Mason Black Golden Spikes
Photo by: Lisa Stamford

Black named to Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List

2/18/2021 12:05:00 PM | Baseball

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – It feels like there hasn't been an awards list without his name on it this preseason, as Lehigh baseball junior right-handed pitcher Mason Black was named to the prestigious Golden Spikes Award Watch List, announced on Thursday afternoon by USA Baseball. The award is presented to the top amateur baseball player in the country for the 2021 season.
 
Though not given out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many future major leaguers have been named winners of the award, most notably by future most valuable players Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper and Buster Posey.
 
Black is Lehigh's first member of the Golden Spikes Award Watch List in program history and the fourth Patriot Leaguer since 2008 to earn a place on the list and the first since Navy's Noah Song in 2019.

"Mason is incredibly deserving of earning a spot on the Golden Spikes Award watch list," said head coach Sean Leary. "The distinction also represents the respect that our program and the Patriot League continues to earn throughout the nation."
 
The righty has been piling up the preseason honors this spring, most recently being named Preseason Patriot League Pitcher of the Year by the league itself, D1Baseball and Perfect Game as well as a Third Team Preseason All-American by Baseball America, as voted on by major league scouts.
 
Entering his third season with the Mountain Hawks, Black went 1-2 with a 3.68 ERA in four starts last season but struck out 29 batters and walked just eight in 22 innings. He punched out nine batters in each of his final three starts of the season before the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the pandemic.
 
This past summer, Black went 3-0 with a 0.64 ERA and was named Pitcher of the Year in the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League, allowing just 10 hits in 28 innings with 42 strikeouts, also starting the league's All-Star Game.
 
He has a chance to become the program's and the league's highest drafted player ever this summer for the 2021 MLB Draft. That distinction is currently held by program legend and Lehigh Hall of Famer Matt McBride '07, who was the 75th overall selection by the Cleveland Indians in the supplemental second round of the 2006 MLB Draft.
 
Black and his Lehigh teammates take the field for the first time this season on February 27 at Coppin State.

Fan voting plays a part in choosing the Golden Spikes Award winner in 2021. Fans will be able to vote for Mason on GoldenSpikesAward.com, starting on June 8 with the naming of the Golden Spikes Award semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 24 and fan voting will open at GoldenSpikesAward.com concurrently, remaining open through July 2.

The winner of the 43rd Golden Spikes Award will be named in July. 

Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebookfollow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
 

Players Mentioned

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