Florida is one of five schools with two players to make the cut.
HOOVER, Ala. – University of Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/wyatt-langford/15497> and left-handed pitcher/first baseman Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/15489> are among the 25 semifinalists for the 2023 Golden Spikes Awards, as announced by USA Baseball on Monday.
Eighteen different universities are represented on the list. Florida is one of five schools to have two Golden Spikes semifinalists. Surprisingly, Monday’s announcement marks the first-ever Golden Spikes Semifinalist honors for both Langford and Caglianone after the former was snubbed one year ago.
“As the amateur baseball season enters the home stretch, we are excited to honor this season’s top players,” said USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler. “The talent in amateur baseball is as exceptional as it has ever been and the twenty-five players on this list are the best of the best. We look forward to watching the remainder of the season as we move closer to naming the winner of the prestigious Golden Spikes Award in June.”
Despite missing seven games to injury at the onset of SEC play, Langford has improved in nearly every offensive category as compared to his First Team All-American 2023 campaign. Starting 48 games for the Gators, Langford has batted a team-best .399 while reaching base at a .527 clip. His .827 slugging percentage sits seventh nationally and is backed by a team-high 20 doubles, three triples and 16 home runs.
Langford has also added 66 runs scored, 41 RBI and five steals to his resume on top of drawing significantly more walks (44) than strikeouts (34). Across 114 career games in the outfield, the multi-dimensional Langford owns a 1.000 fielding percentage – and is perfect through 78 chances on the diamond in 2023.
Wielding a nation-leading 28 home runs, Caglianone has taken the country by storm during his sophomore campaign at Florida. The Tampa, Fla. native has served as Florida’s Sunday starter all season long while also performing as one of the sport’s top offensive players, batting a robust .350/.408/.816 with 177 total bases, 43 extra-base hits, 62 runs and 76 RBI. Caglianone’s 28 home runs lead the NCAA and set a new program record, while his 76 RBI are tied for fourth-most all-time in addition to being tied for ninth nationally.
On the mound, the southpaw is 6-2 with a 3.96 ERA and 71 strikeouts across 61 1/3 innings. He has been the Gators’ top starting pitcher down the home stretch, going 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA and .145 batting average against in his last four outings of the regular season.
In total, nine different conferences placed at least one athlete on the semifinalist list. The SEC leads all conferences with eight players, while the ACC has the second-most represented on the list with seven.
The 2023 Golden Spikes Award timeline is as follows:
• June 5: Golden Spikes Award semifinalists fan voting ends
• June 7: Golden Spikes Award finalists announced and fan voting begins
• June 21: Golden Spikes Award finalists’ fan voting ends
• June 25: Golden Spikes Award winner announced
Fan voting will again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award in 2023. Amateur baseball fans can vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com, beginning on May 22 with the naming of the semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 7, and fan voting will once again open at GoldenSpikesAward.com before closing on June 21.
A complete list of the 25-player 2023 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Semifinalists is as follows:
Name; Position; School; Conference
Max Anderson; INF; Nebraska; Big Ten
Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/15489>; 1B; Florida; SEC
Charlie Condon; 1B/OF; Georgia; SEC
Dylan Crews; OF; LSU; SEC
Chase Davis; OF; Arizona; PAC-12
Jake Gelof; INF/OF; Virginia; ACC
Caden Grice; 1B/LHP; Clemson; ACC
Tanner Hall; RHP; Southern Miss; Sun Belt
Josh Hartle; LHP; Wake Forest; ACC
Nick Kurtz; INF/OF; Wake Forest; ACC
Wyatt Langford<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/wyatt-langford/15497>; OF; Florida; SEC
Rhett Lowder; RHP; Wake Forest; ACC
Quinn Mathews; LHP; Stanford; PAC-12
Yohandy Morales; INF; Miami; ACC
Ethan Petry; OF; South Carolina; SEC
Alberto Rios; C; Stanford; PAC-12
Nolan Schanuel; INF/OF; FAU; C-USA
Paul Skenes; RHP; LSU; SEC
Hagen Smith; LHP; Arkansas; SEC
Kyle Teel; C/INF; Virginia; ACC
Brock Vradenburg; INF; Michigan State; Big Ten
JJ Wetherholt; INF; West Virginia; Big 12
Ben Williamson; INF; William & Mary; CAA
Tommy White; INF; LSU; SEC
Jacob Wilson; INF; Grand Canyon; WAC
About the 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 2022 Golden Spikes Award winner was Ivan Melendez from the University of Texas. For more information, please visit GoldenSpikesAward.com. Fans can follow the Golden Spikes Award on Twitter @USAGoldenSpikes.
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