Golden Eagles with a .386 batting average, 91 hits, 76 runs scored, 20 home runs, 17 doubles and 76 RBI. Vollmuth also walked a team-best 43 times and posted a .729 slugging percentage (fourth in C-USA). He closed out the season by hitting 12 home runs in his final 14 games.
Following the release of a second, 60-player watch list to be named on Tuesday, May 3, USA Baseball officials will announce the 30 semifinalists for the 2011 Golden Spikes Award on Tuesday, May 31. The list of 30 will then be sent to a voting body consisting of select professional baseball personnel, past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of media that closely follow the amateur game, and current USA Baseball staff, representing a group of nearly 200 voters in total.
Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2011. Tuesday, May 31 marks 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 GoldenSpikesAward.com. As part of this selection process all voters will be asked to choose five players from the list of 30 names. On Tuesday, June 7, USA Baseball will announce the five finalists, and voting will once again commence that same day.
The 2011 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award will be presented July 11 on an award show via live telecast from Phoenix, Ariz. on GoldenSpikesAward.com, USABaseball.com and MLB.com in conjunction with All-Star FanFest.
Bryce Harper of Southern Nevada was the recipient of the 2010 Golden Spikes Award. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft to the Washington Nationals was the first junior college player since Alex Fernandez (Miami Dade Community College [now Miami Dade College]) in 1990 to win the award. 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), David Price (2007), Buster Posey (2008), and Stephen Strasburg (2009).
Complete 2011 preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List:
NAME, POSITION, CLASS, SCHOOL, CONFERENCE
Tyler Anderson, LHP, Junior, Oregon, Pac-10
Jeremy Baltz, OF, Sophomore, St. John's, Big East
Matt Barnes, RHP, Junior, Connecticut, Big East
Trevor Bauer, RHP, Junior, UCLA, Pac-10
Jackie Bradley, Jr., OF, Junior, South Carolina, SEC
Jed Bradley, LHP, Junior, Georgia Tech, ACC
Adam Bryant, IF, Senior, Troy, Sun Belt
Garrett Buechele, IF, Junior, Oklahoma, Big 12
Jason Coats, OF, Junior, TCU, Mountain West
Gerrit Cole, RHP, Junior, UCLA, Pac-10
Zach Cone, OF, Junior, Georgia, SEC
C.J. Cron, C, Junior, Utah, Mountain West
Alex Dickerson, OF, Junior, Indiana, Big Ten
Kenny Diekroeger, IF, Sophomore, Stanford, Pac-10
Jason Esposito, IF, Junior, Vanderbilt, SEC
Sean Gilmartin, LHP, Junior, Florida State, ACC
Sonny Gray, RHP, Junior, Vanderbilt, SEC
Cole Green, RHP/OF, Senior, Texas, Big 12
Paul Hoilman, RHP/IF, Senior, East Tennessee State, Atlantic Sun
Danny Hultzen, LHP/IF, Junior, Virginia, ACC
Brian Johnson, LHP/IF, Sophomore, Florida, SEC
Taylor Jungmann, RHP, Junior, Texas, Big 12
Zack MacPhee, IF, Junior, Arizona State, Pac-10
Mikie Mahtook, OF, Junior, Louisiana State, SEC
Deven Marrero, IF, Sophomore, Arizona State, Pac-10
Harold Martinez, IF, Junior, Miami (Fla.), ACC
Nick Martini, OF, Junior, Kansas State, Big 12
Mike McGee, RHP/OF, Senior, Florida State, ACC
Anthony Meo, RHP, Junior, Coastal Carolina, Big South
Levi Michael, IF, Junior, North Carolina, ACC
Brad Miller, IF, Junior, Clemson, ACC
Peter O'Brien, C, Junior, Bethune-Cookman, MEAC
Ricky Oropesa, IF, Junior, Southern California, Pac-10
Matt Price, RHP, RS Sophomore, South Carolina, SEC
Matt Purke, LHP, Sophomore, TCU, Mountain West
Nick Ramirez, IF/LHP, Junior, Cal State Fullertson, Big West
Noe Ramirez, RHP, Junior, Cal State Fullertson, Big West
Anthony Rendon, IF, Junior, Rice, C-USA
Jordan Ribera, IF, Senior, Fresno State, WAC
John Ruettiger, OF, Junior, Arizona State, Pac-10
Jeff Schaus, OF, Senior, Clemson, ACC
George Springer, OF, Junior, Connecticut, Big East
John Stilson, RHP/IF, Junior, Texas A&M, Big 12
Preston Tucker, IF, Junior, Florida, SEC
Logan Verrett, RHP, Junior, Baylor, Big 12
B.A. Vollmuth, IF, Junior, Southern Miss, C-USA
Aaron Westlake, IF/C, Junior, Vanderbilt, SEC
Kolten Wong, IF, Junior, Hawaii, WAC
Ryan Wright, IF, Junior, Louisville, Big East
Tony Zych, RHP, Junior, Louisville, Big East
