MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (May 22, 2023) – West Virginia sophomore second baseman JJ Wetherholt has been named a semifinalist for both the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy.
He is one of 25 student-athletes and the only Big 12 representative among the Golden Spikes semifinalists while he is on a list of 60 semifinalists for the Howser.
Wetherholt also becomes just the second Mountaineer to be named a Golden Spikes semifinalist, joining Alek Manoah in 2019. Harrison Musgrave and Ryan McBroom were also named to the initial watchlist in 2014.
The Mars, Pennsylvania native currently leads all Power 5 players with a .447 batting average, second-highest in the country. He also leads the Big 12 with 35 stolen bases and is just the fourth player since 2002 to have at least 35 extra base hits and 35 stolen bases in a season.
In addition to batting average and stolen bases, Wetherholt leads the Mountaineers in multiple other categories including home runs (15), RBI (56), runs (65), doubles (21), and OPS (1.296).
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.
To stay up to date on the 2023 Golden Spikes Award, visit GoldenSpikesAward.com and follow @USAGoldenSpikes on Instagram and Twitter.
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
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; 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; 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
The Dick Howser Trophy, presented by The Game Headwear, given in memory of the former Florida State University All-America shortstop and major league player and manager, who died of brain cancer in 1987, is regarded as baseball's most prestigious award. Criteria for consideration of the trophy include performance on the field, leadership, moral character and courage, qualities that were exemplified by Dick Howser's life.
The finalists will be announced on Thursday, June 8. The 2023 award will be presented at Charles Schwab Field in downtown Omaha, the home of the College World Series for the 11th year. The winner will be unveiled on MLB Network on Thursday, June 15, in the 9 a.m. (CDT) hour. A Friday, June 16 press conference with the winner will be held at 10 a.m., the opening day just prior to the first game of the 76th NCAA College World Series.
2023 DICK HOWSER TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS
Pos. Name, School
Kemp Aldersman, OF, Ole Miss
Max Anderson, 2B, Nebraska
Bryce Arnold, SS, Campbell
Jarrod Belbin, 2B, Campbell
Derek Bender, DH, Coastal Carolina
Jac Caglianone, 1B, Florida
Ryan Campos, C, Arizona State
Charlie Condon, OF, Georgia
Jonah Cox, OF, Oral Roberts
Jacob Cozart, C, NC State
Dylan Crews, OF, LSU
Chase Davis, OF, Arizona
Tyler Davis, 1B, Sam Houston State
Austin Deming, 3B, BYU
Kevin Dubrule, SS, Army-West Point
Eddie Felix, 2B, FGCU
Hunter Fitz-Gerald, 1B, Old Dominion
Ryan Galanie, 1B, Wofford
Jake Gelof, 3B, Virginia
Lucas Gordon, SP, Texas
Grant Jay, C, DBU
Tanner Hall, SP, Southern Miss
Calvin Harris, C, Ole Miss
Josh Hartle, SP, Wake Forest
Ty Hill, SS, Jackson State
Hunter Hines, DH, Mississippi State
Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech
Jeremiah Jenkins, 1B, Maine
Justin Johnson, 2B, Wake Forest
Ryan Johnson, SP, DBU
Gavin Kash, 1B, Texas Tech
Luke Keaschall, 2B, Arizona State
Seth Keener, RP, Wake Forest
Joe Kinker, DH, FGCU
Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida
Shane Lewis, OF, Troy
Carson Liggett, SP, Louisville
Nick Lorruso, 3B, Maryland
Rhett Lowder, SP, Wake Forest
Brice Matthews, SS, Nebraksa
Omar Melendez, SP, Alabama State
Cole Messina, C, South Carolina
Braden Montgomery, OF, Stanford
Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami
Ethan Petry, OF, South Carolina
Alberto Rios, OF, Stanford
Roc Riggio, 2B, Oklahoma State
Kiko Romero, 1B, Arizona
Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Florida Atlantic
Matt Shaw, SS, Maryland
Paul Skenes, SP, LSU
Kyle Teel, C, Virginia
Zach Thornton, SP, Grand Canyon
Payton Tolle, Utility, Wichita State
Brock Vradenburg, 1B, Michigan State
Bryson Ware, 3B, Auburn
JJ Wetherholt, 2B, West Virginia
Tommy White, 3B, LSU
Brock Wilken, 3B, Wake Forest
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
He is one of 25 student-athletes and the only Big 12 representative among the Golden Spikes semifinalists while he is on a list of 60 semifinalists for the Howser.
Wetherholt also becomes just the second Mountaineer to be named a Golden Spikes semifinalist, joining Alek Manoah in 2019. Harrison Musgrave and Ryan McBroom were also named to the initial watchlist in 2014.
The Mars, Pennsylvania native currently leads all Power 5 players with a .447 batting average, second-highest in the country. He also leads the Big 12 with 35 stolen bases and is just the fourth player since 2002 to have at least 35 extra base hits and 35 stolen bases in a season.
In addition to batting average and stolen bases, Wetherholt leads the Mountaineers in multiple other categories including home runs (15), RBI (56), runs (65), doubles (21), and OPS (1.296).
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.
To stay up to date on the 2023 Golden Spikes Award, visit GoldenSpikesAward.com and follow @USAGoldenSpikes on Instagram and Twitter.
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
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; 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; 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
The Dick Howser Trophy, presented by The Game Headwear, given in memory of the former Florida State University All-America shortstop and major league player and manager, who died of brain cancer in 1987, is regarded as baseball's most prestigious award. Criteria for consideration of the trophy include performance on the field, leadership, moral character and courage, qualities that were exemplified by Dick Howser's life.
The finalists will be announced on Thursday, June 8. The 2023 award will be presented at Charles Schwab Field in downtown Omaha, the home of the College World Series for the 11th year. The winner will be unveiled on MLB Network on Thursday, June 15, in the 9 a.m. (CDT) hour. A Friday, June 16 press conference with the winner will be held at 10 a.m., the opening day just prior to the first game of the 76th NCAA College World Series.
2023 DICK HOWSER TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS
Pos. Name, School
Kemp Aldersman, OF, Ole Miss
Max Anderson, 2B, Nebraska
Bryce Arnold, SS, Campbell
Jarrod Belbin, 2B, Campbell
Derek Bender, DH, Coastal Carolina
Jac Caglianone, 1B, Florida
Ryan Campos, C, Arizona State
Charlie Condon, OF, Georgia
Jonah Cox, OF, Oral Roberts
Jacob Cozart, C, NC State
Dylan Crews, OF, LSU
Chase Davis, OF, Arizona
Tyler Davis, 1B, Sam Houston State
Austin Deming, 3B, BYU
Kevin Dubrule, SS, Army-West Point
Eddie Felix, 2B, FGCU
Hunter Fitz-Gerald, 1B, Old Dominion
Ryan Galanie, 1B, Wofford
Jake Gelof, 3B, Virginia
Lucas Gordon, SP, Texas
Grant Jay, C, DBU
Tanner Hall, SP, Southern Miss
Calvin Harris, C, Ole Miss
Josh Hartle, SP, Wake Forest
Ty Hill, SS, Jackson State
Hunter Hines, DH, Mississippi State
Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech
Jeremiah Jenkins, 1B, Maine
Justin Johnson, 2B, Wake Forest
Ryan Johnson, SP, DBU
Gavin Kash, 1B, Texas Tech
Luke Keaschall, 2B, Arizona State
Seth Keener, RP, Wake Forest
Joe Kinker, DH, FGCU
Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida
Shane Lewis, OF, Troy
Carson Liggett, SP, Louisville
Nick Lorruso, 3B, Maryland
Rhett Lowder, SP, Wake Forest
Brice Matthews, SS, Nebraksa
Omar Melendez, SP, Alabama State
Cole Messina, C, South Carolina
Braden Montgomery, OF, Stanford
Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami
Ethan Petry, OF, South Carolina
Alberto Rios, OF, Stanford
Roc Riggio, 2B, Oklahoma State
Kiko Romero, 1B, Arizona
Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Florida Atlantic
Matt Shaw, SS, Maryland
Paul Skenes, SP, LSU
Kyle Teel, C, Virginia
Zach Thornton, SP, Grand Canyon
Payton Tolle, Utility, Wichita State
Brock Vradenburg, 1B, Michigan State
Bryson Ware, 3B, Auburn
JJ Wetherholt, 2B, West Virginia
Tommy White, 3B, LSU
Brock Wilken, 3B, Wake Forest
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
