DURHAM, N.C. — One more preseason honor was bestowed upon a University of New Mexico baseball player just before Friday’s season opener as Luis Gonzalez was named to the Preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List when USA Baseball released the names Wednesday to the award that goes to the best amateur baseball player in the country.
The UNM center fielder and left-handed pitcher is one of 55 players on the watch list and was the only Mountain West player selected. Gonzalez is the first Lobo to be selected to the preseason list since Mitch Garver and D.J. Peterson in 2013, though UNM’s Chris DeVito was named to the midseason watch list last season.
Gonzalez led the Lobos in 2016 with a .381 average, 21 doubles, five triples, 63 runs and 18 stolen bases to go along with six home runs and 48 RBI. Gonzalez, who was Second Team All-Mountain West last season, was also 3-1 on the mound with a 5.51 ERA in nine appearances (six starts). The Tucson, Arizona, native’s 96 hits last season was tied for 10th in single-season Lobo history.
Gonzalez was also named a preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Baseball America this year as well as Preseason Mountain West All-Conference. Gonzalez and the defending Mountain West Tournament champion Lobos open the season 6 p.m. Friday against Binghamton at Santa Ana Star Field.
The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will maintain a rolling list of players throughout the season, allowing athletes to play themselves into consideration for the award. On April 12 a midseason watch list will be announced followed by the semifinalists on May 31 and the finalists on June 14. The award will be presented June 29.
Starting on March 27 and ending April 2, fans will be able to nominate their favorite players for the Golden Spikes Award prior to the reveal of midseason watch list. 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 39 previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters.
Fan voting will continue to be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2017, starting on May 31 with the naming of the Golden Spikes Award semifinalists. Amateur baseball fans across the country will be able to vote for their favorite semifinalists at GoldenSpikesAward.com. On June 14, USA Baseball will announce the finalists and voting will begin that day and last until June 23.
The winner of the 40th Golden Spikes Award will be named June 29 at a presentation in Los Angeles. The finalists and their families will be honored at the Rod Dedeaux Foundation Award Dinner that evening at Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles.
USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Watch List
Riley Adams, C, Jr., San Diego, West Coast Conference
Luken Baker, RHP/IF, So., TCU, Big 12 Conference
Elliott Barzilli, IF, Sr., TCU, Big 12 Conference
Tristan Beck, RHP, So., Stanford, Pac-12 Conference
Andrew Beckwith, RHP, Sr., Coastal Carolina, Sun Belt Conference
Seth Beer, OF, So., Clemson, Atlantic Coast Conference
Quinn Brodey, OF, Jr., Stanford, Pac-12 Conference
J.B. Bukauskas, RHP, Jr., North Carolina, Atlantic Coast Conference
Jake Burger, IF, Jr., Missouri State, Missouri Valley Conference
Dylan Busby, IF, Jr., Florida State, Atlantic Coast Conference
Griffin Canning, RHP, Jr., UCLA, Pac-12 Conference
Carl Chester, OF, Jr., Miami, Atlantic Coast Conference
Wil Crowe, RHP, Jr., South Carolina, Southeastern Conference
Joe Davis, C/IF, So., Houston, American Athletic Conference
Joe Dunand, IF/IF, Jr., NC State, Atlantic Coast Conference
Colton Eastman, RHP, So., Cal State Fullerton, Big West Conference
Alex Faedo, RHP, Jr., Florida, Southeastern Conference
Stuart Fairchild, OF, Jr., Wake Forest, Atlantic Coast Conference
Nick Feight, C, Jr., UNC Wilmington, Colonial Athletic Conference
Michael Gigliotti, OF, Jr., Lipscomb, Atlantic Sun Conference
Luis Gonzalez, LHP/OF, Jr., New Mexico, Mountain West Conference
Hunter Greene, RHP/IF, HS-Sr., Notre Dame High School,
Dalton Guthrie, IF, Jr., Florida, Southeastern Conference
K.J. Harrison, IF, Jr., Oregon State, Pac-12 Conference
Adam Haseley, UT, Jr., Virginia, Atlantic Coast Conference
Keston Hiura, OF, Jr., UC Irvine, Big West Conference
Colton Hock, RHP, Jr., Stanford, Pac-12 Conference
Tanner Houck, RHP, Jr., Missouri, Southeastern Conference
Kel Johnson, OF, Jr., Georgia Tech, Atlantic Coast Conference
Jeren Kendall, OF, Jr., Vanderbilt, Southeastern Conference
Zach Kirtly, IF, Jr., St. Mary’s, West Coast Conference
Alex Lange, RHP, Jr., LSU, Southeastern Conference
Royce Lewis, IF/OF, HS-Sr., JSerra Catholic High School,
Brendon Little, LHP, So., State JC of Florida, Suncoast Conference
Nick Madrigal, IF, So., Oregon State, Pac-12 Conference
Jake Mangum, OF, So., Mississippi State, Southeastern Conference
Corbin Martin, RHP, Jr., Texas A&M, Southeastern Conference
Brendan McKay, LHP/IF, Jr., Louisville, Atlantic Coast Conference
Brian Miller, OF, Jr., North Carolina, Atlantic Coast Conference
Brian Mims, IF, Jr., UNC Wilmington, Colonial Athletic Conference
Glenn Otto, P, Jr., Rice, Conference USA
Kramer Robertson, IF, Sr., LSU, Southeastern Conference
Seth Romero, LHP, Jr., Houston, American Athletic Conference
Jayson Rose, RHP, Jr., Utah, Pac-12 Conference
Clarke Schmidt, RHP, Jr., South Carolina, Southeastern Conference
J.J. Schwarz, C, Jr., Florida, Southeastern Conference
Colton Shaver, C/IF, Jr., BYU, West Coast Conference
Evan Skoug, C, Jr., TCU, Big 12 Conference
Kevin Smith, IF, Jr., Maryland, Big 10 Conference
Pavin Smith, IF/OF, Jr., Virginia, Atlantic Coast Conference
Peter Solomon, RHP, Jr., Notre Dame, Atlantic Coast Conference
Trey Truitt, OF, Jr., Mercer, Southern Conference
Taylor Walls, IF, Jr., Florida State, Atlantic Coast Conference
Evan White, IF, Jr., Kentucky, Southeastern Conference
Kyle Wright, RHP, Jr., Vanderbilt, Southeastern Conference
About 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 2016 Golden Spikes Award winner was Kyle Lewis from Mercer University. Past winners of this prestigious award include current Major League Baseball players such as Andrew Benintendi (’15), Kris Bryant (’13), Mike Zunino (’12), Trevor Bauer (’11), Bryce Harper (’10), Stephen Strasburg (’09), Buster Posey (’08), David Price (’07), Tim Lincecum (’06), and Alex Gordon (’05). Former Major League stars that have captured the award include Pat Burrell (’98), Mark Kotsay (’95), 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.