Arkansas Razorbacks' Smith Named Finalist for Golden Spikes Award

Hogs' ace among final three for national award

Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Hagen Smith throws a pitch during a game with Oregon State in Arlington, Texas, early last season. / Crant Osborne-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas' Hagen Smith has been named one of the three finalists for the Golden Spikes Award. Smith along with Oregon State's Travis Bazzana and Georgia's Charlie Condon were announced as finalists, USA Baseball announced Wednesday.

Smith finished the 2024 season 9-2 with a 2.04 ERA over 84 innings to go along with single-season program record of 161 strikeouts. K/9 of 17.2 is also an all-time NCAA record (min. 50 innings), breaking the previous record set by Houston's Ryan Wagner (16.8 in 2003).

The lefty ace is seeking to become the third Razorback to win the award after Andrew Benintendi (2015) and Kevin Kopps (2021).

However, Smith will face stiff competition from the other two top-of-the-line hitting prospects, both expected to go in the Top 5 of this year's MLB Draft. Georgia's Condon has a slash line of .445/.566/1.036 to go along with 36 home runs, the most in NCAA Division I baseball since 2011. With Georgia still playing in the Super Regional, he has a chance to break Ashton Larson's all-time record of 40 homers set in 1997.

The other finalist is Bazzana, who Smith struck out in all three of their plate appearances when the Razorbacks took on the Beavers inside Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, a game in which the Hogs won 5-4 behind Smith's record-setting 17 strikeouts on just 78 pitches. Bazzana's triple slash line after the regional stands at .415/.575/.937 and 28 homers. He has struck out just 34 times on the season, three of which Smith is responsible.

Fan voting is now open here until June 10. The winner will be announced 6 p.m. June 22 on ESPN ahead of game 1 of the College World Series.

(Razorbacks Communications contributed to this story)

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