DURHAM, N.C. – Western Michigan baseball junior outfielder Blake Dunn is one of 55 players to be named to the preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list announced by USA Baseball on Thursday.

The Golden Spikes Award is given annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country with the preseason list featuring 55 of the nation's top amateur players from high school and college baseball. The 43^rd Golden Spikes Award will be presented on June 11 in Omaha, Nebraska. Dunn becomes the first Bronco in school history to be named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List and just the sixth player in Mid-American Conference history. 

Dunn enters the 2020 campaign after leading the Broncos a year ago in batting average (.374), runs (43), hits (71), triples (2), slugging percentage (.521), on-base percentage (.467) and stolen bases (30). The Saugatuck, Mich., native ranked in the top 10 in the Mid-American Conference in six statistical categories while his 30 stolen bases was the second most in a single-season in school history.

Dunn's .374 batting average in 2019 was the highest by the Bronco since Chris Lewis in 2008. Dunn posted a team-high 24 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI games. Dunn is the only player from the MAC to be represented on the Golden Spikes Award preseason list.

Fan nominations and voting will once again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award in 2020. Amateur baseball fans will be able to nominate their favorite players to be in consideration for the 2020 award starting February 14 until April 6 on GoldenSpikesAward.com.

USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on May 28 and fan voting will open at GoldenSpikesAward.com concurrently, remaining open through June 7.

A complete list of the 55-player USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award preseason watch list is as follows:
 
Name; Class; Position; School
Logan Allen; Jr.; LHP; Florida International
Patrick Bailey; Jr.; C; NC State
Ian Bedell; Jr.; RHP; Missouri
Alex Binelas; So.; IF; Louisville
Tyler Brown; Jr.; RHP; Vanderbilt
Alec Burleson; Jr.; LHP/IF; East Carolina
Tanner Burns; Jr.; RHP; Auburn
Daniel Cabrera; Jr.; OF; LSU
Burl Carraway; Jr.; LHP; Dallas Baptist
Cade Cavalli; Jr.; RHP/IF; Oklahoma
Colton Cowser; So.; OF; Sam Houston State
Jeff Criswell; Jr.; RHP; Michigan
Garrett Crochet; Jr.; LHP; Tennessee
Pete Crow-Armstrong; Sr.; OF; Harvard-Westlake High School
Adrian Del Castillo; So.; C; Miami
Trenton Denholm; Jr.; RHP; UC Irvine
Reid Detmers; Jr.; LHP; Louisville
Blake Dunn; Jr.; OF; Western Michigan
Josh Elvir; Sr.; OF; Angelo State
Justin Foscue; Jr.; IF; Mississippi State
Nick Frasso; Jr.; RHP; Loyola Marymount
JT Ginn; So.; RHP; Mississippi State
Nick Gonzales; Jr.; IF; New Mexico State
Emerson Hancock; Jr.; RHP; Georgia
Hudson Haskin; So.; OF; Tulane
Robert Hassell; Sr.; OF/1B/LHP; Independence High School
Cole Henry; So.; RHP; LSU
Bryce Jarvis; Jr.; RHP/IF; Duke
Heston Kjerstad; Jr.; OF; Arkansas
Brian Klein; Sr.; IF; Texas Tech
Asa Lacy; Jr.; LHP; Texas A&M
Chris Lanzilli; Jr.; OF; Wake Forest
Nick Loftin; Jr.; IF; Baylor
Austin Martin; Jr.; IF; Vanderbilt
Casey Martin; Jr.; IF; Arkansas
Chris McMahon; Jr.; RHP; Miami
Max Meyer; Jr.; RHP; Minnesota
Garrett Mitchell; Jr.; OF; UCLA
Carmen Mlodzinski; R-Jr.; RHP; South Carolina
Jordan Nwogu; Jr.; OF; Michigan
Holden Powell; Jr.; RHP; UCLA
Kumar Rocker; So.; RHP; Vanderbilt
Aaron Sabato; So.; IF; North Carolina
Casey Schmitt; Jr.; IF; San Diego State
Josh Sears; R-Fr.; INF; Freed-Hardeman
Bobby Seymour; Jr.; IF; Wake Forest
Alerick Soularie; Jr.; OF; Tennessee
Luke Summers; Jr.; RHP/OF; Fontbonne
Spencer Torkelson; Jr.; IF; Arizona State
CJ Van Eyk; Jr.; RHP; Florida State
Austin Wells; So.; C; Arizona
Cole Wilcox; So.; RHP; Georgia
Alika Williams; Jr.; IF; Arizona State
Ethan Wilson; So.; OF; South Alabama
Gage Workman; Jr.; IF; Arizona State