MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State sophomore left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks has been selected to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List, which honors the top amateur player in the country each year, the organization announced Thursday.
The 2021 preseason watch list features 55 of the nation’s top amateur players from high school and college baseball. The 43rd Golden Spikes Award will be presented in July. Semifinalists for the 43rd Golden Spikes Award will be named on June 8 with finalists being announced on June 24.
Wicks becomes just the fourth Wildcat to be named to the preseason watch list for the prestigious honor, and the first since Ross Kivett in 2014. K-State all-American A.J. Morris was named a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award in 2009.
The southpaw was one of four athletes from the Big 12 selected to the 55-member watch list.
Wicks, a native of Conway, Arkansas, adds to his preseason accolades ahead of the 2021 season, as he has been named a preseason all-American by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). Additionally, he became K-State’s first Big 12 Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
In the shortened 2020 season, Wicks made four weekend starts for the Wildcats, posting a 3-0 record with one earned run allowed over 26 innings (0.35 ERA), including a scoreless streak of 24 2/3 innings to begin the year.
Wicks tallied 26 strikeouts while issuing only four walks. His 0.35 earned run average ranked 10th in the nation and was tops in the Big 12 among starters. His WHIP of 0.65 was the 18th-best mark in the country and second in the conference.
In his career, Wicks has a 9-3 record in 19 starts while boasting a 2.85 earned run average with 112 strikeouts against 30 walks. He was named 2019 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and a freshman all-American after going 6-3 with a 3.61 ERA while setting K-State freshman records with 86 strikeouts and 84 2/3 innings pitched.
Wicks is scheduled to start Opening Day for the Cats against Oregon State on Friday at the Sanderson Ford College Classic in Surprise, Arizona.
Over the four-day tournament, K-State will also meet Gonzaga and New Mexico at the season-opening event. Fans can watch on FloBaseball.TV (paid) and listen on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) with free audio streaming at K-StateSprots.com/watch.
Jordan Wicks’ 2021 preseason honors:
- USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List
- Big 12 Preseason Pitcher of the Year (Co)
- Preseason All-America First Team (NCBWA)
- Preseason All-America Second Team (Baseball America)
- Preseason All-America Second Team (D1Baseball)
- Preseason All-America Third Team (Collegiate Baseball)
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