CARY, N.C.--USA Baseball announced its 55-player preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list on Thursday, beginning the process of identifying the top amateur baseball player in the country for the 2021 season. The 43rd Golden Spikes Award, which is the equivalent to college football's Heisman Trophy, will be presented in July.
And included on that list is Adrian College senior left-handed pitcher Mo Hanley (Tampa, Fla./Chamberlain High School) who has caught the attention of numerous Major League Baseball teams over the past year. He is ranked on many MLB draft boards including No. 1 NCAA Division III prospect by Perfect Game and No. 37 on D1baseball.com. According to USA Baseball, Hanley is the first NCAA Division III representative on this prestigious watch list since 2016 (Sam Dexter, Southern Maine) and one of just three from D-III (Chris Haddeland, Linfield in 2014 and '15).
The 2021 preseason watch list features 55 of the nation's top amateur players from high school and college baseball. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will maintain a rolling list of players, allowing athletes to play themselves into consideration for the award throughout the season.
Hanley is one of five athletes featured on the preseason listings and who will look to become just the third player from a non-NCAA Division I school to win the 2021 Golden Spikes Award, following in the footsteps of Alex Fernandez (1990) and Bryce Harper (2010). Angelo State's Josh Elvir returns to the preseason watch list for the second year in a row representing NCAA Division II, while Hanley (Adrian) and Luis Vargas (Wayland Baptist) represent NCAA Division III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA), respectively.
"The announcement today about Mo being on the Golden Spikes watch list is pretty unreal and hard to even describe," Adrian baseball coach Craig Rainey '89 said. "Mo has done a tremendous job of working hard to get himself into this position and fortunate to have God given abilities. It is an incredible honor for him to be mentioned with the best of the best in college baseball in 2021...This hopefully shows every recruit out there that the fit and the opportunity are what it is all about. Mo is holding his own against the best of the best in college baseball. I am not sure in my 28 years how many D3 guys have made this list but my guess is that it is fairly rare that it happens. GDTBAB"
Hanley, who has a fastball clocked in the mid-90s that complements a power slider as his two-best pitches, went 1-0 in three appearances during the 2020 COVID-19 shortened season. He struck out 30 batters and walked just six while allowing 11 hits in 17 innings pitched. He led the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association with 15.88 strikeouts-per-9 innings, which was ranked 20th in NCAA Division III.
He entered his junior year on the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Players to Watch List in 2020, a de facto preseason All-America team chosen by Division III head coaches across the country, because of an electric sophomore campaign. In 2019, he earned third-team all-region and All-MIAA First Team honors while compiling career bests (with MIAA rankings in parentheses) of 2.49 earned-run average (2nd), 71 strikeouts (1st), 10.42 strikeouts per 9 innings (1st), .172 opponents' batting average (9th) and 61.1 innings (5th). He finished 5-1 on the season and ranked 17th in Division III by giving up only 5.75 hits per 9 innings.
For his Adrian Bulldogs career, Hanley owns an 8-3 record with one save and a 3.11 ERA in 28 appearances, including 12 starts. He has 132 strikeouts in 98.1 innings for a ratio of 12.08 strikeouts per 9. Originally an outfielder in high school, Hanley quickly became an important reliever on the AC staff as a freshman. He learned how to pitch at the college level in 2018 when he went 2-2 with a save and had 31 strikeouts in 20 innings.
Adrian currently has three former players signed by Major League Baseball clubs, including RHP Dugan Darnell '19 (Colorado Rockies), RHP Tommy Parsons '18 (St. Louis Cardinals) and IF Ryan Dorow '17 (Texas Rangers). All three will report to their respective training camps this spring.
Fan voting will once again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award in 2021. Amateur baseball fans will be able to vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com, starting on June 8 with the naming of the Golden Spikes Award semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 24 and fan voting will open at GoldenSpikesAward.com concurrently, remaining open through July 2.
The winner of the 43rd Golden Spikes Award will be named in July. To stay up-to-date on the 2021 Golden Spikes Award visit GoldenSpikesAward.com and follow @USAGoldenSpikes on Twitter and Instagram.
#GoDawgs #BringyourAgame
(Editor's note: USA Baseball Communications wrote portions of this news release.)
- 2021 Golden Spikes Award watch list with Name; Position; School; Conference
- Andrew Abbott; LHP; Virginia; Atlantic Coast Conference
- Kevin Abel; RHP; Oregon State; Pac-12 Conference
- Hunter Barco; LHP; Florida; Southeastern Conference
- Alex Binelas; 3B; Louisville; Atlantic Coast Conference
- Mason Black; RHP; Lehigh; Patriot League
- Tyler Black; 2B; Wright State; Horizon League
- Brooks Carlson; 2B; Samford; SoCon Conference
- Parker Chavers; OF; Coastal Carolina; Sun Belt Conference
- Maxwell Costes; 1B; Maryland; Big 10 Conference
- Colton Cowser; OF; Sam Houston; Southland Conference
- Ryan Cusick; RHP; Wake Forest; Atlantic Coast Conference
- Henry Davis; C; Louisville; Atlantic Coast Conference
- Adrian Del Castillo; C; Miami; Atlantic Coast Conference
- Trenton Denholm; RHP; UC Irvine; Big West Conference
- Josh Elvir; OF; Angelo State; Lone Star Conference
- Jud Fabian; OF; Florida; Southeastern Conference
- Max Ferguson; 2B; Tennessee; Southeastern Conference
- Richard Fitts; RHP; Auburn; Southeastern Conference
- Christian Franklin; OF; Arkansas; Southeastern Conference
- Sal Frelick; OF; Boston College; Atlantic Coast Conference
- Zack Gelof; 3B; Virginia; Atlantic Coast Conference
- Hunter Goodman; C/UTL; Memphis; American Athletic Conference
- Peyton Graham; INF; Oklahoma; Big 12 Conference
- Steve Hajjar; LHP; Michigan; Big 10 Conference
- Mo Hanley; LHP; Adrian; Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
- Jaden Hill; RHP; LSU; Southeastern Conference
- Gunnar Hoglund; RHP; Ole Miss; Southeastern Conference
- Grant Holman; RHP/1B; California; Pac-12 Conference
- Jordan Lawlar; INF; Dallas Jesuit High School
- Jack Leiter; RHP; Vanderbilt; Southeastern Conference
- Seth Lonsway; LHP; Ohio State; Big 10 Conference
- Tommy Mace; RHP; Florida; Southeastern Conference
- Christian MacLeod; RHP; Mississippi State; Southeastern Conference
- Ty Madden; RHP; Texas; Big 12 Conference
- Robby Martin; OF; Florida State; Atlantic Coast Conference
- Michael McGreevy; RHP; UC Santa Barbara; Big West
- Matt McLain; SS; UCLA; Pac-12 Conference
- Troy Melton; RHP; San Diego State; Mountain West Conference
- Robert Moore; 2B; Arkansas; Southeastern Conference
- Cody Morissette; 3B; Boston College; Atlantic Coast Conference
- Dylan Neuse; OF; Texas Tech; Big 12 Conference
- Doug Nikhazy; LHP; Ole Miss; Southeastern Conference
- Braden Olthoff; RHP; Tulane; American Athletic Conference
- Andrew Painter; RHP; Calvary Christian High School
- Connor Pavolony; C; Tennessee; Southeastern Conference
- Zach Pettway; RHP; UCLA; Pac-12 Conference
- Connor Prielipp; LHP; Alabama; Southeastern Conference
- Kumar Rocker; RHP; Vanderbilt; Southeastern Conference
- Bobby Seymour; 1B; Wake Forest; Atlantic Coast Conference
- Alex Toral; 1B; Miami; Atlantic Coast Conference
- Jose Torres; INF; NC State; Atlantic Coast Conference
- Luis Vargas; OF; Wayland Baptist; Sooner Athletic Conference
- Luke Waddell; SS; Georgia Tech; Atlantic Coast Conference
- Jordan Wicks; LHP; Kansas State; Big 12 Conference
- Ethan Wilson; OF; South Alabama; Sun Belt Conference