Maryland baseball right-hander Brian Shaffer, who has emerged as the pitching staff’s ace after Mike Shawaryn graduated last spring, was named to the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list, USA Baseball announced Wednesday.
The award is annually presented to the best amateur baseball player in the country. Shaffer’s among the 40 players recognized and is the lone Big Ten player to make the list. He is the first Maryland player to be honored in the middle of the season since Brandon Lowe and Shawaryn made the list in 2015.
Shaffer has had success as Maryland’s Friday starter this season, pitching to a 1.94 ERA over eight starts. Over 55 ⅔ innings pitched, he’s struck out 56 hitters and walked 13. He’s holding opposing batters to a .202 average, while his ERA and strikeout total rank second in the conference.
The announcement came days after Shaffer pitched eight innings against Nebraska in the first game of a three-game set Friday. He allowed three runs, but the Terps did not produce at the plate in the 3-1 defeat.
Shaffer has pitched at least seven innings in each of his past five starts, giving the Terps bullpen more rest. In those outings, Shaffer has gone 4-1 with an 1.66 ERA.
Award semifinalists will be announced May 31, while the winner will be revealed June 29 in Los Angeles.
Shaffer is expected to take the mound Friday as the Terps open a three-game series with Penn State at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.
