May 26, 2009
DURHAM, N.C.—Texas A&M sophomore Brooks Raley has been named one of 30 semifinalists for the 2009 Golden Spikes Award, USA Baseball announced Tuesday.
The Golden Spikes Award is in its 32nd season and is given to the top amateur baseball player in the country. A voting panel will select five finalists and the eventual winner, who will be presented with the award at the MLB All-Star FanFest in Saint Louis in July.
Raley, from Uvalde, is one of the nation's top two-way players. A first-team All-Big 12 selection, the sophomore has been A&M's Friday-night starter all season long and leads the squad with a 7-2 record, 3.74 ERA and a .230 opponent average. Raley has punched out 93 batters and ranks among the national leaders in several categories. He has also hit in the lineup for essentially the entire season, compiling a .315 batting average, leading the team in four offensive categories and topping the Big 12 with 25 stolen bases.
Raley joins Missouri's Kyle Gibson, Kansas State's A.J. Morris, and Oklahoma's J.T. Wise as the Big 12 representatives on the list. For a complete list of semifinalists or for more information, visit goldenspikesaward.com.
Raley will take the mound on Friday afternoon as the Aggies open NCAA Regional play against Oregon State in Fort Worth at TCU's Lupton Stadium. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.