Three Tennessee baseball players landed on the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List earlier this week. Starting pitcher Drew Beam, second baseman Christian Moore and third baseman Billy Amick made the 55-player list.
The Golden Spikes Award is given annually to the nation’s best amateur baseball player. There were 50 college players on the list and five high school players.
Tennessee’s three players on the list is the most of any SEC team and also marks the sixth consecutive season that at least one Vol player landed on the watch list for the top amateur baseball player.
Beam has been Tennessee’s Sunday starter each of his first two seasons in Knoxville and is looking to step up into the Friday night starting spot in his junior season. The right-handed pitcher posted a 9-4 record, 3.63 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 88 strikeouts and just 23 walks during his sophomore season.
The right-handed pitcher was stellar in Tennessee’s postseason run to the College World Series turning in dominant starts in the Vols’ regional (Charlotte) and super regional (Southern Miss) clinching victories.
More From RTI: Where SEC Coaches Predict Tennessee To Finish In SEC East
Amick was the top player in the Vols’ transfer class. The corner infielder transferred from Clemson to Tennessee this offseason. Amick chose Tennessee over a top group including Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. The sophomore played first base, third base and designated hitter last season at Clemson where he hit .413 with 13 home runs, 32 extra-base hits and 63 RBIs. He also boasted an elite 16.7% strikeout percentage last season.
Moore had somewhat of an up-and-down season but played his best baseball during the postseason. The second baseman went seven-for-10 at the plate with four home runs, eight RBIs, three walks and a hit-by pitch on his way to earning Clemson Regional MVP honors.
