The accolades keep rolling in for Delta State baseball's Zack Shannon. The 2017 DII baseball player of the year made history Monday when it was announced he was a semifinalist for USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award.
RELATED: Golden Spikes semifinalists announced
While Shannon would not be the first non-Division I player to win the award, he is the first DII baseball player to be named a semifinalist since the final 25 list was added in 2007. It is a well-deserved honor for Delta State's slugging first baseman. He leads DII baseball with 29 home runs and 87 RBIs this season, all while hitting a team-best .416.
It's down to 25! Our guy is a semifinalist!
— Delta State Baseball (@DeltaStateBSB)
The & player of the year leads all levels of play in HR, RBI, SLG% and total bases!
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Since transferring into Delta State from Wabash Valley Community College, the Ohio-native has a trophy case overflowing with awards. He took home the 2017 NCBWA DII Player of the Year Award as well as the Tino Martinez Award recognizing DII baseball's most outstanding player. This season, Shannon was named the Gulf South Conference Player of the Year taking home the GSC Player of the Week five times. In two seasons with the Statesmen, he is hitting .430 with 48 home runs and 174 RBI. Shannon led the Statesmen to Dallas, Texas. for last year's DII Baseball Championship finals and currently has No. 10 Delta State battling in a rainy South Region tournament.
MORE: How Zack Shannon became the most dangerous hitter in DII
Since Bob Horner took home the first Golden Spikes Award in 1978, only two non-Division I players have won the award. Alex Fernandez won it in 1990 out of Miami-Dade Community College and Bryce Harper took home the honors in 2010 out of the College of Southern Nevada. Shannon is looking to be the first DII baseball player to win the award. Finalists will be announced on June 6.
