Wahl Named Semifinalist for Golden Spikes Award

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI/Ole Miss Athletics) – Junior right-hander Bobby Wahl was named as a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award by USA Baseball, the organization announced on Tuesday with its release of the updated list for the award honoring the Player of the Year in college baseball.

Wahl has posted a 9-0 record on the mound this season with a 1.99 ERA as one of the top pitchers in the rugged Southeastern Conference. Through 15 starts, the right-hander has only left the game one time with his team trailing, in the season-finale at No. 2 LSU. In all of his other starts, the Rebel hurler has left the mound with his team holding to a lead or tied with the opponent.

(24/7 Sports)
Bobby Wahl was named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award on Tuesday.

In competition against nationally-ranked foes, Wahl stepped up his performance with a 1.14 ERA and held opponents to a .163 batting average at the plate. The junior right-hander was 4-0 in those nine outings, including three combined shutouts. He left the game with his team holding to a lead or tied in four of those five no-decisions, including starts against then No. 2 Vanderbilt, No. 13 Mississippi State and No. 24 Kentucky.

Wahl also tallied his first complete-game of his career, posting a shutout of Tennessee in the series opener against the Volunteers on the road. In that outing, Wahl held Tennessee to three hits through the nine innings.

In 11 of his starts, Wahl has allowed one earned run or less this season.

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 2013.  After working closely with sports information directors and amateur baseball media across the country to determine watch lists and the top-performing athletes, a committee voted to determine the 30 semifinalists.  A ballot featuring the names and accomplishments of the 30 semifinalists will now be sent to a group of more than 220 voters which will select the three finalists and eventual winner.  Beginning today fans will also be able to vote on the 2013 GSA by visiting GoldenSpikesAward.com and selecting their favorite amateur player.
GoldenSpikesAward.com — powered by MLB Advanced Media — will once again be the online home for the award.  The website features content devoted exclusively to the GSA, including news, voting history, past winner photo galleries, and photographs and biographical information for the 2013 semifinalists.  Fans can follow online at GoldenSpikesAward.com as the list of 30 players is narrowed to three finalists on Tuesday, June 4.

For the third year in a row, the GSA will be awarded live on MLB Network.  On Friday, July 19, the three finalists for the award will be at the live presentation, which will air during The Rundown – at 2 p.m. ET – featuring interviews, video highlights and the announcement of the winner.  The presentation will also be simulcast live on GoldenSpikesAward.com and USABaseball.com.