Knapp Earns Golden Spikes Semifinalist Nod

CARY, N.C. - North Carolina baseball's star pitcher Jake Knapp was named among the 25 players selected as a semifinalist for the 2025 Golden Spikes Award, USA Baseball announced on Sunday afternoon.

He is the first Tar Heel hurler to make the list since J.B. Bukauskas in 2017 and the 10^th different player in program history to receive the honor. It is also the first time the program has had a semifinalist in back-to-back seasons since 08-09 as Vance Honeycutt was honored last season.

Knapp has been the class of the ACC, racking up 80.0 innings thrown with 74 strikeouts and just 13 walks while holding a conference best 2.14 ERA. This year he is 11-0, the best record of any starting pitcher in the nation, leading the Tar Heels to victory in all 13 of his appearances.

North Carolina's two-year captain has been a tremendous story on and off the field. The Greensboro native was slated to be the Friday starter going into the 2024 season before sustaining a season-ending elbow injury in the preseason.

In his return from Tommy John, he is leading the team in innings pitched while also being one of only six pitchers in the four power to have two complete games under his belt. He had never thrown a complete game in college coming into the 2025 season.

"With another terrific amateur baseball season nearing the finish line, we are thrilled to honor the twenty-five best players in the country as Golden Spikes Award semifinalists," said USA Baseball CEO/Executive Director Paul Seiler. "These athletes have put together tremendous seasons and are extremely deserving of this honor. We are excited to watch the remainder of season and to name the forty-seventh winner of the Golden Spikes Award next month."

The 47th Golden Spikes Award will be presented on June 21 on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT prior to first pitch of Game 1 of the Men's College World Series finals. Since 1978, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden Spikes Award. The award, which is presented on ESPN annually, goes to the amateur baseball player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship.

Fan voting will again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award in 2025. Baseball fans can vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com, beginning today with the naming of the semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 4, and fan voting will once again open at GoldenSpikesAward.com before closing on June 20.

Players Mentioned

Vance Honeycutt

Jake Knapp

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