Condon is the first NWL alum to ever win college baseball player of the year
Rochester, Minn. – Former Rox Player Charlie Condon adds another award to his resume and wins the prestigious Golden Spikes Award. Created in 1978, the Golden Spikes Award honors the top amateur baseball player in the United States based on their athletic ability, sportsmanship, character, and overall contribution to the sport.
Condon sat atop the national leaderboard in nearly every statistical category after a record-setting season in 2024 for the Georgia Bulldogs. The redshirt sophomore set the BBCOR-era record with 37 home runs while also leading the nation in batting average (.433), slugging percentage (1.009), total bases (233), and OPS (1.565). Condon–who took home SEC Player of the Year honors–also ranks top six nationally in on-base percentage (.556) and runs scored (84). Additionally, his 100 hits, 57 walks, and 20 doubles are good for top four in the SEC. During conference play, Condon paced the SEC with a .983 slugging percentage, a 1.517 OPS, and 42 runs scored, also tying for the conference lead with 41 RBI and 28 walks.
In 2022, Condon was a Northwoods League All-Star for the Rox. He was named the Northwoods League All-Star Game Star of Stars (MVP) with a two-home run performance. During the 2022 season, Condon played in 63 games, hit .294 with 73 hits, 18 doubles, two triples, 8 home runs, and 71 RBI for the Rox.
During his award-winning season this past spring Condon had seven multi-home run games while also homering in eight consecutive contests from April 26-May 9, which is one home run short of the NCAA record for most consecutive games with a home run. He finished the 2024 season just three homers shy of the SEC single-season home run record, and he is tied for fifth all-time in the conference for career homers with 62 in just two seasons. Condon finished the regular season on a 24-game hitting streak and had 32 games with two hits or more, including 12 games with at least three hits. He opened the 2024 campaign with nine consecutive games with multiple hits, homering seven times over that span.
In addition to his conference player of the year honors, Condon was a First Team All-SEC member at third base. He was named the conference’s player of the week on three separate occasions and earned a spot on the NCAA Athens Regional All-Tournament Team after guiding the Bulldogs to a Super Regional appearance with a .500 average and a home run over three games.
Condon joins a group of past Golden Spikes winners that includes Andrew Benintendi (2015), Kris Bryant (2013), Bryce Harper (2010), Stephen Strasburg (2009), Buster Posey (2008), and David Price (2007).
Historically, Golden Spikes Award winners have gone on to have tremendous success in the Major Leagues. Of the 45 previous winners, six have earned Rookie of the Year honors. Additionally, three have won the Cy Young Award, three were named MVP, and 11 have won a World Series championship as a player or manager, combining for 18 championships. Twenty-one previous winners have also been named to at least one All-Star Game roster as a player or manager, combining for 62 total selections.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 355 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, 2021 and 2023 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network. Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
