Feb. 15, 2017
DURHAM, N.C. – The 2017 preseason recognitions continue to pour in for Georgia Tech outfielder Kel Johnson, the junior was named to the USA Baseball 2017 Gold Spikes Award Preseason Watch List on Wednesday.
The Golden Spikes Award preseason watch list features 55 of the nation’s top amateur players, from high school and college baseball. Johnson is one of eight players to have been named to the preseason watch list for the second consecutive year.
Johnson, who was named to the NCBWA Preseason All-America Second Team, the Collegiate Baseball 2017 Preseason All-America Third Team and the Perfect Game Preseason ACC All-Conference Team, was a 2016 All-ACC First-Team selection last season as a sophomore.
In 2016, Johnson started 61 games for the Yellow Jackets, making 41 starts in the outfield and 20 as the designated hitter. He finished fourth on the team in hitting at .319 with 16 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 54 RBI. His 11 home runs and 54 RBIs were both tied for the team lead on the season. He amassed 21 multi-hit games, which tied for fourth on the team, and 12 multi-RBI games, which tied for second on the team. His season was highlighted by a 22-game hitting streak, which tied for the eighth-longest hitting streak in school history.
As a freshman in 2015, Johnson was named a 2015 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American and earned a spot on the 2015 D1Baseball Freshman All-America Second Team.
The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will maintain a rolling list of players, allowing athletes to play themselves into consideration for the award throughout the season. Fans will have opportunities to nominate their favorite players and be a part of voting for the award’s finalists and winner at GoldenSpikesAward.com.
Past winners of this prestigious award include current Major League Baseball standouts Kris Bryant (’13), Bryce Harper (’10), Stephen Strasburg (’09), Buster Posey (’08) and David Price (’07) and former Major League stars Robin Ventura (’88), Will Clark (’85) and Terry Francona (’80).
The 40th Golden Spikes Award will be presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation on June 29 in Los Angeles.
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