THE FLATS – Two Yellow Jackets have been named on the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list, USA Baseball announced today. Junior C Vahn Lackey (Suwanee, Ga./Collins Hill HS) and junior 2B Jarren Advincula (Santa Clara, Calif./Cal/ Archbishop Mitty HS) each earned a spot on the 45-player list for best amateur baseball player in the nation for the 2026 season.
Key dates for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award include:
• Semifinalists – May 14
• Finalists – June 10
• Winner – June 29
Fan voting will again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award in 2026. Following the semifinalist announcement, baseball fans can vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com to help determine the finalists and winner. The 2026 Golden Spikes Award winner will be announced during a presentation on MLB Network.
Lackey currently leads the Yellow Jackets offense, the best in the country, in almost every category this season: avg (.416), runs (37), home runs (11), RBI (38), slugging (.851) OBP (.532) and stolen bases (7-for-7). He has already hit more home runs in 2026 than he did in his previous two seasons combined. He is ranked in the top five of the ACC in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, home runs, RBI and total bases.
Behind the plate, Lackey has caught three runners attempting to steal and has picked off two runners with back-picks to first base. He leads the team in putouts (166) and carries a .994 fielding percentage.
Earlier this season, vs. West Georgia on March 10, Lackey made GT history by becoming the first player in recorded history to play eight different defensive positions in a single game, every position but pitcher. He went 3-for-4 at the plate, finishing a single shy of the cycle on his way to being named Buster Posey Award catcher of the week, Perfect Game National Player of the Week and ACC Player of the Week.
Advincula has lived up to his preseason All-America status and more so far in 2026. The second baseman leads the ACC in base hits (47) and has recorded multiple hits in seven of his last nine games and nine of his last 12 dating back to March 10. He is slashing .405 avg/.481 OBP/.552 slug. for the season thus far, with give home runs and 30 RBI to go along with 32 runs scored and five stolen bases.
Advincula has made himself a staple in the top three of the Georgia Tech batting order, routinely using every part of the field to collect hit after hit. In the field, he has been a huma highlight reel, showcasing great range and jumping ability to make difficult plays look easy. He currently holds a 1.000 fielding percentage through 28 games, making 30 putouts and 54 assists without committing an error.
Georgia Tech is one of eight programs across the nation with multiple players listed on the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list and one of three schools in the ACC to have done so, also Miami and Florida State.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
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