BIRMINGHAM, AL – Arkansas pitcher Hagen Smith is a semifinalist for the 2023 Golden Spikes Award.
Smith is one of 25 semifinalists for the award given to the top amateur baseball player in the nation. The Golden Spikes Award will be presented on June 25 at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, leading into game two of the College World Series finals.
The Razorback left-handed pitcher, who was named to the All-SEC First Team, has been used in several capacities this season. Smith began the campaign as Arkansas’ No. 1 starter and transitioned to a “wild card” role at the start of SEC play due to injuries to the pitching staff before settling back into the Hogs’ starting rotation.
For the year, Smith has made 15 appearances with nine starts, including five in SEC play, and boasts an 8-1 record with a team-leading 2.56 ERA and two saves over 63 1/3 innings of work on the mound. The true sophomore, who is also a semifinalist for the College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year Award, has struck out a team-high 93 batters and limited opposing hitters to a meager .191 batting average this season.
Smith is the eighth Hog since 2007 to be named a semifinalist for the award. Arkansas outfielder Andrew Benintendi and pitcher Kevin Kopps won both the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy in 2015 and 2021, respectively.
Fan voting will again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award. Fans can vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com beginning on May 22 with the naming of the semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 7, and fan voting will open at GoldenSpikesAward.com before closing on June 21.
For complete coverage of Arkansas baseball, follow the Hogs on Twitter (@RazorbackBSB), Instagram (@RazorbackBSB) and Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Baseball).
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The previous story was sourced directly and in its entirety from the University of Arkansas Office of Communications, Oliver Grigg.
