Taylor makes CMU baseball history, named to Golden Spikes Award Watch List
For the first time ever, the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List includes a Central Michigan Chippewa.
Andrew Taylor, a 6-foot-5 right handed pitcher, became the first player in program history to be named to the watch list, the program announced Thursday. The Caledonia native is one of 45 players on the watch list for the award, which is given to the best amateur baseball player in the country.
"We don't emphasize individual awards a whole lot because we're so engaged on what we accomplish as a group, but obviously you're going to accomplish more as a group if you have a bunch of great individual performances, and he's done a really good job," coach Jordan Bischel said in a press release.
Taylor is 4-3 with a 1.85 ERA in seven starts and ranks first in the Mid-American Conference in strikeouts with 64 and has walked just 10. His 1.85 ERA ranks fourth in the MAC.
"He's pitching in an effort to get the ball in play and he's still picking up the strikeouts," Bischel said. "That's what's impressive about it. We've been awfully good at picking the ball up and that gives a lot of confidence to a pitcher. We've played really good defense, and obviously your ability to field really impacts a pitcher's success."
In his first season at CMU, which was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, Taylor went 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA in five appearances.
Taylor is one of three MAC pitchers on the watch list, joining Kent State's Luke Albright and Miami (Ohio)'s Sam Bachman. Albright and the Golden Flashes will square off with the Chippewas in a four game series starting a 3 p.m. April 16 at Theunissen Stadium.
The award is administered by USA Baseball. Semifinalists for the award will be announced on June 8 and the winner will be announced in July.
