Michael Freeman On Midseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List

Oklahoma State pitcher Michael Freeman is one of 60 players on the midseason USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list, it was announced today.

The Golden Spikes Award is presented annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country.

The watch list will continue to be a “rolling” list until late May when the semifinalists for the award are announced, meaning athletes can still play themselves into consideration for the award.

Freeman, one of 37 new players added to the watch list that was initially released on Feb. 10, is having a breakout senior season for the Cowboys.

The 6-foot-8 southpaw has solidified the Sunday starter spot in OSU's rotation and in eight starts is 6-0 with a 1.46 ERA. He's tied for the Big 12 Conference lead and is eighth nationally in wins, and he ranks in the top 10 in ERA, strikeouts (50), opponent batting average (.174), complete games (2) and innings pitched (55.2). He has allowed just four earned runs in 46.0 innings over his last six starts.

Freeman has already captured Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors three times this season — March 2, 23 and 30 — to become one of just 15 pitchers in Big 12 history to garner the accolade three or more times in the same season and the only OSU hurler to do so. He is also only the 10th pitcher in conference history to win the award in consecutive weeks, joining Matt Smith (1998) as the only other Cowboy to do that.

In Big 12 play, Freeman is 3-0 with two complete games and a 1.04 in three starts, and he has recorded 22 strikeouts in 26 innings.

Of Freeman's non-strikeout outs this season, 89 have come via ground ball and only 21 via fly out. Factor in his 50 strikeouts, and 87 percent of Freeman's outs have come via ground ball or strikeout.

On May 22, USA Baseball will announce the 2015 Golden Spikes Award semifinalists. The list will be sent to a voting body of more than 200 people consisting of past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of the media that follow the amateur game closely, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball Staff and the 37 previous winners of the award.

Fan voting will also be a part of the 2015 Golden Spikes Award as fans can vote online for their favorite semifinalists.

USA Baseball will announce its 2015 finalists on June 2, and the award will be presented June 23 in Los Angeles.

The Golden Spikes Award debuted in 1978, and Oklahoma State has had one previous winner, Robin Ventura in 1988