The Golden Spikes Award is an award given out annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States.
It was created in 1978 and is considered the most prestigious award in amateur baseball.
Only five other Auburn baseball players have ever been a semifinalist for this award. Ike Irish is now the sixth Tiger to appear as a finalist for this honor.
Irish finished the regular season hitting .354 with 16 home runs and 52 RBIs, playing 49 games. He is finished second in the SEC in average, on-base percentage, home runs, and total bases.
He was a monster at the plate on the road in the SEC, where he hit .433 with a .514 OBP and hit 12 home runs. He plays catcher and in the outfield for the Tigers, recording two outfield assists and throwing out six base stealers.
The Hudsonville, Michigan native was the fourth fastest player in Auburn program history to reach the 200-hit milestone. He did it with style, too, hitting a three-run home run against South Carolina on May 8th.
Irish is one of the 25 players named to the list of semifinalists. There is significant SEC representation, with eight different student-athletes from the conference making the 25.
Irish was recently named as a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, which is given to the national college baseball player of the year, as well. If he were to win, he would be the first Auburn baseball player to ever be bestowed this honor.
The Golden Spikes Award winner will be announced at 5:30 p.m. CT on ESPN on June 21st. The Tigers will play the winner of the first-round matchup between Mississippi State and Texas A&M on Wednesday in the SEC Tournament.
