Longhorns Country

Longhorns Baseball Duo Named to Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List

Two Longhorns were named players to watch for the most prestigious award in college baseball.

Connor Zimmerlee

Chase Seabolt/For the Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

There have been several legendary players throughout the decades to sport the iconic burnt orange and white on the diamond for the Texas Longhorns. From Roger Clemens and Huston Street to recent legends such as Ivan Melendez, you could spend hours talking about the players that have called Austin home.

Only one of those players, however, has brought home college baseball's most coveted award -- the Golden Spikes. That honor belongs to the Hispanic Titanic. Mr. Melendez himself received the honor following his historic 2022 season, a season that saw him obliterate a then-record 32 home runs while sporting an outlandish .386 average.

Jalin Flore
Texas infielder Jalin Flores (1) throws the ball in game two of the Big 12 baseball series, Saturday, March 9, 2024, at Rip Griffin Park. / Chase Seabolt/For the Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

As the 2025 season fast approaches a pair of current Longhorns appear primed to make some noise and join Melendez as a winner of the award. On Friday afternoon USA Baseball released its Golden Spikes Award preseason watch list which featured Texas outfield Max Belyeu and shortstop Jalin Flores.

Both Belyeu and Flores have received their fair share of preseason recognition so far. Belyeu is fresh off an outstanding 2024 season in which he was named the Big 12 Player of the Year.

Outstanding defensively, the outfielder also sported an impressive .329/.423/.667 slash line while tying Flores for the lead in home runs with 18. Flores is stellar in the field and at the plate himself, posting a .340/.408/.656 slash line, tying Belyeu for the lead with 18 home runs while pacing his peers with a team-high 56 RBI.

With high expectations in place for the Longhorns in 2025 as they embark on their first season in the SEC, the play of Belyeu and Flores will play a key role in just how far this team goes. If they match their production from last year, or take yet another step forward, then this Texas squad has the potential to make some serious noise in the postseason.

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Connor Zimmerlee
CONNOR ZIMMERLEE

Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media. 

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