DURHAM, N.C. - Junior right-hander Casey Mize has been named to the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list announced by USA Baseball Tuesday afternoon.
Mize is one of three players to be named to the midseason watch list for the second straight season and one of five two-time midseason watch list selections. It marks the third straight year at least one Auburn player has been recognized - Anfernee Grier (2016), Keegan Thompson (2017) and Mize (2017-18).
The Springville, Ala., native is 6-1 with a 2.17 ERA through eight starts this season. He not only leads the Southeastern Conference with 77 strikeouts, but also leads the nation with a 19.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio and ranks second in the country in WHIP (0.67).
Mize took the mound on Friday, Mar. 9 vs. Northeastern and turned in the ninth no-hitter in program history while striking out a career-high 13 batters. His 13 strikeouts were the most by an Auburn pitcher since 2012, and the no-hitter was the Tigers' first since 2002.
Mize went out a week later and matched his career-high with 13 strikeouts in the SEC opener vs. Texas A&M before going on the road and striking out 12 at Kentucky. His 38 strikeouts during the three starts were the most in a three-game stretch in the Stat Crew era (1993).
The midseason watch list features 40 of the nation's top amateur players from the college ranks. 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 21.
The SEC leads all conferences represented on the midseason watch list with nine athletes, while seven players represent both the Atlantic Coast Conference and Pac-12 Conference. In total, 13 different NCAA conferences have at least one athlete on the list.
"We are excited to announce the forty players on the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list," said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball's Executive Director and CEO. "These athletes have proven themselves worthy of consideration for this prestigious award through the eyes of the advisory board and from the overwhelming fan support through our nomination process."
On Monday, May 21, USA Baseball will announce the semifinalists for the 2018 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 the 40 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 June 6, 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 2018. 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.
The winner of the 41st Golden Spikes Award will be named on Thursday, June 28, 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.
