Williamson Named to 2026 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List

CARY, N.C. – A day removed from earning Preseason All-Big 12 recognition, UCF junior outfielder Andrew Williamson has been named to the 2026 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List as announced by the organization on Friday.

Williamson is one of 55 amateur baseball players to be named to the preseason watch list. The list includes players across high school and college baseball based on their body of work from the previous year. The Golden Spikes Advisory Board will maintain the award’s watch list on a rolling basis, allowing athletes to play themselves into consideration for the award based on in-season performance.

“We could not be more excited to kick off the amateur baseball season with the announcement of the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List,” said Paul Seiler, Executive Director/CEO of USA Baseball. “The athletes on this year’s initial watch list represent a tremendous amount of talent and character. We are looking forward to watching their journeys unfold during what is sure to be a thrilling and competitive season of amateur baseball.”

Williamson enters the season off an impressive sophomore campaign in which he slashed .352/.662/.448 for the Black and Gold. He capped his 2025 season by earning Big 12 Conference Honorable Mention recognition.

The native of St. Petersburg, Florida led the Knights in nearly every offensive category a season ago in which he hit .352 with team-leading tallies of 13 home runs, 19 doubles, four triples, 58 runs scored and 53 runs batted in. Williamson also led the way in walks (34), on-base percentage (.448), slugging (.662), and finished second in stolen bases by going a perfect 13-for-13. He committed just one error in the outfield, as he recorded defensive tallies of 92 putouts, three outfield assists and a .990 fielding percentage while starting all 55 games in right field.

Williamson led the Knights with a 31‑game reached‑base streak, along with 26 multi‑hit games and 16 multi‑RBI performances in 2025.

Along with being named to the Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List and earning Preseason All-Big 12 honors, Williamson was also tabbed to Perfect Game’s Preseason All-Big 12 list, as well as listed as D1Baseball’s No. 5 2026 MLB Draft prospect from the Big 12 Conference and listed as the 14th-best outfielder in D1Baseball's Top 150 Outfielders Preseason Ranking.

Overall, 41 schools and 13 conferences are represented on the preseason watch list. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) leads all conferences with 16 players, followed by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with 14 and the Big 12 Conference with five.

Arkansas’ Wehiwa Aloy is the most recent winner of the Golden Spikes Award, earning the prestigious honor after a prolific season in 2025. He joins an elite group of recent winners including Charlie Condon (2024), Dylan Crews (2023), Ivan Melendez (2022), Kevin Kopps (2021), Adley Rutschman (2019), Andrew Vaughn (2018), Brendan McKay (2017), Kyle Lewis (2016), Andrew Benintendi (2015), A.J. Reed (2014), Kris Bryant (2013), Mike Zunino (2012), Trevor Bauer (2011), Bryce Harper (2010), Stephen Strasburg (2009), Buster Posey (2008), and David Price (2007).

Key dates for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award include:

• Midseason Watch List – April 2
• Semifinalists – May 14
• Finalists – June 10
• Winner – June 29

Fan voting will again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award in 2026. Following the semifinalist announcement, baseball fans can vote for their favorite players on www.GoldenSpikesAward.com to help determine the finalists and winner. The 2026 Golden Spikes Award winner will be announced during a presentation on MLB Network.

To view the full 2026 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List, click HERE.

Williamson and UCF Baseball will officially open the 2026 season on Friday, Feb. 13, with Opening Knight against Siena at 6 p.m. at John Euliano Park. The matchup kicks off a three‑game weekend series and marks the Black and Gold’s first of 30 home contests in 2026.

Tickets

UCF baseball season tickets and anytime tickets are on sale now! Lock in your seats for every home game starting at just $100. Group options and single-game tickets are also available by visiting ucfknights.com/tickets.

About UCF Athletics

UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.

About Golden Spikes Award

Since 1978, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the countrywith the Golden Spikes Award. The award, which will be presented on MLB Network beginning in 2026, goes to the amateur baseball player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship. The 2025 Golden Spikes Award winner was Wehiwa Aloy from the University of Arkansas. Winners of this prestigious award from the past 20 years include Major League Baseball All-Stars such as Adley Rutschman (’19), Andrew Benintendi (’15), Kris Bryant (’13), Mike Zunino (’12), Trevor Bauer (‘11), Bryce Harper (’10), Stephen Strasburg (‘09), Buster Posey (’08), David Price (’07), Tim Lincecum (’06), Alex Gordon (’05), and Jered Weaver (’04). Fans can follow the Golden Spikes Award on Instagram and Twitter/X @USAGoldenSpikes.