Elon Baseball: Kirby Lands on Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List

DURHAM, N.C. – Elon University baseball’s George Kirby has been named to USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list, released Wednesday afternoon. Presented in partnership with the Ron Dedeaux Foundation, the award is given to the top amateur baseball player in the country. The 42nd Golden Spikes Award will be announced on June 14.

WATCH LIST

The midseason watch list features 40 of the nation’s top amateur players from the high school and college ranks, and includes 21 athletes whom have played their way onto the watch list since the preseason list was announced on February 5. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue to maintain a rolling list of athletes, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award before announcing the semifinalists on May 15.

A native of Rye, N.Y., Kirby owns a 5-1 record and a 3.08 ERA with two complete games across eight starts. In 49.2 innings pitched, he has struck out 58 opposing batters while allowing 17 earned runs on 45 hits and just three walks. He is also holding opponents to a .233 batting average. Through games played on April 9, he leads the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio (19.33), is third in walks allowed per nine innings (0.54), and seventh in complete games.

On Wednesday, May 15, USA Baseball will announce the semifinalists for the 2019 Golden Spikes Award. The list of semifinalists will then be sent to a voting body consisting of baseball media members, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball staff and 40 of the previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters. As part of this selection process, all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list of semifinalists. On May 29, USA Baseball will announce the finalists, and voting for the winner will begin that same day.

Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2019. Beginning with the semifinalist announcement and continuing through the finalist round voting deadline, fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite player on GoldenSpikesAward.com.
Kirby and the Phoenix are back in action this weekend as Elon hosts Delaware for a conference series at Latham Park. The opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. this Friday, April 12.