Summers Named to Golden Spikes Watch List

USA Baseball announced its 55-player preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List, beginning the process of identifying the top amateur baseball play in the country for the 2020 season, and Fontbonne hurler Luke Summers is named to the list for the first time in his career. He's the lone Division III player announced.

The preseason watch list features 55 of the nation's top amateur players, from high school and college baseball.

Summers is one of five athletes that will look to become just the third player from a non-NCAA Division I School to win the award, following in the footsteps of Alex Fernandez (1990) and Bryce Harper (2010). Joining Summers includes NCAA Division II Josh Elvir (Angelo State), while Josh Sears (Freed-Hardeman) represents the NAIA.

Pete Crow-Armstrong (Harvard-Westlake High School) and Robert Hassell (Independence High School) are the only amateur high school players recognized by the advisory board in 2020.

Previous winners of the award include Oregon State's Adley Rutschman (2019), Andrew Vaughn (2018), Brendan McKay (2017), Kyle Lewis (2016), Andrew Benintendi (2015), A.J. Reed (2014), Kris Bryant (2013), Mike Zunino (2012), Trevor Bauer (2011), Bryce Harper (2010), Stephen Strasburg (2009), Buster Posey (2008) and David Price (2007).

Summers is coming off a 2019 campaign where he posted new career-highs in wins (11), innings pitched (94.0), strikeouts (127), strikeouts per nine (12.16), and ERA (0.67).

He went on to earn SLIAC Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season, SLIAC All-Conference First Team, D3Baseball.com All-Central Region Team, D3Baseball.com All-American First Team, and ABCA/Rawlings All-Region and All-American honors.

To view the entire list visit HERE

The Griffins are in action this weekend at Belhaven to begin its 2020 campaign. They'll play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 4 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m., contest on Saturday.

STORY COURTESY OF FONTBONNE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION