Hogs' Wehiwa Aloy Wins Golden Spikes Award as Top Player

It's official. Now the whole baseball world knows what Arkansas fans understood all season: Wehiwa Aloy was the best college player in the country this season.

The Razorbacks' sensational shortstop was named winner of the prestigious Golden Spikes Award Saturday before the start of the College World Series game between LSU and Coastal Carolina.

The award goes to the best player in college baseball -- and Aloy was clearly that guy.

Anyone who says differently doesn't understand that over the course of the entire season -- and yes, when it mattered on the biggest stages -- Aloy consistently played at an elite level not attained by any other.

He did it with the bat, with his glove, with his legs, with his instincts, and with his leadership.

Aloy is the third Razorback to win the Golden Spikes Award, and Hagen Smith was a finalist last year.

Amazingly, Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn has tutored three of the last 10 Golden Spikes Award winners, with none given in 2020 when the season was halted by Covid:
2025: Wehiwa Aloy
2021: Kevin Kopps
2015: Andrew Benintendi

"It's the Heisman Trophy of college baseball," said ESPN College World Series analyst Ben McDonald. "It'll be there for you forever."

McDonald should know. He was the Golden Spikes winner in 1989. He led LSU to the College World series twice and was the first pick in the '89 draft.

"(Aloy) does it on both sides of the ball," McDonald said. "He led a big-time team in Arkansas to the College World Series. It's certainly an individual award but it takes a team. You've got to perform well as a team to get noticed -- and he did."

Aloy was presented the trophy during a poorly organized ceremony near home plate at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb., home of the College World Series for the last 75 years.

It's a great idea to do it on the field but not with background music playing as fans have lots of other distractions and players are warming up on the field before their game.

It wasn't worthy of the moment. ESPN and the NCAA should do a better job of highlighting a singular moment that honors the best player in college baseball.

Aloy was properly chosen over the over two finalists who were part of the ceremony: Florida State Seminoles shortstop Alex Lodise and Tennessee Volunteers starting pitcher Liam Doyle.

All three Golden Spikes Award finalists are juniors and will sign as professionals following the July 13-14 draft in Atlanta.

Just a year ago, it was Hagen Smith, Arkansas' super southpaw pitcher, who was one of the three finalists.

The award went to Georgia Bulldogs slugger Charlie Condon but Smith was certainly deserving of the recognition of being a finalist, was Oregon State Beavers second baseman Travis Bazzana.

Bazzana was top pick in the draft to the Cleveland Guardians. Condon went third to the Colorado Rockies. Smith was the No. 5 pick by the Chicago White Sox.

Smith signed with the White Sox for $8 million, a record contract for left-handed pitchers taken in the draft.

Kopps was the most dominant pitcher in college baseball in 2021 after redshirting due to an injury and developing a nearly unhittable breaking pitch.

The right-hander was National Player of the Year and SEC Pitcher of the Year.

Kopps was the Hogs' closer with 11 saves but also had lots of multiple-inning appearances, resulting in a sparkling 12-1 record. His ERA of 0.90 and WHIP of 0.76 were sensational, as were his 131 strikeouts in 89.2 innings to go with just 18 walks.

Another Arkansas star won the 2015 Golden Spikes Award as Andrew Benintendi's sensational season was capped with a satisfying announcement.

Benintendi was the 2015 SEC Player of the Year and led the country's best conference in average (.376), home runs (20), slugging (.717), on-base (.488) and walks (50). He also stole 24 bases in 28 attempts.

Benintendi was the No. 7 pick in the MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox and helped them win a World Series three years later . He's now left fielder and three-hole hitter for the Chicago White Sox.

According to the latest mock draft by MLB.com, Tennessee's Doyle will be the No. 8 pick by the Toronto Blue Jays while Aloy will be the No. 17 pick by the Chicago Cubs. Lodise figures to be a second-round selection.

Aloy was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. He finished the season, including Arkansas' four games at the College World Series, with superb stats.

Aloy started all 65 games for the Hogs (50-15) and hit .350 with team highs in homers (21), runs (81), slugging (.673), doubles (19) and hits (93, tied with Charles Davalan).

He was a whiz with the glove, committing just five errors while gracefully and seemingly effortlessly making sensational plays.

Lodise hit .405 with 17 homers, 67 RBIs, 61 runs and a .736 slugging percentage. Although his numbers are great, Aloy is considered a far superior pro prospect.

Doyle was 10-3 for the Vols with a 2.84 ERA. In 92 innings, he struck out 158, walked 30 and allowed just 58 hits.

Aloy was the best all-around player in the college baseball in 2025. It didn't hurt that the Razorbacks earned a spot in the College World Series.

But justice was served. Aloy should be a terrific pro player, a talented athlete who is a gifted shortstop and hitter. Now he's officially one of the greatest diamond Hogs ever.

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