SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga baseball's Gabriel Hughes has made the cut for the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watchlist after earning a spot on the Preseason list in February, just the latest honor for ace of a pitching staff that has propelled the Bulldogs to a Top-15 national ranking and one of their hottest starts in program history.

So far this season, Hughes touts a 4-1 record and 2.86 ERA as the Zags' Friday starter, having won WCC Pitcher of the Week honors twice and been named NWBCA National Player of the Week once. Over 44 total innings pitched, Hughes' 65 total strikeouts and 13.3 per nine innings rank ninth and 30th in the nation, respectively.

The 6'4 righty, one of five starting pitchers on Prospects Live's Preseason All-America First Team, was also projected to take home West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year honors by Collegiate Baseball News earlier in the month. The 6'4 righty came in at No. 42 in MLB.com's 2022 Draft Prospect Rankings and No. 61 in a similar ranking by D1Baseball.com, the highest a GU player has been rated since Marco Gonzales in 2013.

After a 2021 season spent between pitching and first base, Hughes was also one of three players to make Collegiate Baseball's Freshman All-America Team as a Multiple Position Athlete, becoming the seventh Zag in program history to be named to the list. An All-WCC Second Team pick and All-Freshmen conference selection despite missing the last month of the season with injury, Hughes hit .247 with 4 doubles, 3 homers and 12 RBI. As a pitcher, he was 4-3 as the Bulldogs' Saturday starter with a 3.23 ERA, striking out 67 batters with 30 walks in a total of 61.1 innings of work. Over the summer, Hughes saw action with the U.S. Collegiate National Team, starting in three intrasquad scrimmages and an exhibition against the U.S. Olympic Pro Team for a total 8.2 innings with four K's.
Hughes was one of 55 players named to the Preseason list for the award, which is given annually to the top amateur baseball player in the nation, ranging from high school to college baseball. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will maintain a rolling list of players, allowing athletes to play themselves into consideration for the award throughout the season.

Since 2008, current MLB pitcher Marco Gonzales has been the only other Gonzaga player to earn the honor, having made the preseason list in 2013. Hughes is the West Coast Conference's lone representative on the list.

Fan voting will once again play a part in the selection of the Golden Spikes Award winner in 2022. Fans will be able to vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com, starting on May 24 with the naming of the Golden Spikes Award semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 8 and fan voting will open at GoldenSpikesAward.com concurrently, remaining open through June 12.

Hughes and the 15th-ranked Bulldogs' season continues this weekend with a road trip to the Bay Area for three games with San Francisco (16-16, 5-4). Check GoZags.com for up-to-date game day and schedule information, live stats and more.