Georgia Tech's Teixeira Among Five Finalists For Golden Spikes Award

TUCSON, AZ – Georgia Tech third baseman Mark Teixeira (Severna Park, Md.) is one of five finalists for the 2000 Golden Spikes Award, amateur baseball’s most prestigious award, annouced today by USA Baseball in coordination with the Major League Baseball Players Association. The 23rd annual presentation of the Award will serve as the featured event at the Major League Baseball Players Association sponsored Salute to Excellence Awards Luncheon to be held on November 3 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas.

Teixeira, the 2000 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and the winner of the 2000 Dick Howser Trophy as college baseball’s top player, is joined by pitcher Kip Bouknight (South Carolina), catcher Brad Cresse (LSU), pitcher Beau Hale (Texas), and pitcher Justin Wayne (Stanford), on the list of finalists.

“It is a great honor for Mark to be selected as a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, and it’s certainly within his reach to win,” said Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall. “He is the second Georgia Tech player in the last 10 years to win the Dick Howser Trophy, and I think he would be a very deserving winner of the Golden Spikes Award. What he accomplished this summer will certainly help his chances.”

Teixeira, who led the ACC in batting average (.427), home runs (18), runs scored (104), on base percentage (.547) and slugging percentage (.772) during the 2000 collegiate season, spent the summer months playing on USA Baseball’s national team. The rising junior helped lead the United States to its best record in history (27-3-1) while winning the Honkbal Championship in The Netherlands. Teixeira, who regularly hit third in the batting order, finished the season with a 23-game hitting streak while batting nearly .400 for the summer.

“Mark continues to meet every challenge that is thrown his way,” said Hall. “He always finds a way to be on top and be the creme of the crop. I’m very happy for him and I’m sure that it’s a great feeling for him personally. It’s yet another feather in his cap.”

For the past 20 years, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden Spikes Award. The award is presented each year to the player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship. Past winners of this prestigious award include current Boston Red Sox catcher and former Georgia Tech star Jason Varitek, as well as other major League stars such as Robin Ventura, Darren Dreifort, Will Clark and current Philadelphia Phillies manager Terry Francona.

Previous Golden Spikes Award Winners