Thompson Named to Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky junior left-hander Zack Thompson has been named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, it was announced by USA Baseball on Wednesday. Thompson is one of 40 of the nation’s top players in contention for college baseball’s prestigious honor.
The Golden Spikes Award goes to the nation’s top player and will be announced on June 14. It is presented by USA Baseball and the Rod Dedeaux Foundation. Semifinalists will be named on May 15.
Thompson has been dominant on the mound this season, posting a 1.99 earned run average in eight starts. In 49.2 innings he has allowed just 33 hits and 14 walks while striking out 74 batters. He has held opposing hitters to just a .189 batting average and allowed only one home run. He ranks 15th nationally in strikeouts per nine inning with 13.41.
The Selma, Indiana native was named National Pitcher of the Week by both Perfect Game and the National College Baseball Writers Association, as well as Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week, after posting a complete game shutout victory over No. 4 Georgia on March 29. In that game, Thompson struck out a career-high 13 batters and allowing only two infield hits in the first complete game of his career while throwing a career-high 124 pitches.
The preseason All-America and All-SEC southpaw also became the 14th players in school history to reach 200 career strikeouts and currently ranks 15th among all active Division I pitchers (min. 75 innings) with 12.20 strikeouts per nine innings. He also ranks 19th among active pitchers in allowing just 6.16 hits per nine innings for his career.
Thompson is the ninth player from Kentucky to be named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, joining RHP Trevor Gott and C Luke Maile (2012), OF Austin Cousino and 1B/LHP AJ Reed (2014), RHP Dustin Beggs (2016), 1B Evan White (2017) and IF/OF Luke Heyer and OF Tristan Pompey (2018).
