CARY, N.C. – Sophomore catcher Ike Irish has been named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, USA Baseball announced Thursday.
Irish is one of 45 amateur players across the country, including one of five catchers, to be named to the list. He is Auburn's third straight representative on the midseason watch list, joining Sonny DiChiara (2022) and Bryson Ware (2023), and is the eighth Auburn player in head coach Butch Thompson's tenure to earn the distinction.
Through 28 games this season, Irish leads the team in runs (35), hits (41), doubles (nine), total bases (82) and RBI (45) while ranking second in average (.363) and home runs (10). The Hudsonville, Michigan native ranks second in the Southeastern Conference and fourth in the country in RBI, while his totals in runs, hits, doubles and total bases are good for top 10 in the league.
Irish became the fourth fastest player in program history to record his 100th career hit earlier this season, doing so in his 68th game played with a first-inning homer against UConn on Mar. 2. He trails only Scott Pratt (61 games), Todd Faulkner (63 games) and Tim Hudson (66 games) on the list.
Currently on a career-best, 15-game hitting streak, Irish has collected a hit in 25 of 28 games this season and has driven in a run in 24 of 28 contests.
Irish and the Tigers (17-11, 1-8 SEC) start an eight-game homestand with a three-game series against No. 4 Tennessee (24-5, 5-4 SEC) Friday through Sunday at Plainsman Park.
