Hartle, Kurtz and Lowder Named Golden Spikes Award Semifinalists

CARY, N.C. – A program-record three Deacs were named semifinalists for the 2023 Golden Spikes Award, as announced by USA Baseball on Monday afternoon.

Josh Hartle, Nick Kurtz and Rhett Lowder were selected to the 25-player semifinalist list for the annual award given to the nation's top amateur players from the high school and college ranks, tying for the most representatives in the nation with LSU.

The trio became the fourth, fifth and sixth Deac since 2007 to be named as a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award.

Fan voting will again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award in 2023. Amateur baseball fans can vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com, beginning on May 22 with the naming of the semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 7, and fan voting will once again open at GoldenSpikesAward.com before closing on June 21.

Wake Forest's Golden Spikes Award Semifinalists

Allan Dykstra 2007
Allan Dysktra 2008
Wil Craig 2016
Stuart Fairchild 2017
Josh Hartle 2023
Nick Kurtz 2023
Rhett Lowder 2023

2023 Wake Forest Golden Spikes Award Semifinalists

Josh Hartle
- Finished the regular season with a career-high nine wins with a career-high 108 strikeouts
- Led the ACC in strikeout-to-walk ratio
- Allowed three runs or less in 12 of his 14 starts
- Reached double-digit strikeouts in two starts, highlighted by a career-high punchouts against Cornell
Rhett Lowder
- Became the second pitcher in conference history to garner back-to-back Pitcher of the Year honors (Danny Hultzen, 2010-11).
- Finished the regular season as the conference's leader in ERA (1.73), wins (12), innings pitched (88.2) and strikeouts (108). In ACC play, Lowder also leads the conference in those same categories.
- Only pitcher in the nation with 12 wins and ranks in the top 15 nationally in WHIP and strikeout-to-walk ratio.
- Blanked a conference opponent four times this season (Miami, Louisville, BC and Florida State). The Albemarle, N.C. native has been awarded ACC Pitcher of the Week three times after such performances.
- His nation-leading 12 victories is tied for fourth in a single-season by a Wake Forest pitcher.
- Went at least six innings in 11 starts while allowing two runs or less in 12 starts
Nick Kurtz
- Posted a team-best .371 average with 56 hits, seven doubles, 21 home runs, 61 RBIs, 49 walks, a slugging percentage of .834 and an on-base percentage of .534.
- Leads the ACC in home runs per game, runs per game, walks per game, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
- His 21 home runs rank tied for fourth in a single season in program history
- Since returning to Wake Forest's lineup on April 16, Kurtz has tallied 26 hits, 11 HRs, 31 RBIs, 24 walks, 26 runs scored, a slugging percentage of .953 and on-base percentage of .578 in 19 games.
- Received his second ACC Player of the Week honor on April 24 for his performance during Wake Forest's 3-1 week, leading the Deacs at the plate in with team highs in batting average (.583), home runs (three), RBIs (13), walks (nine), runs scored (eight), slugging percentage (1.417) and on-base percentage (.762).
- Tallied nine RBIs with a three-run home run, two-RBI double and a pair of two-RBI singles in Wake Forest's victory at Pitt on April 22.
  - Kurtz's nine RBIs are tied for the second-most runs driven in by a Wake Forest batter ever, joining Chris Lanzilli (2019), Gavin Sheets (2017), Warren Sawkiw (1990) and Paul Reinisch (1989) as the only Deacs to drive in nine or more runs in a game.

Wake Forest Athletics

Hartle, Kurtz and Lowder Named Golden Spikes Award Semifinalists

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