Beggs Named to Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Already named a midseason first-team All-American by Perfect Game earlier this month, University of Kentucky senior pitcher Dustin Beggs has most recently been tabbed as one of 60 amateur players to the 2016 Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, it was announced by USA Baseball on Wednesday. 

Kentucky is no stranger to the prestigious award, which has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country since 1978. Two-way star A.J. Reed won the award in 2014 after one of the best seasons in college baseball history. The semifinalists for the award will be announced June 1 with the finalists being announced June 13 and the 2016 winner announced June 30. 

A native of Roswell, Ga., Beggs currently ranks third in the nation and second in the Southeastern Conference with seven wins. The senior is the only pitcher in Kentucky history to win his first seven starts of a season. A 6-foot-2, 200-pounder, Beggs currently holds a 2.27 earned run average, striking out 58 batters in 63.1 innings pitched with opponents hitting just .188 against him. 

In his two-year career at Kentucky, Beggs has a 14-4 record and a 3.10 ERA in 23 starts, fanning 133 and walking only 28 in 157 innings. In his career, Beggs ranks seventh in UK history in ERA and third in win-loss percentage (.778). Beggs has worked 12 quality starts in his career, with UK winning 16 of his 23 starts behind him. A 19th round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft and a 32nd round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, Beggs earned Most Outstanding Pitcher honors in the 2016 Tony Gwynn Classic after eight shutout, two-hit innings at San Diego State. 

Kentucky (23-13, 9-6 SEC) will return to action Thursday, welcoming Arkansas for a three-game series, starting at 7 p.m. ET at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Beggs is slated to start the second game of the series Friday. 

For more information on the Kentucky baseball team, follow @UKBaseball on Twitter or visit ukathletics.com.