McKay Wins Golden Spikes Award
June 29, 2017 | Baseball
Two-way standout sweeps every major national player of the year honor in 2017
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Brendan McKay added another prestigious honor to his impressive resume Thursday as the lefthanded pitcher and first baseman from the University of Louisville received the 2017 Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the top amateur baseball player in the United States and presented in partnership between USA Baseball and the Rod Dedeaux Foundation.
The 40th annual award was presented live on ESPN's flagship program, SportsCenter, by George Grande, who anchored the first-ever SportsCenter telecast on September 7, 1979. McKay was joined as a finalist for the honor by J.B. Bukauskas (North Carolina), Adam Haseley (Virginia) and Brent Rooker (Mississippi State).
"Brendan McKay has proven to be the epitome of a two-way player with his success on the mound and at the plate this year, and we are elated to honor his tremendous season by naming him the recipient of the fortieth Golden Spikes Award," said Paul Seiler, Executive Director/CEO of USA Baseball. "All four of these young athletes had noteworthy seasons and we are honored to celebrate their accomplishments with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation at its annual awards dinner. We look forward to following these young men as they begin the next chapter of their baseball careers."
The Golden Spikes Award completes a monumental collegiate career for McKay, who ranks among the most distinguished and celebrated players in college baseball history. The two-way standout earned all seven major national player of the year honors in 2017, highlighted by winning the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy. McKay was also named as the nation's top player by the American Baseball Coaches Association, Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball newspaper, D1Baseball and Perfect Game.
The Darlington, Pennsylvania native also earned his third straight John Olerud Two-Way National Player of the Year Award this season and became the highest MLB Draft selection in school history going fourth overall to the Tampa Bay Rays in the first round on June 12. McKay, who signed professionally with the Rays on Tuesday night, earned First Team All-America honors in each of his three seasons in Louisville while also pacing head coach Dan McDonnell's squad to a College World Series appearance in 2017, the program's fourth trip to Omaha.
McKay debuted on the college baseball scene in 2015 earning National Freshman of the Year honors from Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball and Perfect Game. He was an All-ACC First Team honoree in each of his three seasons and was a key component in the Cardinals winning three straight ACC Atlantic Division championships. McKay set an ACC record by earning seven career ACC weekly honors and was a two-time member of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
McKay closed his collegiate career with an 11-3 record, 2.56 ERA and school record 146 strikeouts on the mound during his final season with the Cardinals. During his three-year career, McKay accumulated a 32-10 record (second most wins in school history) with a 2.23 ERA and 391 strikeouts, the most ever for a Louisville pitcher. At the plate, the 2017 ACC Player of the Year had a .341 batting average, 18 home runs, 15 doubles, 57 RBIs and a .457 on-base percentage in 63 starts as a hitter this season. In 182 career starts and 189 total appearances as a hitter, McKay had a .328 career batting average with 28 home runs, 48 doubles and 132 RBIs.
The Cardinals closed their record-setting 2017 season with a 53-12 mark overall after making the program's fourth College World Series appearance. Louisville set school record for victories in a season surpassing the previous record of 51 achieved in 2013 while also winning its opening game in Omaha for the first time in its four CWS berths. The 2017 season also included the program's third straight ACC Atlantic Division championship while McKay was the program's first National Player of the Year.
Following the nationally televised announcement of the winner on June 29, all four finalists and their families will be celebrated at the Jonathan Club Los Angeles as part of the 2017 Rod Dedeaux Foundation Awards Dinner. Hosted by the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the dinner will honor the Golden Spikes Award finalists, the Rod Dedeaux Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Augie Garrido, and the 2016 Rod Dedeaux USA Baseball Coach of the Year award winner, George Horton (Oregon).
The winner was selected after the list of finalists was sent to the Golden Spikes Award voting committee, a collection of more than 200 voters that include past Golden Spikes Award winners, past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of the media highly attuned within the amateur baseball landscape, select professional baseball personnel, and select USA Baseball staff members.
For the tenth consecutive year, fans were also able to get involved with the award voting by visiting GoldenSpikesAward.com, powered by MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM). The website features content devoted exclusively to the Golden Spikes Award, including news, voting history, past-winner photo galleries and photographs of the 2017 finalists.
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
