Hultzen Named Golden Spikes Award Finalist

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia’s Danny Hultzen (Jr., Bethesda, Md.) has been named one of three finalists for the 2011 Golden Spikes Award (GSA), announced Monday by USA Baseball. Hultzen had previously been named to the semifinalist list for the second straight year, but enjoys his first nod as a finalist. The award is presented annually to the nation’s top amateur baseball player and will be presented July 15 on MLB Network.

Hultzen joins Trevor Bauer (UCLA – RHP) and Taylor Jungmann (Texas – RHP) as the first class of finalists made up entirely of pitchers. The trio received the most votes last week from the nearly 200-person GSA voting committee. Prior to Hultzen, the Cavaliers’ last GSA finalist was Seth Greisinger in 1996.

The lefty has posted an 11-3 record on the mound with a 1.57 ERA, while striking out 148 batters, a UVa single-season best. His impressive stats helped him become UVa’s all-time career leader in wins (31) and strikeouts (378). A two-time ACC pitcher of the year, Hultzen is seventh in ACC history in career strikeouts and has been named first-team All-ACC three consecutive years.

In 103.1 innings, he has allowed 26 runs (18 earned), 69 hits and 17 walks. Batters are hitting just .189 against him. His 148 strikeouts lead the ACC and ranks second nationally.

Hultzen also has been a force at the plate and has seen more at bats this season. He is batting .336 with 34 runs batted in. He owns 10 doubles, two triples and a home run in 2011.

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.