Crownover Semifinalist For GSA

DURHAM, N.C. – Junior lefthander Matthew Crownover (Ringgold, Ga.) was named one of 21 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award on Friday. The award, which will be handed out for the 38th time, goes to the top amateur baseball player in the nation.

Crownover, the 2015 ACC Pitcher-of-the-Year, is 10-2 with a 1.59 ERA, .183 opponents’ batting average and 99 strikeouts against 36 walks in 102.0 innings pitched over 15 starts in 2015. With his win at No. 8 Florida State on May 14, he became the first Tiger since 2013 (Daniel Gossett) and the first Tiger lefthander since 1996 (Ken Vining) to total 10 wins in a season.

In ACC regular-season games in 2015, Crownover had a 7-1 record, 1.03 ERA, .176 opponents’ batting average and 61 strikeouts in 70.0 innings pitched over 10 starts.

In 271.1 innings pitched over 47 appearances (45 starts) and three seasons, he has a 25-11 record and 2.22 ERA while allowing 225 hits (.225 opponents’ batting average) and 73 walks with 234 strikeouts, as he is tied for seventh in Clemson history in career wins.

It is the second year in a row a Tiger pitcher has been named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, as Gossett received that accolade in 2014.