NEW ORLEANS – For the second-straight season, the Sun Belt had multiple student-athletes named to The Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List by USA Baseball. The award seeks to identify the nation’s top amateur baseball player, including athletes from both the high school and college ranks. 
 
The Sun Belt’s duo of Coastal Carolina junior designated hitter Derek Bender and Troy junior outfielder Shane Lewis trails only the SEC, ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12 on the 55-player list. 
 
Bender and Lewis were each named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team announced on Feb. 7. 
 
Bender hit .341 and slugged .635 with 13 doubles, two triples and 19 home runs in 2023 en route to a First Team All-Sun Belt nod. He also tallied 61 runs scored and 83 RBI, while helping the Chanticleers earn the No. 10 national seed in last year’s NCAA baseball tournament. Bender was an ABCA/Rawlings and NCBWA All-American a year ago. 
 
Lewis hit .286 and slugged .705 with six doubles, two triples and a program-record 27 home runs in 2023 to earn Sun Belt Player of the Year, Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-Sun Belt accolades. He also accumulated 62 runs scored and 77 RBI, while propelling the Trojans to their first NCAA baseball tournament berth since 2018. Lewis was an ABCA/Rawlings, CBN and NCBWA All-American in 2023. 
 
In total, 41 schools and 16 conferences were represented on this year’s Preseason Watch List. 

The Golden Spikes Award will announce its Midseason Watch List on April 4, its semifinalists on May 20, its finalists on June 5 and its award winner on June 23.