Southeast Missouri State pitcher Joey Lucchesi named to POY watch lists

Southeast Missouri State senior pitcher Joey Lucchesi is a finalist on the Golden Spikes Award and the Diamond National Pitcher of the Year watch lists, which were both released Wednesday.

Lucchesi, who's 7-2 with a 1.31 ERA, is one of 60 players on the Golden Spikes Award watch list. The award is sponsored by Major League Baseball and will be presented on June 30 in Los Angeles.

The midseason watch list features 60 of the top amateur players from across the country at the high school and college levels. Semifinalists for the award will be revealed on June 1.

The 2016 National Pitcher of the Year, which is presented by the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, will be presented on July 2 in Lubbock, Texas, as part of the annual Night of Champions event. There are 72 of the nation's top pitchers on the watch list.

Lucchesi has pitched 61 2/3 innings and has struck out 79 batters, which ranks third nationally. He was named the Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2015 and was the picked as the preseason favorite to repeat in 2016.