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Complete USA Baseball Release (2.18.21)
BETHLEHEM, PA. – It appears that there has been no price list without his name this preseason as right-handed Mason Black was added to the prestigious Golden Spikes Award Watch List by Lehigh Baseball Junior, announced Thursday afternoon by USA Baseball. The award will be given to the best amateur baseball player in the country for the 2021 season.
Despite not being awarded due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, many future great players have been named award winners, especially future most valuable players Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper and Buster Posey.
Black is Lehigh’s first Golden Spikes Award Watch List member in program history and the fourth Patriot Leaguer since 2008 to earn a spot on the list, and the first since Noah’s song to the Navy in 2019.
“Mason deserves a spot on the Golden Spikes Award watchlist,” said head coach Sean Leary. “The award also represents the respect our program and the Patriot League continue to deserve across the country.”
The Righty amassed pre-season honors this spring, most recently named Preseason Patriot League Pitcher of the Year by the league itself, D1Baseball and Perfect Game, and Baseball America’s Third Team Preseason All-American Major League Scouts.
In his third season with the Mountain Hawks, Black went down to 2-1 in four starts with 3.68 ERA last season but knocked out 29 batters and walked just eight in 22 innings. He knocked out nine batters in each of his last three season starts before the rest of the season was canceled due to the pandemic.
Last summer, Black went 3-0 with an ERA of 0.64 and was named South Florida Collegiate Baseball League Pitcher of the Year. So only 10 hits were scored in 28 innings with 42 strokes and the league’s all-star game started.
He has the chance to become the top-staffed player in the program and league for the 2021 MLB Draft this summer. This award is currently held by program legend and Lehigh Hall of Famer Matt McBride ’07, who was the 75th overall selection of the Cleveland Indians in the additional second round of the 2006 MLB Draft.
Black and his Lehigh teammates make their first appearance this season at Coppin State on February 27th.
Fan voting will play a role in the selection of the Golden Spikes Award winner in 2021. Fans will be able to vote for Mason starting June 8 at GoldenSpikesAward.com by naming the Golden Spikes Award semi-finalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 24th. Fan voting will open at the same time on GoldenSpikesAward.com and will remain open until July 2nd.
The winner of the 43rd Golden Spikes Award will be named in July.
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