ASU Baseball: Brett Lilek named to Golden Spikes Award preseason watch list

After a first team All-Pac-12 selection in 2014, ASU junior left-hander Brett Lilek has been named to the Golden Spikes Award preseason watch list. Similar to the Heisman Trophy in college football, the prestigious honor is given annually at the end of the season to the best amateur baseball student-athlete in the country.

Last season, Lilek finished among the top eight in the Pac-12 in regular season ERA, opponent batting average and strikeouts. Eight Pac-12 players were named to the watch list this season. He is the 11th other Sun Devil to be named to the watch list since 2010, posting a 2.68 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 15 starts in 2014. Eight Sun Devils have been named finalists since 1978 including current major leaguers Mike Leake, Brett Wallace and Dustin Pedroia. Sun Devils Mike Kelly (1991), Oddibe McDowell (1984) and Bob Horner (1978) have gone on to win the award.

The midseason watch list will be announced Apr. 9, followed by another cut to 30 players on May 7. The winner will be announced on Jun 23. ASU is the only current school to have three current pitchers who have been named to the watch list. Ryan Burr and Ryan Kellogg were named to the list last season.

The full watch list can be found here.