Two Texas A&M Standouts Named To Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List
If there's an award, expect Texas A&M baseball standouts Jace LaViolette and Braden Montgomery to be nominated for it.
The Aggie duo was named to the 2024 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List, as announced by USA Baseball Friday.
This marks the first time a pair of Aggie teammates have earned a spot on the Preseason Watch List since Tyler Naquin, Ross Stripling and Michael Wacha in 2012. LaViolette and Montgomery were the first A&M players to be named to the preseason list was Asa Lacy in 2020.
The Maroon & White are one of 11 schools with multiple players represented on the list. Overall, the SEC led all conferences with 15 players on the list, five more than the next closest league in the ACC.
Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette
USA Today-Sports
LaViolette, a unanimous Preseason All-American, is making his first appearance on the Watch List after slashing .287/.414/.632 in his freshman campaign. The Katy, Texas, native led the Aggies in home runs (21), RBI (63) and stolen bases (18) in 2023 en route to earning Freshman All-America honors from four different publications. LaViolette’s 21 homers also set a Texas A&M freshman single-season record.
In SEC play, the 2023 USA Collegiate National Team member led all players with a .835 slugging percentage. Overall, LaViolette ranked inside the Top 10 in the SEC in homers, RBI and walks (48).
Montgomery, a unanimous Preseason All-American, was named to the Preseason Watch List for the second consecutive season. The Stanford transfer hit .364 with 17 homers and 61 RBI a season ago, leading the Cardinal to its second straight College World Series appearance. A native of Madison, Miss., Montgomery made 10 appearances and struck out 19 batters in only 14 innings.
Among the Pac-12, the junior ranked inside the top 10 in runs scored (70), hits (82), RBI, home runs, total bases (149) and walks (51). Montgomery, who garnered ABCA All-America honors in 2023 and was a member of the USA Collegiate National Team, also registered 27 multi-hit games, 16 multi-RBI contests and closed the season with a 28-game on-base streak.
The preseason list includes 55 players across high school and college baseball. The Golden Spikes Advisory Board will maintain the award’s watch list on a rolling basis, allowing athletes to play themselves into consideration for the award based on in-season performance.
The Aggies open the 2024 season at Olsen Field on Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. when they host McNeese for a three-game set.