Hunter Dietz, Ryder Helfrick named Golden Spikes semifinalists
Arkansas ace lefty Hunter Dietz and catcher Ryder Helfrick were named semifinalists for the premier award in college baseball, the Golden Spikes Award, on Thursday afternoon.
The Golden Spikes Award is given to the top amateur baseball player in the United States based on their athletic ability, sportsmanship, character and overall contribution to the sport. Dietz and Helfrick are two of 25 semifinalists for this year’s Golden Spikes Award.
Dietz has been electric this season and owns a 7-2 record with a 3.22 ERA. He leads the SEC with 108 strikeouts in 72.2 innings pitched this season in 13 starts. Batters are only hitting .221 against him and has eight quality starts this year, the most since Hagen Smith had 11 in 2024.
The first SEC pitcher to reach the 100-strikeout mark this season, Dietz has recorded three double-digit strikeout outings. With six more strikeouts, he’ll enter the top 10 in Razorback history for strikeouts in one season.
Catching Dietz’s pitches is Ryder Helfrick, who has started all 51 games this season at catcher. At the plate, he’s slashing .294/.439/.583 with 15 home runs and 45 RBI on the year.
Helfrick leads the team in walks and runs score at 51 and 48, respectively. He reached base in 26 consecutive games to start the season, which is also a team-best.
Arkansas has had three Golden Spikes Award winners in program history: Andrew Benintendi (2015), Kevin Kopps (2021) and Wehiwa Aloy (2026). Arkansas is the only SEC institution and one of only four schools, along with Florida State (4), Arizona State (3) and Cal State Fullerton (3), with three or more Golden Spikes Award winners in program history.
The 2026 Golden Spikes Award timeline is as follows:
- May 14: Golden Spikes Award semifinalists announced, and fan voting begins
- June 9: Golden Spikes Award semifinalists fan voting ends
- June 10: Golden Spikes Award finalists announced, and fan voting begins
- June 28: Golden Spikes Award finalists fan voting ends
- June 29: Golden Spikes Award winner announced
Fans can vote for their favorite players onGoldenSpikesAward.com. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 10, and fan voting will once again open at GoldenSpikesAward.com before closing on June 28.
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