Lunsford-Shenkman and Yesavage named Golden Spikes Award semifinalists

CARY, NC Junior RHPs from East Carolina Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman And Trey Yesavage have been selected as semifinalists for the 2024 Golden Spikes Award according to an announcement from USA Baseball Monday afternoon.

Since 1978, USA Baseball has honored the nation's top amateur baseball player with the Golden Spikes Award. The award, presented annually on ESPN, goes to the amateur baseball player who demonstrates exceptional athleticism and exemplary sportsmanship.

Twenty different schools are represented in this year's semifinalist group, including five programs that placed two players each: East Carolina, Florida State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Wake Forest. Eight athletes made the list following the announcement of the Midseason Watch List in April.

Lunsford-Shenkman and Yesavage are the fourth and fifth ECU players to win the Golden Spikes Award semifinalist and the first since Connor Norby and Gavin Williams were shortlisted in 2021. Corey Kemp was also named a semifinalist in 2008.

Lunsford-Shenkman, named to the All-AAC First Team Monday, has a 1.20 earned run average with 77 strikeouts against 17 walks in 45.0 innings of work. Opposing batters are hitting just .218 against him, while he has recorded at least five strikeouts in seven appearances, including a career-high eight in four scoreless innings against Charlotte on April 13. Lunsford-Shenkman leads the way in saves (five) and is second in strikeouts.

Yesavage was unanimously voted AAC Pitcher of the Year on Monday, also earning a spot on the All-AAC First Team. The junior is third in the country in wins (11) and fourth in strikeouts (139), fifth in earned run average (2.09), sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (14.55) and fewest hits allowed per nine innings (5.02) and ninth in WHIP (0.88). Yesavage is the AAC's fastest in ERA, with adversity average (.162), strikeouts and wins. He is just seven strikeouts away from setting the program single-season record.

LSU's Dylan Crews is the most recent winner of the Golden Spikes Award, earning the prestigious honor after helping the Tigers to a College World Series title in 2023. He joins an elite group of recent winners including Ivan Melendez (2022), Kevin Kopps (2021), Adley Rutschman (2019), Andrew Vaughn (2018), Brendan McKay (2017), Kyle Lewis (2016), Andrew Benintendi (2015), AJ Reed (2014), Kris Bryant (2013), Mike Zunino (2012), Trevor Bauer (2011), Bryce Harper (2010), Stephen Strasburg (2009), Buster Posey (2008) and David Price (2007) ).

Fan voting will again play a role in the Golden Spikes Award in 2024. Baseball fans can vote for their favorite players at GoldenSpikesAward.com, beginning today with the naming of the semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 5, and fan voting will reopen at GoldenSpikesAward.com before closing on June 21.

Semifinalists of the 2024 Golden Spikes Award

Jamie Arnold; LHP; State of Florida; ACC
Travis Bazzana; INF; State of Oregon; Pac 12
Brooks Bryan; C; Troy; Sun belt
Blake Burke; 1B; Tennessee; SEC
Chase burns; RHP; Wake-forest; ACC
Drew Burress; BY; Georgia Tech; ACC
Jac Caglianon; LHP/1B; Florida; SEC
Charlie Condon; 1B/OF; Georgia; SEC
Lawson Harrill; BY; Campbell; CAA
Lucas Holman; RHP; LSU; SEC
Vance Honeycutt; BY; U.N.C.; ACC
Walker Janek; C; Sam Houston; C-USA
Ryan Johnson; RHP; Dallas Baptist; C-USA
Dakota Jordan; BY; state of Mississippi; SEC
Josh Kuroda-Grauer; INF; Rutgers; Big Ten
Nick Kurtz; 1B; Wake-forest; ACC
Jace LaViolette; BY; Texas A&M; SEC
Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman; RHP; ECU; AAC

Braden Montgomery; OF/RHP; Texas A&M; SEC
Christian Moore; INF; Tennessee; SEC
Hagen Smit; LHP; Arkansas; SEC
James Tibbs III; OR/1B; State of Florida; ACC
Payton Tolle; LHP/INF; TCU; Big 12
Blake Wright; INF; Clemson; ACC
Trey Yesavage; RHP; ECU; AAC