College Park, MD -- Jason Savacool and Matt Shaw have been named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List, USA Baseball announced Friday. Maryland is one of just 10 schools in the nation to place multiple student athletes on the watch list. The 2023 preseason list includes 55 athletes from the ranks of high school and college baseball. This watch list is maintained on a rolling basis, with the next selection being the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List which will be announced on Wednesday, April. 5.

Savacool was a fundamental part of the weekend rotation in 2022, striking out 123 batters while pitching a team-high 107.2 innings. The Baldwinsville, New York, native finished his sophomore campaign with an 8-3 record and a 2.93 ERA. Savacool enters 2023 after receiving multiple honors last season, including being named a All-Big Ten First Team selection, and a D1 Baseball All-American. The Junior has received three pre-season All-American honors being named by D1Baseball, Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball News.

Shaw, who has received pre-season All-American honors in each of the four major polls, comes into the regular season as the No. 3 shortstop in the nation according to D1Baseball. The shortstop was a 2022 All-Big Ten First Team selection, entering 2023 after a breakout campaign that saw the shortstop bat .290 with 22 home runs, 67 RBIs, and 34 walks. The Brimfield, Massachusetts native was the Perfect Game Baseball Summer Player of The Year after leading the Bourne Braves to the Cape Cod Baseball League Title. Shaw batted for a league-leading .363 average while earning a place near the top of the league with five home runs, 17 RBIs and a .414 OBP. 

Maryland baseball will begin its season at University of South Florida on Friday, Feb. 17, before hosting their home opener against West Virginia on Tuesday, Feb. 21st.