Feb. 9, 2018
THE FLATS – For the third straight year, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets had a student-athlete named to the Golden Spikes Award preseason watch list as junior catcher Joey Bart was named to the 2018 preseason list, USA Baseball announced on Friday.
The team co-captain is one of 55 players named to the preseason watch list. The 41st Golden Spikes Award will be presented in partnership with the Rob Dedeaux Foundation on June 28 in Los Angeles.
Bart continues the tradition following in the footsteps of senior Kel Johnson who was a member of both the 2016 and 2017 preseason watch lists. Former Jackets Buck Farmer (2013), Jed Bradley (2011), Kevin Jacob (2010), Deck McGuire (2010) and Derek Dietrich (2009) were all named to the Golden Spikes Award preseason watch list dating back to 2008.
A consensus preseason all-American, the third-year Jacket has been recognized as a preseason all-American by Perfect Game/Rawlings,Baseball America (first team), NCBWA (second team),D1Baseball (second team), presented by adidas, Collegiate Baseball (third team) and College Sports Madness (second team).
A 2017 Johnny Bench award semifinalist, an ABCA/Rawlings all-region second team selection and an all-ACC second team honoree last year as a sophomore, Bart played and started in 44 games on the year last season despite missing the last 11 games of the season due to a hand injury. Bart hit .296 with a team-high 13 home runs and 43 RBIs on the season. He also totaled 55 base hits, including 13 doubles, and scored 36 runs. The power-hitting righty, who led the team with a .575 slugging percentage on the year, also recorded 12 multi-hit games, nine multi-RBI games and posted a career-long hitting streak of 10 games in late February to mid-March.
Bart and the Yellow Jackets will open up the 2018 season with the Atlanta Challenge on Feb. 16-18. Tech will host Minnesota on Feb. 16, Bradley on Feb. 17 and UConn on Feb. 18.
Season ticket renewals and new sales are available now. Yellow Jackets’ baseball season tickets are on sale for as low as $125 per ticket, which is more than a 50 percent savings compared to single game pricing. Fans can Click Here to purchase or renew their season tickets today.
About the Golden Spikes Award
Since 1978, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden Spikes Award. The award is sponsored by Major League Baseball and presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation. It is presented each year to the player who best exhibits exceptional on-field ability and exemplary sportsmanship.
Starting on March 26 and ending April 1, fans will be able to nominate their favorite players for the Golden Spikes Award prior to the reveal of the midseason watch list on April 10. The semifinalists list will be sent to a voting body consisting baseball media members, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball staff and the 40 previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters.
Amateur baseball fans across the country will be able to vote for their favorite players at GoldenSpikesAward.com again in 2018, starting on May 21 with the naming of the Golden Spikes Award semifinalists. On June 6, USA Baseball will announce the finalists and voting will begin that day and last until June 22.
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