CARY, N.C. – Emerging as one of the nation's hottest amateur hitters and five-tool outfielders, Virginia Tech sophomore Jack Hurley has been named to the 2022 Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list, as announced on Tuesday by USA Baseball.
Celebrating its 44th campaign in 2022, the Golden Spikes Award honors the best amateur baseball player in the United States competing at the high school or collegiate levels. Tuesday's reveal of the midseason watch list represents a snapshot of the nation's top 45 athletes with accolades worthy of this prestigious honor, as the Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue to maintain a rolling list of potential winners through its May 24 semifinalists presentation.
"We are thrilled to recognize these 45 amateur athletes on the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list for their incredible performances throughout the first half of the 2022 season," said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball's Executive Director and CEO. "Each of these athletes has proven themselves worthy of consideration for this prestigious award through both their talent and character. We look forward to seeing what the rest of this exciting season holds before crowning the latest Golden Spikes Award winner in June."
Hurley's sophomore season with the Hokies has been nothing short of extraordinary. Breaking through as an everyday outfielder during his rookie year, the six-foot, left-hand bat from Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, has matured into a confident, five-tool talent, showcasing routine baseball athleticism above his age.
Coming out of Virginia Tech's 6-2 win against Marshall on Tuesday, Hurley moved back atop the NCAA Division I leaderboard in batting average (.464) while holding steady as the nation's second best power hitter (.928). Through 24 starts this season, he has racked up 13 doubles, a triple and 10 home runs, flexing a 5-for-7 mark in stolen base attempts while flaunting a .531 on-base percentage.
While experiencing an uptick in power this season, Hurley's consistency in the batter's box is what has made him one of the most formidable hitters both in the ACC and across Division I. Since Opening Day, he has hit safely during each of his 24 appearances – including 10 games against ACC competition – tying Tech's program record for longest ACC-era hitting streak.
Defensively, Hurley can cover tremendous ground and is equipped with a cannon of an arm. This spring, he leads the Hokies in outfield assists (four), having gunned down two runners at the plate.
On March 31, Hurley received the No. 3 ranking from D1Baseball among its power rankings of the top 100 NCAA Division I outfielders. He shared in top-20 honors with his Tech teammate, Gavin Cross, who debuted on the 2022 Golden Spikes Award preseason watch list in February.
Hurley is one of nine ACC players who appeared on Tuesday's 45-man midseason watch list. Only the SEC has more representation with 12 athletes having been named.
Semifinalists for the 2022 Golden Spikes Award will be announced on May 24, at which point names will be turned over to a voting body consisting of baseball media members, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball staff and previous winners of the award. Fan voting will also be considered during the semifinalist and finalist rounds.
The winner of the 44th Golden Spikes Award will be named on June 24.
