North Fulton Today

Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada has had a sensational sophomore campaign, ranking among the nation’s best in almost every offensive category.

Parada was named a semifinalist for the 2022 Golden Spikes Award, honoring the top amateur baseball player in the country, according to a recent release from the university. The catcher joins 36 student-athletes from 26 universities as a semifinalist and one of just seven from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

A preseason All-American, Parada has been named National Player of the Week three times (Feb. 28, April 11, May 2) and ACC Player of the Week once (April 11), the release stated.

Parada was also named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and Buster Posey Award, entering in the ACC Tournament ranking second with a school-record 26 home runs and second in total bases (173), according to the release.

In the ACC, Parada leads in home runs, RBI, runs and total bases, the release stated.

He joins 11 Yellow Jackets to be named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and is the first since Joey Bart in 2018. If he advances, the catcher will become the first finalist from Georgia Tech since Mark Tiexeria in 2000 and the first winner since Jason Varitek in 1994.