Shaffer Named to Golden Spikes Watch List
4/12/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
DURHAM, N.C. – Maryland junior right-handed pitcher Brian Shaffer was named to the 2017 Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, USA Baseball announced Wednesday. Sponsored by Major League Baseball, and presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the Golden Spikes Award is presented to the best amateur baseball player in the country.
The Midseason Watch list features 40 of the top amateur players across the country. Shaffer is the lone member of the list from the Big Ten Conference.
The Terps' ace is in the midst of the best season of his collegiate career. The 6'5, 200-lb, hurler is currently 4-2 with a 1.98 ERA in eight starts. In 55.2 innings-pitched, he's struck out 56 batters and walked just 13, all while holding opposing hitters to a .202 batting average. His 1.98 ERA and 56 strikeouts are both second-best in the Big Ten this season. He leads the conference in WHIP (0.95).
Shaffer was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week following his start against Princeton on March 17. The junior tossed eight shutout innings, and established a new career-high with ten strikeouts. Shaffer allowed just three total baserunners en route to guiding the Terps to a 4-0 shutout win and an eventual series sweep.
The Pylesville, Md. native is coming off of his first complete game outing of the season, tossing eight innings of three-run ball against conference opponent Nebraska last Friday. Shaffer has completed at least seven innings in each of his last five starts. During that span, the right-hander is 4-1 with a 1.66 ERA and a 36:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
USA Baseball will announce the semifinalists for the 2017 Golden Spikes Award on Wednesday, May 31. Starting on May 31, and continuing until June 9, fans across the country will be able to vote for their favorite semifinalist at GoldenSpikesAward.com. On Wednesday, June 14, USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award. From June 14 until Friday, June 23, fans will be able to vote for their favorite finalists, also at GoldenSpikesAward.com.
The winner of the 2017 Golden Spikes Award will be announced on Thursday, June 29, at a presentation in Los Angeles. The finalists and their families will be honored at the Rod Dedeaux Foundation Award dinner that evening at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles.
Shaffer is scheduled to make his next start on Friday, April 14, against Penn State. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium in College Park, Md. Fans can listen live to the action on the Maryland Baseball Network.
Notes: Shaffer is the first Terrapin to be named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List since former Terps Brandon Lowe and Mike Shawaryn were both named to the list in 2015. Shawaryn was eventually named a semifinalist.
