IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa junior pitcher Brody Brecht was named named to the preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List, it was announced Friday by USA Baseball.
Since 1978, the award has been given to the top amateur baseball player in the country. The preseason list includes 55 players across high school and college baseball.
Former Hawkeye Jake Adams was a semifinalist for the award in 2017. Tim Costo was a finalist in 1990.
Brecht was named a preseason first-team All-American by Perfect Game, D1Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Brecht posted a 3.74 ERA in 17 appearances as a sophomore. The Ankeny, Iowa, native allowed just 38 hits and 28 runs over 77 innings. He allowed just nine extra base hits and a .174 batting average against. Brecht led the nation with 4.32 hits allowed per nine innings and tallied 109 strikeouts, the second most in program history.
Brecht was named a third-team All-American by the NCBWA and Perfect Game last season and a freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game in 2022.
Iowa will begin its season at the Swig & Swine College Classic in Charleston, South Carolina, from Feb. 15-17. The team will face Seton Hall in its season opener.