Hultzen Named Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia’s Danny Hultzen (Jr., Bethesda, Md.) has been named one of 30 semifinalists for the 2011 Golden Spikes Award, as announced Tuesday by USA Baseball. Hultzen was named to the semifinalist list for the second straight year. The award is presented annually to the nation’s top amateur baseball player.

Hultzen joins Trevor Bauer (UCLA), Taylor Jungmann (Texas) and Anthony Rendon (Rice) as the lone 2010 semifinalists to return to the list for 2011.

A ballot featuring the names and accomplishments of the 30 semifinalists will now be sent to a group of nearly 200 voters which will select the three finalists and eventual winner. Beginning today (May 31) fans will also be able to vote on the 2011 GSA by visiting GoldenSpikesAward.com and selecting their favorite amateur player. The fan tabulation will determine one of the votes toward the semifinal round.

The semifinalist list for the Golden Spikes Award will be narrowed to three finalists on June 6. The award will be presented July 15 on MLB Network.

The two-time ACC Pitcher of the Year, Hultzen has posted a 10-3 record with a 1.59 earned run average this season. In 96.1 innings, he has allowed 25 runs (17 earned), 66 hits and 16 walks while striking out 136. Batters are hitting just .193 against him. He leads the ACC and ranks second nationally in strikeouts.

Hultzen also has been a force at the plate and has seen more at bats this season. He is batting .305 with 29 runs batted in. He owns nine doubles, a triple and a home run in 2011.

For the third straight season, Hultzen was named first-team All-ACC. He is the first Virginia baseball player to earn first-team All-ACC honors three times in a career. Hultzen also is a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and stands on the watch list for the John Olerud Two-Way Player Award.

Hultzen has been strong in the classroom as well and was named a 2011 Capital One First Team Academic All-American, becoming just the 20th Virginia student-athlete to earn this distinction.

Hultzen holds the UVa career wins record with 30 victories and also owns the UVa career strikeouts record with 356. He ranks third in UVa history in ERA (2.20), innings pitched (298.1) and win percentage (.857) and fourth in games started (46).