CCU pitcher Beckwith on Golden Spikes Watch List

Coastal Carolina starting pitcher Andrew Beckwith was named as one of 55 players on the Golden Spikes Award Watch List.

The award is annually given to the top amateur baseball player in the country. The award will be presented June 29 in Los Angeles.

The senior hurler is the seventh Chanticleer to appear on the Golden Spikes Watch List. Mike Costanzo (2005), David Sappelt (2008), Scott Woodward (2009 and 2010), Cody Wheeler (2010) and Anthony Meo (2011) were the others.

Beckwith, a preseason All-American, went 15-1 with a 1.86 ERA last season. His 15 wins were the most in the NCAA last season and set a CCU single-season record.

Beckwith helped lead the Chants to a College World Series title in 2016, winning three starts in Omaha, Neb.

The preseason watch list features the nation’s top amateur players, from high school and college baseball, according to a press release. 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, the release said.

According to the press release, starting on March 27 and ending April 2, fans will be able to nominate their favorite players for the Golden Spikes Award prior to the reveal of Midseason Watch List on April 12. The semifinalists list will be sent to a voting body consisting of past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of the media that follow the amateur game closely, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball staff and the 39 previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters.

The release said fan voting will continue to be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2017, starting on May 31 with the naming of the Golden Spikes Award semifinalists. Amateur baseball fans across the country will be able to vote for their favorite semifinalists at GoldenSpikesAward.com. On June 14, USA Baseball will announce the finalists and voting will begin that day and last until June 23.

This story was originally published February 15, 2017 at 5:01 PM with the headline "CCU pitcher Beckwith on Golden Spikes Watch List."