Campbell on mid-season watch list for top college baseball honor

DURHAM, N.C. — Arkansas redshirt-junior right-hander Isaiah Campbell is one of 40 amateur players named by USA Baseball to the midseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List on Wednesday.

The 42nd Golden Spikes Award recognizes the top amateur baseball player in the country for the 2019 season and will be presented on June 14 in Los Angeles.

Campbell was not named to the Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List prior to the start of the 2019 season, but after making eight starts and compiling a 6-0 record with a team-best 2.29 ERA, the Olathe, Kansas, native has emerged as one of the top arms in the Southeastern Conference and the nation.

This is the third-straight year a Razorback pitcher has been named to the prestigious award’s watch list.

Blaine Knight, was named to the same midseason watch list in 2017 and 2018 and finished his Arkansas career with 24 wins and 244 strikeouts, which rank sixth and fifth, respectively, in the Arkansas all-time records.

Just four years ago, former Razorback Andrew Benintendi won the 38th Golden Spikes Award, joining Philip Stidham as the second Razorback to ever be named a finalist for the prestigious award.

Since then, Zach Jackson and Knight have made it five straight years that a Razorback has been named to at least the midseason watch list.

Campbell has, seemingly, followed in the footsteps of top Arkansas arms and become one of the Friday night aces of the SEC.

His six wins ties for the most in the league and his 5.90 strikeout-to-walk ratio is seventh in the conference. He’s the only pitcher in the SEC with three victories, a 1.80 or lower ERA and 25 or more strikeouts in conference games.

In his last six starts, Campbell has worked six or more innings and allowed three or less runs. In three of those six outings, he has struck out 10 or more with a career-high of 13 coming against Stony Brook on March 1.

Since 1978, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden Spikes Award.

Following the first-ever presentation of the Award to Bob Horner of Arizona State, the Golden Spikes Award has been presented each year to the player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship.

Campbell and the Razorbacks go back on the road for the weekend as it travels to sixth-ranked Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Commodores will be the Razorbacks’ fourth ranked opponent of the year and third on the road. The series begins on Friday at 7 p.m. and runs through Sunday.

The 2019 Golden Spikes Award timeline:

• May 15: USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award semifinalists announced, voting begins

• May 26: USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award semifinalists voting ends

• May 29: USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award finalists announced, voting begins

• June 10: USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award finalists voting ends

• June 14: USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award trophy presentation 

A complete list of the 40-player Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list is as follows:
Jake Agnos, Jr., ECU, American Athletic Conference
Logan Allen, So., FIU, Conference USA
Patrick Bailey, So., NC State, Atlantic Coast Conference
Brett Baty, Sr., Lake Travis High School
Hunter Bishop, Jr., Arizona State, Pac-12 Conference
J.J. Bleday, Jr., Vanderbilt, Southeastern Conference
Josh Burgmann, RS So., Washington, Pac-12 Conference
Tanner Burns, So., Auburn, Southeastern Conference
Isaiah Campbell, RS Jr., Arkansas, Southeastern Conference
Matt Canterino, Jr., Rice, Conference USA
Logan Davidson, Jr., Clemson, Atlantic Coast Conference
Reid Detmers, So., Louisville, Atlantic Coast Conference
Brandon Eisert, Jr., Oregon State, Pac-12 Conference
Nick Gonzales, So., New Mexico State, Western Athletic Conference
Emerson Hancock, So., Georgia, Southeastern Conference
Tommy Henry, Jr., Michigan, Big Ten Conference
Connor Hinchliffe, Sr., La Salle, Atlantic 10 Conference
Nick Kahle, Jr., Washington, Pac-12 Conference
George Kirby, Jr., Elon, Colonial Athletic Association
Asa Lacy, So., Texas A&M, Southeastern Conference
Brandon Lewis, Jr., UC Irvine, Big West Conference
Nick Lodolo, Jr., TCU, Big 12 Conference
Jake Mangum, Sr., Mississippi State, Southeastern Conference
Alek Manoah, Jr., West Virginia, Big 12 Conference
Alec Marsh, Jr., Arizona State, Pac-12 Conference
Austin Martin, So., Vanderbilt, Southeastern Conference
Kyle McCann, Jr., Georgia Tech, Atlantic Coast Conference
Max Meyer, So., Minnesota, Big 10 Conference
Adley Rutschman, Jr., Oregon State, Pac-12 Conference
Jake Sanford, Jr., Western Kentucky, Conference USA
Braden Shewmake, Jr., Texas A&M, Southeastern Conference
Ethan Small, RS Jr., Mississippi State, Southeastern Conference
Austin Sojka, Jr., Oklahoma Wesleyan (NAIA), Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
Noah Song, Sr., Navy, Patriot League
Bryson Stott, Jr., UNLV, Mountain West Conference
Zack Thompson, Jr., Kentucky, Southeastern Conference
Spencer Torkelson, So., Arizona State, Pac-12 Conference
Andrew Vaughn, Jr., California, Pac-12 Conference
Will Wilson, Jr., NC State, Atlantic Coast Conference
Bobby Witt Jr., Sr., Colleyville Heritage High School, District 8-5A