As the Diamond Heels prepare for their first game of the 2020 season on Friday, one of its young stars earned another preseason honor.

USA Baseball named UNC sophomore first baseman Aaron Sabato to its 2020 preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list on Thursday. Sabato is one of 55 players on the list who might contend for the award given to the top amateur baseball player in the country.

In his first year with the Tar Heels, Sabato held a .343 batting average while hitting 25 doubles, 18 home runs and 63 runs batted in. The Rye Brook, N.Y., native was Co-National Freshman of the Year, a first-team All-America and All-ACC selection and ACC Freshman of the Year. He is one of 10 ACC players on the preseason watch list and the honor comes after he was named a Perfect Game’s Preseason First Team All-American at the designated hitter position.

Oregon State’s Adley Rutschman won the 2019 award, joining recent winners that include Andrew Vaughn (2018), Brendan McKay (2017), Kyle Lewis (2016), Andrew Benintendi (2015), A.J. Reed (2014), Kris Bryant (2013), Mike Zunino (2012), Trevor Bauer (2011), Bryce Harper (2010), Stephen Strasburg (2009), Buster Posey (2008) and David Price (2007).

USA Baseball will announce the finalists on May 28 and fan voting will open at the Golden Spikes website, remaining open through June 7. The winner of the 2020 award will then be named on June 11 at a ceremony in Omaha, N.E.

The Diamond Heels begin their season Friday, opening at home against Middle Tennessee State at 3 p.m.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Baseball Dominates Duke at Boshamer Stadium
Macon Winslow banged out three hits and collected five runs batted in against his former team Sunday as the Diamond Heels trounced Duke 13-0 in seven innings at Boshamer Stadium. 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥 😁#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/B72N5bbvrn — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) May 3, 2026 Winslow was got himself involved early amid a six-run first […]
No. 9 Coastal Carolina Trounces UNC Baseball at Boshamer Stadium
No. 9 Coastal Carolina scored six runs in the seventh inning to blow open a close game at Boshamer Stadium, and the Chanticleers cruised from there to a 12-2 win against the Diamond Heels. Coastal Carolina opened the scoring quickly against UNC starter Jackson Rose, going ahead 1-0 in the top of the first inning. […]
Offense Explodes as UNC Baseball Blows Out Duke 22-5 in Series Finale
After scoring just four combined runs in the first two games of their series against Duke, the Diamond Heels broke out of their offensive slump with a 22-5, seven-inning win against the Blue Devils Saturday to clinch the series victory. The 22 runs were the program’s most in a single game since 2010 and its […]
Missed Opportunities Cost UNC Baseball in Loss at Duke
The Diamond Heels left 11 men on base on their way to a 3-1 loss at Duke Friday night, evening up the series with the Blue Devils at a game apiece. Duke capitalized on sloppy UNC defense in the first inning. After Carolina’s Ryan Lynch recorded the game’s first two outs, the next two Blue […]
DeCaro Dominates as UNC Baseball Beats Duke in Series Opener
Jason DeCaro allowed just three hits and one run across 7.2 innings in a 3-1 win for the Diamond Heels at Duke Thursday night. 𝐇𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 1️⃣ Decaro out duels Duke and we open with a 𝙙𝙪𝙗!#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/5LOXcbe51H — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) April 24, 2026 UNC’s bats struggled themselves for much of […]
UNC Baseball at Duke (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start Times
The No. 2 Diamond Heels will make the short drive over to Durham for a three-game series with rival Duke beginning Thursday. UNC is looking to improve its 9-1 record in true road games this season. If you aren’t attending this weekend’s games in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule […]
UNC Baseball Rolls Past High Point in Midweek Matchup
The Diamond Heels scored three runs in the second inning and six in the fourth on their way to a 9-2 win against High Point at Boshamer Stadium Tuesday night. 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐇𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐧 😤#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/ILzX04V18m — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) April 22, 2026 Carolina’s nine runs came on just five hits, […]
UNC Baseball Drops Final Game of Weekend Series vs. No. 2 Georgia Tech
The Diamond Heels weren’t able to finish off a series sweep of No. 2 Georgia Tech in Chapel Hill Sunday, dropping the series finale 5-2 after winning Friday and Saturday. The Yellow Jackets led for nearly the entire game, striking quickly in the top of the first and then, after UNC tied it in the […]
UNC Baseball Cruises by UNC-Wilmington for 3rd Consecutive Win
The Diamond Heels scored five runs in the first inning and capitalized on five UNC-Wilmington errors Tuesday night in a 14-5 win at Boshamer Stadium. Sea ya later! Heels put another in the win column!#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/6dj58HWgYR — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) April 15, 2026 The five-run first inning began after UNC drew three consecutive […]
UNC Baseball Drops First Game, But Still Wins Weekend Series at Clemson
Despite a loss in Friday’s opener and a late deficit in Saturday’s second game, the Diamond Heels came back to win two out of three games and earn the series victory during the weekend at Clemson. It’s the second straight weekend UNC has won a series after dropping the first game, and the first time […]
›