Cavaliers Land Two on Golden Spikes Award Watch List

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – For the third time in the last four years, the Virginia baseball program features multiple student-athletes on the preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list after juniors Ethan Anderson and Griff O’Ferrall were both announced as two of the 55 on the initial list. The award, presented by USA Baseball, is annually bestowed on the nation’s top amateur baseball player.

UVA Golden Spikes Award Facts

• 22 Cavaliers have been featured on the GSA preseason watch list since 2008, the most of any ACC program and the sixth-most of any college baseball program.
• Virginia has been represented on the GSA preseason watch list 13 of the last 17 years, tied for the most in the ACC and tied for the fifth most in the country.
• UVA has boasted 13 semifinalists for the award, including two last year – Jake Gelof and Kyle Teel.

O’Ferrall is a consensus preseason All-American and the No. 2 shortstop on D1Baseball’s preseason position rankings. The Richmond native spent the summer as the starting shortstop for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team and batted .463 in international competition. As a sophomore at UVA in 2023, O’Ferrall broke the single-season UVA record for hits with 108 to help UVA to its second College World Series appearance in the last three seasons. He has played every game of his Cavalier career at shortstop, including all 65 last season. At the plate he batted .396 (108-for-273) with 20 doubles, two triples, a home run and 42 RBI. He was successful on 16 of his 18 stolen base attempts.

O’Ferrall was one of five finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, annually bestowed on the nation’s top SS and earned First Team All-ACC accolades. He was recognized as a Third-Team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Anderson has garnered preseason All-America honors from D1Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. He had a breakout sophomore season for the Cavaliers last year, starting all 65 games at first base. At the plate, he batted .375 (97-for-259) with 71 runs, 26 doubles, 15 home runs and 66 RBI. Anderson led the ACC, ranked fourth in the country and broke UVA’s single season record with 26 doubles. He ranked in the top-10 in the ACC in eight different categories and was a Third Team All-ACC selection.

In ACC and NCAA Tournament play, Anderson hit six home runs – two in the ACC Tournament, one in the Charlottesville Regional, two in the Charlottesville Super Regional and one at the College World Series. He became the first Cavalier ever to homer in all four stages of the postseason in a single year or career.