Jason Groome Named To Golden Spikes Watch List

February 16, 2016

By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

Jason Groome USA Baseball announced Tuesday the preseason watch list for the 2016 Golden Spikes Award, a distinction given to the top amateur baseball player in the country since 1978. It is sponsored by Major League Baseball in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation and is presented to the athlete that not only shows remarkable on-field ability, but also earns high marks for sportsmanship. On the preseason list is LHP Jason Groome (Barnegat HS, NJ), currently the No. 1 prospect on the PBR Draft 100 and a strong candidate to be the first overall selection at the draft in June.

Groome pitched at IMG Academy, FL, as a junior, but returned to his hometown before his senior year. He dazzled on the showcase circuit last summer, throwing his fastball in the mid-90s while adding in a nasty breaking ball and showing feel for a changeup. Groome is committed to Vanderbilt.

Also on the preseason list is RHP Riley Pint (St. Thomas Aquinas HS, KS). Pint is the No. 2 high school prospect in the country and also in consideration for the top selection of the draft. He’s extremely athletic and has a lightning-quick arm that produces a top-of-the-scale fastball. A Louisiana State recruit, he hit 99 mph twice in the Under Armour Game in August and made noise in a recent workout, hitting triple digits with three consecutive pitches. He also has a good breaking ball and changeup.

The Golden Spikes Award generally goes to a Division I player. Bryce Harper (2010, JC of Southern Nevada) and Alex Fernandez (1990, Miami Dade CC) are the only two to win it that weren’t D-I. Three high school players have been named as finalists in the history of the award—Alex Rodriguez (1993, Westminster Christian HS, FL), Ken Griffey Jr. (1987, Moeller HS, OH) and Brent Friehauf (1982, Bowie HS, MD).

A midseason watch list will be released on April 20 and semifinalists will be announced on June 13. Finalists will be named on June 25 and the winner will be named Thursday, June 30, at a presentation in Los Angeles.

The entire preseason list is as follows:

First Name	Pos.	Year	School
Will Albertson	C	Sr.	Catawba (D-II)
Nick Banks	OF	Jr.	Texas A&M
Carmen Benedetti	UT	Jr.	Michigan
Keivan Berges	RHP/OF	Jr.	Keiser (NAIA)
Ryan Boldt	OF	Jr.	Nebraska
Bryson Brigman	IF	So.	San Diego
Zack Collins	C	Jr.	Miami
Will Craig	RHP/IF	Jr.	Wake Forest
Bobby Dalbec	IF	Jr.	Arizona
Sam Dexter	IF	Sr.	Southern Maine (D-III)
Kyle Funkhouser	RHP	Sr.	Louisville
Luke Gillingham	LHP	Sr.	Navy
Reese Gregory	RHP/IF	Sr.	St. Cloud State (D-II)
Jason Groome	LHP	HS	Barnegat HS, NJ
Alec Hansen	RHP	Jr.	Oklahoma
K.J. Harrison	C/IF	So.	Oregon State
Kevin Hill	RHP	Jr.	South Alabama
Keston Hiura	UT	So.	UC Irvine
Tanner Houck	RHP	So.	Missouri
Ryan Howard	IF	Jr.	Missouri
Zach Jackson	RHP	Jr.	Arkansas
Daulton Jefferies	RHP	Jr.	California
Kel Johnson	OF	So.	Georgia Tech
Connor Jones	RHP	Jr.	Virginia
Anthony Kay	LHP	Jr.	Connecticut
Matt Krook	LHP	So.	Oregon
Alex Lange	RHP	So.	Louisiana State
Andrew Lantrip	RHP	Jr.	Houston
Eric Lauer	LHP	Jr.	Kent State
Kyle Lewis	OF	Jr.	Mercer
Brendan McKay	LHP/IF	So.	Louisville
Tyson Miller	RHP	Jr.	California Baptist (D-II)
Sheldon Neuse	RHP/IF	Jr.	Oklahoma
Chris Okey	C	Jr.	Clemson
Corbin Olmstead	RHP/IF	Jr.	North Florida
Ryan Olson	RHP	Jr.	Cal Poly Pomona (D-II)
Riley Pint	RHP	HS	St. Thomas Aquinas HS, KS
A.J. Puk	LHP	Jr.	Florida
Cal Quantrill	RHP	Jr.	Stanford
Corey Ray	OF	Jr.	Louisville
Buddy Reed	OF	Jr.	Florida
Bryan Reynolds	OF	Jr.	Vanderbilt
J.J. Schwarz	C	So.	Florida
Nick Senzel	IF	Jr.	Tennessee
Mike Shawaryn	RHP	Jr.	Maryland
Matt Thaiss	C	Jr.	Virginia
Mitchell Traver	RHP	Jr.	Texas Christian
Donnie Walton	IF	Sr.	Oklahoma State
Colby Woodmansee	IF	Jr.	Arizona State
Kyle Wright	RHP/IF	So.	Vanderbilt

Jason Groome Named To Golden Spikes Watch List

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