Baylor baseball sophomore catcher was named to the 55-player preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list, USA Baseball announced Friday. The award honors the top amateur baseball player in the country for the 2018 season.
Langeliers is the first Bears player represented on the preseason watch list since Logan Verrett in 2011. He is also the fourth player to receive the honor since 1998. Kendal Volz and Beamer Weems garnered the honor in 2009 and 2008, respectively.
With preseason All-America honors from D1Baseball.com (first team), Baseball America (second team), Perfect Game/Rawlings (second team) and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) (third team), Langeliers collected a fifth honor in the last month. The quartet of preseason All-America accolades mark the first BU player to earn three or more in a single preseason since at least 1998. The program also has back-to-back years with preseason All-Americans (Troy Montemayor in 2017 and 2018) for the first time since 2004 and 2005.
One of six from the Big 12 on the list, Langeliers was the first freshman in Baylor baseball history last season to earn Freshman All-America honors from three or more different publications as he was honored by Baseball America, the NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game/Rawlings.
The Keller, Texas native was named to the 2017 All-Big 12 second team and Big 12 All-Freshman team as well. During the 2017 season, he hit .313 with 43 runs, 66 hits, 14 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 38 RBI, 114 total bases and 24 walks. He also threw out 26 base stealers at a 44 percent rate with a .991 fielding percentage in 55 starts. He set the BU freshman catcher home run record and was one shy of tying the program’s all-time freshman home run record (Max Muncy, 11, 2010).
The preseason watch list features 55 of the nation’s top amateur players, from high school and college baseball. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will maintain a rolling list of players, allowing athletes to play themselves into consideration for the award throughout the season. The 41st Golden Spikes Award will be presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation on June 28 in Los Angeles.
Since 1978, 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, the Golden Spikes Award has been presented each year to the player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship. The 2017 Golden Spikes Award winner was Brendan McKay from the University of Louisville. Past winners of this prestigious award include current Major League Baseball players such as Andrew Benintendi (’15), Kris Bryant (’13), Mike Zunino (’12), Trevor Bauer (’11), Bryce Harper (’10), Stephen Strasburg ('09), Buster Posey ('08), David Price (’07) and Alex Gordon (’05). Former Major League stars that have captured the award include Tim Lincecum (’06), Pat Burrell (’98), Mark Kotsay (’95), Robin Ventura (’88), Jim Abbott (’87), Will Clark (’85), Dave Magadan (’83), Terry Francona (’80), Tim Wallach (’79), and Horner (’78). For more information, please visit GoldenSpikesAward.com. Fans can follow the Golden Spikes Award on Twitter @USAGoldenSpikes.
The Bears begin the 2018 season Feb. 16-18 with a home series vs. Purdue.
