Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU outfielder Derek Curiel and pitcher Casan Evans were named Friday to the 2026 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List, as USA Baseball begins the process of identifying the best amateur baseball player in the nation.
The preseason list includes 55 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.”
Curiel, a sophomore from West Covina, Calif., was voted the 2025 National Freshman of the Year by D1Baseball.com after a superb rookie season in which he helped lead LSU to the NCAA National Championship.
A 2025 Second-Team All-America, First-Team Freshman All-America, Second-Team All-SEC selection and First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll member, Curiel hit a team-high .345 with 20 doubles, two triples, seven homers, 55 RBI and 67 runs.
He was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team after collecting six hits, three RBI and three runs in LSU’s five CWS games. Curiel hit a team-high .571 in the Tigers’ NCAA Super Regional sweep of West Virginia with one double, one homer, five RBI and six runs.
Evans, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, earned 2025 Third-Team All-America and First-Team Freshman All-America recognition, as he posted a 5-1 mark with 2.05 ERA and seven saves in 19 appearances (3 starts). He worked 52.2 innings, recording 19 walks, 71 strikeouts and a .228 opponent batting average.
He posted and excellent relief outing versus UCLA in the College World Series, earning the win and limiting the Bruins to two runs on four hits in 4.1 innings with no walks and five strikeouts. Evans earned the save versus Arkansas in LSU’s CWS opener, working 1.0 inning with no runs on one hit and one strikeout.
Evans, who was named to the 2025 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll, delivered one of the best postseason outings in LSU history on June 2 in the Tigers’ NCAA Baton Rouge Regional championship game win over Little Rock. He entered the game in the second inning and allowed one run on four hits in 6.0 innings with three walks and a career-best 12 strikeouts.
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 GoldenSpikesAward.com to help determine the finalists and winner. The 2026 Golden Spikes Award winner will be announced during a presentation on MLB Network.
**LSU PRESS RELEASE**
By Rivers Hughey
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