Kyle Teel featured on Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia catcher Kyle Teel has been included on USA Baseball’s 55-player Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List. The award is annually bestowed on the nation’s top amateur baseball player.

Teel has garnered Second Team Preseason All-America honors from D1Baseball.com as well as a nod on Perfect Game’s preseason All-ACC Team in the past month. Teel becomes the 18th Cavalier since the 2008 season to be listed on the award’s preseason watch list. UVA has boasted nine semifinalists for the award, the fourth-most of any college baseball program.

Last season, Teel’s .335 batting average led the team and was the 10th-highest in the ACC. It marked the first time a true freshman led the Cavaliers in hitting since 2008. He went on to earn freshman All-America honors from D1Baseball.com (first team), Baseball America (first team), Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Perfect Game (second team).

Teel belted nine home runs, tied for the most on the team and drove in 41 runs, tied for the second most on the club. Of his 53 starts as a true freshman, 15 came at catcher while the other 38 were split between designated hitter and right field.

Fan voting will once again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award in 2022. Amateur baseball fans will be able to vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com, starting on May 24 with the naming of the Golden Spikes Award semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 8 and fan voting will open at GoldenSpikesAward.com concurrently, remaining open through June 12.