Andrew Vaughn becomes the first winner of Cal's Golden Spikes

Andrew Vaughn became the first Cal winner of the Golden Spikes Award at ESPN Studios in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

"It means the world," said Vaughn during the broadcast. "As a little kid, you grow up thinking about going to the World Series and others, but this award here is like the Heisman of baseball."

"I am a bit speechless right now."

Vaughn looked stunned as his name was named on the finalists for the nation's first prize in amateur baseball: Texas instructor Kody Clemens, Auburn pitcher Casey Mize and Florida pitcher Brady Singer.

Lance Blankenship (1984) is the only other Cal player to be named a finalist, which is appropriate since Vaughn rewrote much of the program's story book. After earning the honor of the freshman Pac-12 in 2017, the first division player Cal won the title of player of the year of the conference in the second year.

In his second season at Berkeley, Vaughn started 54 games. third best score in the history of Cal). He has launched 23 circuits to tie Xavier Nady (1999) to the record of a school season and broke a record of 819.

The graduate of Maria Carrillo High-Santa Rosa also drove 63 races, shot 44 steps and hit

Vaughn was joined on the ESPN board by his parents, Toby and Diana, his sister, Madison, and the head coach from Cal Mike Neu, after the announcement. After the presentation, Vaughn had to fly to North Carolina to join the US team.

The other Golden Spikes Award winners of the Pac-12 were UCLA pitcher Trevor Bauer (2011), Tim Lincecum (2006) of Washington, Mark Prior of USC (2001), Mike Kelly (1991) of Arizona, Oddibe McDowell (1984) and Bob Horner (1978) and Terry Francona of Arizona (1980).