The third-year southpaw stands among the top-five arms in the SEC with 58 strikeouts (second), 33 1/3 innings pitched (third), a .169 opponent batting average (fourth) and five wins (T-fourth) while ranking eighth nationally with a 0.76 WHIP.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15091&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=3XTAdo57CMO2rtIZqQnJDaTD_e96tt9b8FX7AtrHK6efqN8_0UCKxNImatUAvaD1&s=wPQxkxbhfOIbV3UYrwMPWQj-6jObKN_31ZIV68mROrc&e= > was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List on Tuesday afternoon, as announced by USA Baseball.
Presented annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country, the winner of the 44th Golden Spikes Award will be announced on Friday, June 24 on ESPN. Barco is one of 45 players to make the cut on the midseason watch list.
“We are thrilled to recognize these forty-five amateur athletes on the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list for their incredible performances throughout the first half of the 2022 season,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball’s Executive Director and CEO. “Each of these athletes has proven themselves worthy of consideration for this prestigious award through both their talent and character. We look forward to seeing what the rest of this exciting season holds before crowning the latest Golden Spikes Award winner in June.”
For Barco, Tuesday’s announcement marks the Florida ace’s first-ever appearance on the midseason watch list. The Jacksonville, Fla. native appeared on the preseason watch list in both 2021 and 2022<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2022_2_15_usa-2Dbaseball-2Dnames-2Dbarco-2Dfabian-2Dto-2Dgolden-2Dspikes-2Dpreseason-2Dwatch-2Dlist.aspx&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=3XTAdo57CMO2rtIZqQnJDaTD_e96tt9b8FX7AtrHK6efqN8_0UCKxNImatUAvaD1&s=vQ8TyNwv6r2GMxz4bsHlQ1OfXC98B5zKUqqnUPKKhGs&e= >.
After a 2021 campaign in which he was named to the Newcomer All-SEC Team and Southeast-ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Second Team by pacing the Gators with 10 wins and 16 starts, Barco has taken his performance on the mound to another level in 2022. Across his first-six starts of the season, Barco boasts a 5-1 record and ranks sixth in the SEC with a 1.87 ERA. Barco also stands among the top-five arms in the conference with 58 strikeouts (second), 33 1/3 innings pitched (third) and a .169 opponent batting average (fourth). The southpaw’s 0.76 WHIP ranks eighth nationally.
On the year, Barco has struck out 58 batters while issuing just seven free passes, translating to 12.0 strikeouts per nine innings, 1.5 walks per nine and an 8.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Of the top-50 pitchers currently qualifying for the national ERA title, Barco’s 33 1/3 innings are the fifth highest.
Fan voting will once again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award in 2022. Amateur baseball fans will be able to vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com, starting on May 24 with the naming of the Golden Spikes Award semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 8 and fan voting will open at GoldenSpikesAward.com concurrently, remaining open through June 12.
About Golden Spikes Award
Since 1978, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden Spikes Award. Following the first-ever presentation of the Award to Bob Horner of Arizona State, the Golden Spikes Award has been presented each year to the player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship. The 2021 Golden Spikes Award winner was Kevin Kopps from the University of Arkansas. Past winners of this prestigious award include current Major League Baseball players such as Andrew Vaughn (’18), Brendan McKay (’17), Kyle Lewis (’16), Andrew Benintendi (’15), Kris Bryant (’13), Mike Zunino (’12), Bryce Harper (’10), Stephen Strasburg (’09), and David Price (’07). Former Major League stars that have captured the award include Buster Posey (’08), Tim Lincecum (’06), Alex Gordon (’05), Pat Burrell (’98), Mark Kotsay (’95), Robin Ventura (’88), Jim Abbott (’87), Will Clark (’85), Dave Magadan (’83), Terry Francona (’80), Tim Wallach (’79), and Horner (’78).
The 2022 Golden Spikes Award Timeline
May 24: USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award semifinalists announced, fan voting begins
June 6: USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award semifinalists fan voting ends
June 8: USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award finalists announced, fan voting begins
June 14: USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award finalists fan voting ends
June 24: USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award trophy presentation
2022 Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List
Hunter Barco<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15091&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=3XTAdo57CMO2rtIZqQnJDaTD_e96tt9b8FX7AtrHK6efqN8_0UCKxNImatUAvaD1&s=wPQxkxbhfOIbV3UYrwMPWQj-6jObKN_31ZIV68mROrc&e= >; LHP; Florida; Southeastern Conference
Drew Beam; RHP; Tennessee; Southeastern Conference
Jacob Berry; INF; LSU; Southeastern Conference
John Michael Bertrand; LHP; Notre Dame; Atlantic Coast Conference
Enrique Bradfield, Jr.; OF; Vanderbilt; Southeastern Conference
Jake Brooks; RHP; UCLA; Pac-12 Conference
Chase Burns; RHP; Tennessee; Southeastern Conference
Justin Campbell; RHP; Oklahoma State; Big 12 Conference
Jonathan Cannon; RHP; Georgia; Southeastern Conference
Carlos Contreras; OF; Sam Houston; Western Athletic Conference
Dylan Crews; OF; LSU; Southeastern Conference
Chase DeLauter; OF; James Madison; Colonial Athletic Conference
Nolan DeVos; RHP; Davidson; Atlantic 10 Conference
Sonny DiChiara; INF; Auburn; Southeastern Conference
Chase Dollander; RHP; Tennessee Southeastern Conference
Jake Gelof; INF; Virginia; Atlantic Coast Conference
Elijah Green; OF; IMG Academy
Pete Hansen; LHP; Texas; Big 12 Conference
Thomas Harrington; RHP; Campbell; Big South Conference
Cooper Hjerpe; LHP; Oregon State; Pac-12 Conference
Gabriel Hughes; RHP; Gonzaga; West Coast Conference
Jack Hurley; OF; Virginia Tech; Atlantic Coast Conference
Termarr Johnson; INF; Mays High School
Druw Jones; OF; Wesleyan High School
Jace Jung; INF; Texas Tech; Big 12 Conference
Dominic Keegan; UTIL; Vanderbilt; Southeastern Conference
Christian Knapczyk; INF; Louisville; Atlantic Coast Conference
Brooks Lee; SS; Cal Poly; Big West Conference
Dylan Lesko; RHP; Buford High School
Karson Ligon; RHP; Miami; Atlantic Coast Conference
Chris McElvain; RHP; Vanderbilt; Southeastern Conference
Haydn McGeary; C; Colorado Mesa; Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Ivan Melendez; INF; Texas; Big 12 Conference
Jacob Melton; OF/INF; Oregon State; Pac-12 Conference
Parker Messick; LHP; Florida State; Atlantic Coast Conference
Ben Metzinger; C/INF; Louisville; Atlantic Coast Conference
Connor Noland; RHP; Arkansas; Southeastern Conference
Kevin Parada; C; Georgia Tech; Atlantic Coast Conference
Nate Savino; LHP; Virginia; Atlantic Coast Conference
Nolan Schanuel; INF/OF; Florida Atlantic; Conference USA
Jordan Sprinkle; INF; UC Santa Barbara; Big West Conference
Murphy Stehly; INF; Texas; Big 12 Conference
Daniel Susac; C; Arizona; Pac-12 Conference
Drew Thorpe; RHP; Cal Poly; Big West Conference
Jacob Wilson; INF; Grand Canyon; Western Athletic Conference
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