Gordon - a native of
Lincoln, Nebraska - becomes the first ever winner of the Golden
Spikes Award from the University of Nebraska, as he was just the third ever
finalist from the school. The USA Baseball Golden Field Award – given to the
Athletic Department and Head Coach of the Golden Spikes Award winner – has now
gone to 22 different schools.
Gordon – the two-time Big 12 Player
of the Year (2004-05) and two-time first-team All-American, was a finalist for
all three major College Player-of-the-Year Awards (Golden Spikes, Howser and
Wallace) who started all 72 contests for the Huskers, hitting .372 with 19
homers and 66 RBIs. The third baseman was selected by the Kansas City Royals
with the No. 2 overall pick, becoming NU’s first first-round draft pick since
Darin Erstad in 1995. Gordon led his squad to the 2005 College World Series and
ranked in the top 10 of the Big 12 in all 12 offensive categories: runs (1st),
walks (1st), on-base percentage (.518, 1st), slugging percentage (.715, 1st),
doubles (22, 1st), total bases (181, 1st), batting average (2nd), hits (2nd),
homers (2nd), RBIs (4th), stolen bases (7th) and triples
(8th).
The 2005 Golden Spikes Award winner
was announced during the telecast of the 28th Annual Golden Spikes Award show
today on ESPNU. The telecast, presented in conjunction with the Major League
Baseball Players Association, also highlighted USA Baseball's athlete programs
as well as some of the various organizational youth baseball initiatives
supported by USA Baseball and the MLBPA. ESPNU will offer fans additional
opportunities to see the show with telecasts on June 24 at 8 p.m., June 25 at
12:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. and June 28 at 10:45 a.m.
“USA Baseball is extremely proud to
honor Alex Gordon of the University of Nebraska with the 2005 Golden Spikes
Award,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO. “Alex’s
tremendous collegiate career in which he dominated the Big 12 Conference
certainly proves he was worthy of this award. We’re also excited that Alex
played such an instrumental role in helping Team USA capture the gold medal at
the 2004 FISU World University Championship last summer, and we’re very happy
for the Cornhusker baseball program and their head coach, Mike Anderson.”
For the past 27 years, USA Baseball
has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden
Spikes Award. Following the first ever presentation of the Award to Bob Horner
of Arizona State in 1978, the Golden Spikes Award has been presented each year
to the player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary
sportsmanship. The 2004 Golden Spikes Award winner was Jered Weaver of
Long Beach
State University. Past winners of this
prestigious award include current Major League Baseball stars such as Rickie Weeks (’03), Khalil Greene (’02), Mark Prior (’01), Jason Jennings (’00), Pat Burrell (‘98), J.D. Drew (’97), Travis Lee (’96), Mark Kotsay (’95), Jason Varitek (’94), Darren Dreifort (’93), and Phil Nevin (’92). Former Major League
stars that have captured the award include Alex Fernandez (’90), Ben McDonald
(’89), Robin Ventura (’88), Jim Abbott (’87), Will Clark (’85), Dave Magadan
(’83), Terry Francona (’80), Tim Wallach (’79), and Bob Horner (’78).
The Major League Baseball Players
Association (www.MLBPLAYERS.com) is the collective
bargaining representative for all professional baseball players of the thirty
Major League Baseball teams and serves as the exclusive group licensing agent
for commercial and licensing activities involving active Major League baseball
players. On behalf of its members, it operates the Players Choice
licensing program and Players Choice Awards, which benefit the needy through the
Major League Baseball Players Trust, a charitable foundation established and run
entirely by Major League baseball players.
USA Baseball is the National
Governing Body of amateur baseball in the United
States and a member of the United States
Olympic Committee. The organization selects and trains the USA Baseball Olympic
Team, the USA Baseball National Team (Collegiate), the USA Baseball Junior
National team (18-under), the USA Baseball Youth National Team (16-under), and
the USA Baseball Womens National Team which participate in various international
competitions. The USA Baseball headquarters are based in Durham, North Carolina
with future training facilities in Cary, North
Carolina.