DURHAM, N.C. – Maryland junior right-handed pitcher Brian Shaffer was named a 2017 Golden Spikes Award semifinalist, 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 25 of the top amateur players across the country. Shaffer is one of two members 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 was recently named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year after compiling a regular season record of 7-3 with a conference-leading 1.67 ERA in 14 starts. He also led the conference in WHIP with a mark of 0.96.
His breakout season came in 2016, when he set new career-highs in innings-pitched (103.2), strikeouts (75) and ERA (2.60). This season, Shaffer has tossed 103.1 innings—two-thirds of an inning shy of a new career-high—and has already far surpassed his previous career-high in strikeouts fanning 102 batters. The right-hander currently owns an ERA of 2.18 in 15 starts.
Earlier this season, Shaffer recorded his 20th career win, tying him for second all-time in Maryland history in victories, and putting him 10 wins shy of former Maryland right-hander Mike Shawaryn. Shawaryn was named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist in 2015.
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 has been a model of consistency for the Terps this season. In 10 of his last 12 starts, Shaffer has pitched at least seven innings, and allowed three or fewer runs. During the regular season, Shaffer faced four other NCAA Tournament teams: LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, and Indiana. Against those four teams, the right-hander has a 2.92 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 24.2 innings-pitched.
Shaffer has faced two of the other 2017 Golden Spikes Award Semifinalists this season—Iowa's Jake Adams, and LSU's Greg Deichmann. Adams—the Big Ten Player of the Year—went 0-4 with a strikeout against Shaffer on May 25, and Deichmann went 1-3 with a strikeout and an intentional walk against Shaffer on February 24.
USA Baseball officials will announce the finalists for the 2017 Golden Spikes Award on Wednesday, June 14.
Fan voting will once again be part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2017. This announcement officially marks the opening of voting for amateur baseball fans from across the country on GoldenSpikesAward.com.
Shaffer is scheduled to make his next start on Friday, June 2, against West Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. First pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m. at David F. Cooks Field in Winston-Salem, N.C. Fans can watch the game streamed on ESPN3 on the WatchESPN App, or listen live to the action on the Maryland Baseball Network.
Notes: Shaffer is only the second Terrapin to be named a Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist. Mike Shawaryn was named a Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist in 2015.
