Oregon State's Canham Named Semifinalist for Golden Spikes Award

The winner’s name will be announced on June 29th.

Oregon State catcher Mitch Canham Photo: OSU Athletics

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State catcher Mitch Canham is one of 50 players from across the country named as a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate player.

Canham (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens HS), a junior, was on the list announced Tuesday.

Canham is also among 50 players on the watch list for the Dick Howser Trophy, which is given to the nation’s top player as selected by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Canham is batting .369 with eight home runs and 50 runs batted in. Among the Pac-10 leaders through Sunday’s games, Canham is tied for second in RBIs; is fifth in batting average, slugging percentage (.631) and on-base percentage (.492); and is tied for eighth in home runs.

This year will mark the 30th consecutive year that the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award has been presented to the nation’s premier amateur baseball player.

The winner’s name will be announced on June 29th, during the 2007 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Show presented by Major League Baseball.

“USA Baseball is extremely proud to recognize these 50 athletes and their respective baseball programs as semi-finalists for the 2007 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO.

“To see 40 different schools represented on this year’s semifinalist list speaks to the level of college baseball talent across the country.”

In 2007 USA Baseball instituted a new selection and balloting procedure for the most prestigious award in amateur baseball.

After accepting nominations from sports information directors across the country, a committee voted to determine the 50 semifinalists.

The names of the 50 semifinalists will now be forwarded to a voting body of 125 who will select the five finalists and the eventual 2007 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Winner.

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