Jared King Placed On Golden Spikes Award Watch List

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

A watchlist contender on several preseason awards lists, Kansas State centerfielder Jared King has been named one of 60  finalists for the Golden Spikes top amateur baseball player in the country. The Golden Spikes Award, in its 36th year, recently released its top 60 players as part of an ongoing process that will culminate in the July 19th presentation of the top player.

King will go through several additional iterations of the process before getting to the July 19 presentation, should he receive the award. The 60 contestants will be narrowed to 30 on May 28. At this point, fans will be able to vote to select three semifinalists, to be announced shortly later on June 4th. The final presentation will take place on MLB Network’s “The Rundown.”

King is one of just a handful of Big 12 players on the watchlist, with perennial powerhouse SEC leading the nation with 12. The Pac 12 is shortly behind at 10 and the ACC has five. He has helped lead K-State to a 33-15 record on the season, with a 9-7 record in the Big 12 conference. The junior is batting .331 on the season with six home runs and 42 RBIs on 166 at bats. He has an on-base percentage of .412. Additionally, his fielding percentage of .977 has helped put his team in contention for a league championship with a chance to make some noise in the NCAA tournament.