2019 Midseason Watch List

DURHAM, N.C. — WKU Baseball right fielder Jake Sanford's performance for the Hilltoppers continues to put his name among the best in the country. The Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, native was 1-of-40 amateur players named to the 2019 Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, USA Baseball announced on Wednesday afternoon.

He becomes the third WKU player in program history to earn this specific distinction, following third baseman Danny Hudzina in 2016 and catcher Matt Rice in 2011.

Sanford boasts a .395/.472/.871 slash line through his first 31 games with 49 hits — including 27 of the extra-base variety — 38 runs scored and 46 driven in. He has added 18 walks and two stolen bases, while posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage on 72 put-outs and three outfield assists, playing every inning for WKU in right field.

In terms of Division I ranks, Sanford's 15 homeruns rank third, 46 runs batted in are sixth, 38 runs scored are 23rd, 49 hits are 28th and .395 batting average ranks 45th, while his 108 total bases and .871 slugging percentage both stand third overall.

On April 3, Sanford was listed as a Perfect Game Midseason First Team All-American, becoming the first Hilltopper All-American of any kind since 2016, when third baseman Danny Hudzina was named a Third Team ABCA member at the conclusion of the season. He was the first Canadian Perfect Game Midseason All-American since Pittsburgh shortstop Charles Leblanc (Laval, Quebec) was a Second-Teamer in 2016.

On March 25 and April 1, Sanford was named only the third back-to-back Conference USA Hitter of the Week — and first since 2006 — in league history, which dates back to 1996. On April 2, he was honored by Perfect Game as the National Player of the Week and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association as the National Hitter of the Week. In addition, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper listed Sanford as 1-of-7 Players of the Week, while College Sports Madness tabbed him as the National Player of the Week on April 1.

In D1 Baseball's Week 6 Power Rankings (published on March 28) Sanford jumped from unranked to No. 46 among the nation's outfielders.

Along with Arizona State's Hunter Bishop, Vanderbilt's J.J. Bleday and Mississippi State's Jake Mangum, Sanford is only 1-of-4 outfielders to make the Watch List. He also joins FIU lefty Logan Allen and Rice righty Matt Canterino as 1-of-3 Conference USA players among the honorees.

USA Baseball will announce the semifinalists for the 2019 Golden Spikes Award on May 15. The list of semifinalists will then be sent to a voting body consisting of baseball media members, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball staff and 40 of the previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters. As part of this selection process, all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list of semifinalists.

The finalists will be announced on May 29, and voting for the winner will begin that same day. The 42nd Golden Spikes Award recipient will be named on Friday, June 14.