TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State’s DJ Stewart was named to the 30-player USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list, recognizing candidates for the top amateur baseball player in the country. Sponsored by Major League Baseball, and presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the Golden Spikes Award will be presented for the 38th time on Tuesday, June 23, in Los Angeles.
The semifinalists for the award are announced on May 22nd which means the watch list is a "rolling list" allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award until then.
Stewart currently leads the team in average (.327), home runs (12), runs scored (53), slugging percentage (.601), walks (62) and on-base percentage (.525). He ranks in the top 10 in the ACC in seven offensive categories while leading the nation in walks and walks per game (1.17).
The Yulee, Fla., native has also posted a team-best 17 multi-hit games and is second with 12 multi-RBI games. He is the only Seminole with multiple five-plus RBI games on the year. Stewart’s 62 walks are the most by a Florida State player since Sherman Johnson led the nation with 69 base-on-balls following the 2012 season.
Last year, Stewart earned first team All-ACC honors and was named the league’s Player of the Year. The list of accolades did not stop there for Stewart who was also recognized as an All-American, a third team Capital One Academic All-American and a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy. Stewart also went on to represent the United States of America over the summer playing for the U.S. Collegiate National Team.
On May 22, USA Baseball will announce the semifinalists for the 2015 Golden Spikes Award. The semifinalists list will be sent to a voting body consisting of past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of the media that follow the amateur game closely, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball staff and the 37 previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters.
Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2015. Friday, May 22, marks the day when amateur baseball fans across the country will be able to vote for their favorite semifinalists at GoldenSpikesAward.com. As part of this selection process, all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list. On Tuesday, June 2, USA Baseball will announce the finalists, and voting will once again commence that same day.
The 2015 Golden Spikes Award winner will be named on Tuesday, June 23, at a presentation in Los Angeles. The finalists and their families will be honored at the Rod Dedeaux Foundation Dinner that evening at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles.
Florida State has produced four Golden Spikes winners, more Golden Spikes Award winners than any other school. That includes Mike Fuentes (1981), Mike Loynd (1986), J.D. Drew (1997) and Buster Posey (2008).
***FSU Athletics
