Yasmani Grandal Named Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist
June 1, 2010
DURHAM, N.C. – University of Miami junior catcher Yasmani Grandal has been named a semifinalist for the 2010 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, as announced by USA Baseball on Tuesday. Grandal is one of 30 national semifinalists in contention for the award presented to the nation’s top amateur baseball player.
Grandal is having one of the most successful offensive seasons in the history of Miami baseball. He currently leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in hitting (.422), on-base percentage (.545) and slugging percentage (.754), while ranking second in walks (52) and doubles (22). His .422 average ranks among the greatest single season marks in school history, while his .994 fielding percentage is among the best in the nation at his position. He ranks second on the team in homers (14) and RBI (56), while ranking third in runs scored (50).
Already this season, Grandal has been named the 2010 ACC Player of the Year, as well as being named a national semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award.
Today marks the third year in a row that GoldenSpikesAward.com – powered by MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM), the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball – will be the online home for the award. The Web site features content devoted exclusively to the GSA, including news, voting history, past-winner photo galleries, and photographs and video highlights for the 2010 semifinalists. Fans can follow online at GoldenSpikesAward.com as the list of 30 players is narrowed to five finalists on Tuesday, June 8, en route to the announcement of this year’s winner on Tuesday, July 13.
The 2010 GSA will be awarded live at MLB’s All-Star FanFest in Anaheim as part of a production by Major League Baseball and MLBAM. Online footage of the event will air live exclusively at GoldenSpikesAward.com.
In 2007, USA Baseball instituted a new selection and balloting procedure for the most prestigious award in amateur baseball, and it will follow the same model again in 2009. After accepting nominations from sports information directors across the country, a committee voted to determine the 30 semifinalists. The names of the 30 semifinalists will now be forwarded to a group of nearly 200 voters which will select the five finalists and the eventual winner. Beginning today fans will also be able to vote on the 2010 GSA by visiting GoldenSpikesAward.com and selecting their favorite amateur player.
This year will mark the 33rd consecutive year the award.
A list of the 30 semifinalists is as follows:
Name, Class, Position, School
Trevor Bauer, Sophomore, RHP, UCLA
Daniel Bibona, Senior, LHP, UC Irvine
Gary Brown, Junior, IF, Cal State Fullerton
Michael Choice, Junior, OF, Texas-Arlington
Christian Colon, Junior, IF, Cal State Fullerton
Zack Cox, Junior, IF/RHP, Arkansas
Derek Dietrich, Junior, IF, Georgia Tech
Chris Duffy, Senior, IF/OF, Central Florida
Yasmani Grandal, Junior, C, Miami
Cole Green, Junior, RHP/OF, Texas
Bryce Harper, Freshman, C, Southern Nevada
Paul Hoilman, Junior, RHP/IF, East Tennessee State
Danny Hultzen, Sophomore, LHP/IF, Virginia
Taylor Jungmann, Sophomore, RHP, Texas
Barret Loux, Junior, RHP/OF, Texas A&M
Zack MacPhee, Sophomore, IF, Arizona State
Mike McGee, Junior, RHP/OF, Florida State
Deck McGuire, Junior, RHP, Georgia Tech
Anthony Meo, Sophomore, RHP, Coastal Carolina
Hunter Morris, Junior, IF/OF, Auburn
Drew Pomeranz, Junior, LHP, Mississippi
Anthony Rendon, Sophomore, IF, Rice
Chance Ruffin, Junior, RHP, Texas
Chris Sale, Junior, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast
Rob Segedin, RS Sophomore, IF/RHP, Tulane
John Stilson, Sophomore, RHP/IF, Texas A&M
Kolbrin Vitek, Junior, IF/RHP, Ball State
Alex Wimmers, Junior, RHP, Ohio State
Asher Wojciechowski, Junior, RHP, The Citadel
Phil Wunderlich, Junior, IF/OF, Louisville
