Vote For EshelmanDURHAM, N.C. – Cal State Fullerton right hander Thomas Eshelman was named a semifinalist for the 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, it was announced Friday.
Eshelman was one of two new players added to the list since its last release on May 7 and joins UC Santa Barbara right hander Dillon Tate as the two representatives from the Big West Conference amongst the 21 semifinalists. The Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference lead with four athletes each on the Golden Spikes Award semifinalist list. The Pac 12 contributed a trio of athletes while the Big 10 and Big West each posted a pair. The American Athletic, Atlantic Sun, Colonial Athletic, Missouri Valley, Patriot League and the Scenic West each had an athlete on the list.
It is the second time Eshelman has been named a semifinalist for the award, the last coming in 2013 when he was a freshman.
The announcement comes one day after Eshelman made his last regular season start against Long Beach State. The Carlsbad, Calif. native tossed his fifth complete game of the season en route to a 4-2 victory. It was also his second straight complete game and extended his scoreless innings streak to 28 and 2/3 before surrendering a run in the fourth inning.
Eshelman finished the regular season with an 8-5 record and won his last five starts. He tossed two complete-game shutouts and has compiled a miniscule 1.57 ERA, which leads the Big West Conference and ranks 15th in the nation.
Opponents batted .207 against Eshelman during the regular season and his 111 strikeouts rank 12th in the country and currently leads the conference with two games to play. Eshelman also leads the nation in walks allowed per nine innings (0.47) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (18.50) after allowing just six free passes in 114 and 1/3 innings pitched.
More about the Golden Spikes Award
GoldenSpikesAward.com -- powered by MLB Advanced Media -- is once again the online home for the award. The website features content devoted exclusively to the GSA, including news, voting history, past winner photo galleries, and photographs and biographical information for the 2015 semifinalists. Fans can follow online at GoldenSpikesAward.com as the list of 21 players is narrowed to a group of finalists on Tuesday, June 2.
USA Baseball officials will announce the list of finalists for the 2015 Golden Spikes Award on Tuesday, June 2. To select the finalists, the list of semifinalists is sent to a voting body consisting of past Golden Spikes Award winners, past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of media that closely follow the amateur game, select professional baseball personnel, and current USA Baseball staff, representing a group of more than 200 voters in total.
Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2015. This announcement officially marks the opening of voting for amateur baseball fans from across the country on GoldenSpikesAward.com. As part of this selection process, all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list of names. Voting will be open until Friday, May 29.
The 2015 Golden Spikes Award winner will be named on Tuesday, June 23, at a presentation in Los Angeles. The finalists and their families will be honored at the Rod Dedeaux Foundation Dinner that evening at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles.
The anticipated timeline for the 2015 Golden Spikes Award announcements is:
- Tuesday, February 10: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award 50-player preseason watch list
- Thursday, April 9: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award 60-player midseason watch list
- Thursday, May 7: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award 30-player preliminary list
- Friday, May 22: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award semifinalists voting begins
- Friday, May 29: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award semifinalists voting ends
- Tuesday, June 2: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award finalists voting begins
- Friday, June 12: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award finalists voting ends
- Tuesday, June 23: 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award trophy presentation
