FULL USA BASEBALL RELEASE

DURHAM, N.C. – University of Evansville junior Kyle Freeland was one of 30 players named to the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list in a release by USA Baseball Thursday evening.  Freeland is one of two Missouri Valley Conference players to appear on the list, joining Wichita State's Casey Gillaspie.
 
Freeland has been one of the top pitchers in college baseball this season, as the junior southpaw ranks in the top 10 nationally in four separate categories, including strikeout-to-walk ratio (2nd – 15.14), strikeouts (3rd – 106), strikeouts per nine innings (4th – 11.83) and walks allowed per nine innings (8th – 0.78). 
 
The Denver, Colo., native, who is 8-1 on the season with a 1.90 ERA, is currently tied for third on Evansville's single-season strikeout list and ranks eighth on UE's all-time strikeout list with 260. 
 
A projected top 10 pick in the upcoming Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, Freeland will making his final start at Braun Stadium this Friday at 6 p.m., when the Aces host Illinois State in the first game of a three-game series.
 
USA Baseball officials will announce the list of semifinalists for the 2014 Golden Spikes Award on Tuesday, May 27.  The list of athletes will then be sent to a voting body consisting of Golden Spikes Award winners, past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of media that closely follow the amateur game, select professional baseball personnel and current USA Baseball staff, representing a group of more than 200 voters in total.