Latest news with #GoldenSpikesAward
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tennessee ace Liam Doyle among three finalists for Golden Spikes Award
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee Baseball starting pitcher Liam Doyle was named one of three finalists for the Golden Spikes Award, which is presented annually to the best player in college baseball. Doyle currently has a 10-3 record with a 2.84 ERA and a national-leading 158 strikeouts. Doyle played a big part in the Vols reaching a fifth straight Super Regional. The junior picked up the win by pitching 6.2 innings against Miami (OH) in the Knoxville Regional opener. He closed out the regional against Wake Forest just three days later. Vols ace Liam Doyle breaks single-season strikeout record Wehiwa Aloy of Arkansas and Florida State's Alex Lodise join Doyle as finalists. The winner will be announced on June 21 at 6:30 p.m. before the first pitch of Game 1 of the College World Series finals. Fan voting is officially opening and will go until June 20. Department of Justice comments on Zakai Zeigler lawsuit Doyle is looking to become the first player from the University of Tennessee to win the award. Tennessee has four players named finalists. Todd Helton (1995), Chris Burke (2001) and Luke Hochevar (2005) all earned the honor. Doyle and the Vols will start their Super Regional against Arkansas on Saturday at 5 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Untimely Wins Led To White Sox Missing Out On Witt, Rutschman
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 15: Andrew Vaughn #25 of the Chicago White Sox walks back to the dugout after ... More striking out in the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on May 15, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by) Timing is everything in baseball, as in life. There are times when wins can hurt you, especially when they come against the wrong opponents. The White Sox were 62-100 under Rick Renteria in 2018, the first 100-loss season since 1970 for Frank Thomas' old franchise. But included among the 62 wins were 15 in 26 games against the Royals and Orioles. That's a .577 winning percentage versus Kansas City and Baltimore, and a .346 winning percentage against everyone else. The implications of being able to beat the Royals (11-8) and the Orioles (4-3) have been felt every time they've taken the field the last three years, and will continue to be felt into the future. As bad as the White Sox were in 2018, the Royals (58-104) and Orioles (47-115) finished with worse records. That meant they picked ahead of the South Siders in the '19 draft, when it was clear to almost all scouts that Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman and Texas high school shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were the top prospects in the pool. The Orioles claimed Rutschman with the first overall pick; the Royals took Witt Jr. with the second pick. That's when the draft became problematic. But University of California, Berkeley first baseman Andrew Vaughn had been the most productive college hitter for at least two seasons. He won the Golden Spikes Award as a sophomore and then was almost as impressive as a junior, hitting .374 with 15 home runs and a 1.243 OPS in 52 games. Despite the 32-year-old Jose Abreu still hitting like he was in his prime, the White Sox selected Vaughn over the likes of prep prospects Riley Greene, C.J. Abrams and Corbin Carroll and college stars JJ Bleday, Josh Jung and Nick Lodolo. While Rutschman and Witt stayed in the minors for 180 and 161 games, respectively, the White Sox rushed Vaughn to Chicago after only 57 games in their farm system. All three of those players missed a year's worth of games during the Covid-shortened 2020 season, when the minor leagues did not operate. The White Sox, who had traded Chris Sale and Jose Quintana in 2017 to trigger a brief rebuilding phase, went 35-25 under Renteria in '20, surprisingly winning the American League Central, and then fired Renteria to bring Tony La Russa out of retirement for '21. Vaughn was never far from their minds before he landed a spot on the Opening Day roster that season, hitting fifth and playing left field in a 12-8 victory over the Angels. This seemed the start of something big but it hasn't worked out that way. While Rutschman and Witt led their franchises to postseason spots last season, the White Sox have gone 249-361 with Vaughn on the field, including a 112-237 record the last three seasons. He hasn't even played to replacement level, and was hitting .189 with five home runs and a .531 OPS in 48 games when he was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte last week. With below-average speed and defensive skills, Vaughn's value lies almost exclusively in his bat. Fangraphs ranks him at -1.3 WAR this season, dropping his career figure to -1.7. Witt has accrued 21.3 fWAR in his three-plus seasons; Rutschman is at 14.4 even though his production is currently in decline. The White Sox haven't had the first overall pick in the draft since 1977, when they selected Hall of Famer Harold Baines. They won't have it this year despite losing 121 games last season, the most in history. Anti-tanking rules implemented at the request of the players' union in the last collective bargaining agreement prohibit 'payor clubs' — that is, big-market teams that are required to make revenue-sharing payments — from picking in the top six in back-to-back drafts. The White Sox had the fifth pick a year ago, selecting University of Arkansas left-hander Hagen Smith. They will pick 10th in the first round on July 13 but then have the first overall pick in all other rounds. There are no obvious picks like Witt and Rutschman at the top of this year's draft. Meanwhile the White Sox hope Vaughn regains his confidence in Triple-A and returns to finish the season strong. But either way he appears to be near the end of his road with the team that took him after Rutschman and Witt went off the board.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vols ace Liam Doyle named SEC Pitcher of the Year
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee baseball ace Liam Doyle was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year after leading the nation in strikeouts with 137. Doyle becomes the third pitcher in program history to earn the award and the second in the last four years. Doyle joins Chase Dollander, who won the award in 2022, and Luke Hochevar, who was named the winner in 2005. Lady Vols sweep regional to advance to third straight Super Doyle has been the most consistent pitcher in the Vols' rotation. The junior had a 2.72 ERA in 79.1 innings pitched during the regular season. Doyle has won SEC Pitcher of the Week three times this season. He is also a Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist. Three Vol Baseball players named semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy Tennessee is just the third school in the conference to have three or more players win the SEC Pitcher of the Year. LSU has four and Vanderbilt has three. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Longhorns closer named Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist
Longhorns closer named Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist Dylan Volantis rewarded for his stellar play Following an impressive regular season, Dylan Volantis is earning national recognition for his play. The Longhorns star has been named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award. During his first year as the closer, the Longhorns freshman was a human highlight reel while etching his name into the record books. In 43.1 innings, Volantis posted a 1.66 ERA and struck out 64 batters. He also showed excellent control by only walking 11 batters and allowing three home runs. As he frustrated opponents on a nightly basis, the Westlake High School product was one of the Longhorns' most used arms. Additionally, the talented lefty was one of the best in the country in high-pressure situations with 12 saves. 11 of those came in conference play, which was the most by a freshman in SEC history. He thrived with a 1.59 ERA in conference play while holding opponents to a .160 batting average. What stood out about Volantis was his ability to dominate a lineup regardless of the opponent. His diverse pitch mix and ability to attack the zone made him a matchup nightmare. That is bad news for the rest of the conference, as Volantis is just getting started. While his ultimate goal is to help the Longhorns win a championship, Volantis could not have asked for a better start to his college career. Just being a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes award is an impressive accomplishment. If he can continue to build on his play, it would not be a surprise to see him in the mix for the award next year. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @LonghornsWire.
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Four Alabama players receive All-SEC baseball honors, two First Team selections
Four Alabama players receive All-SEC baseball honors, two First Team selections Announced by the conference Monday, a total of four Alabama Crimson Tide baseball players have received All-SEC honors for the 2025 season, headlined by a pair of first team selections. Those two players were Kade Snell and Carson Ozmer, who received First Team All-SEC honors at outfield and relief pitcher, respectively. Of the two, Snell has been one of Alabama's top hitters so far this season, currently leading the Crimson Tide with a .374 AVG and a 1.072 OPS across 54 games, each of which he has started. In addition to that, Snell also has also hit 10 home runs, has 50 RBI, and leads Alabama with a .471 OBP this season, all while batting for an impressive .356 AVG and a 1.094 OPS in conference play as well. As for Ozmer, the right-hander has been one of the premier closers in the SEC this season, sporting a 4-1 record with a 2.97 ERA, 16 saves, and a 47:17 K:BB ratio across 36.1 innings pitched. With opponents also batting for a combined .190 AVG against, Ozmer owns eight saves in SEC play as well. Alongside those two, Alabama also had two Second Team All-SEC selections in shortstop Justin Lebron and right-hander Riley Quick. Across 55 games this season, Lebron, a recent semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, owns a .313 AVG and a 1.064 OPS, while also leading the Crimson Tide with 18 home runs, 69 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. Quick, arguably Alabama's top starting pitcher this season, owns an 8-2 record with a 3.54 ERA and a 64:20 K:BB ratio across 56 innings pitched, with opponents also owning a combined .255 AVG against. Lebron was also named to the SEC All-Defensive Team at shortstop as well. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
