Link to Article on The Red & Black
By Olivia Sayer
Georgia redshirt sophomore Charlie Condon (24) in action during an NCAA college baseball game between Clemson and Georgia at Foley Field in Athens, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Georgia won 4-3. (Photo/Mady Mertens: @MadyMertensPhotography)
Charlie Condon came to Georgia as a 6-foot-5, 205-pound walk-on, whose services were not highly coveted. With the Bulldogs as his only offer, Condon bet on himself to play for his hometown school. Three years after making the decision, Condon was named the winner of the Golden Spikes Award, cementing his status as the best player in college baseball.
“It means everything,” Condon said. “There’s been so much good, competitive college baseball around the season this year, and to be named with this award is just amazing. It’s something that I worked really hard for, obviously, and that is far from credit to just myself. It’s about the program and people who trusted my process. It’s an individual award, but it’s far from an individual effort.”
The Golden Spikes Award is presented annually to the top amateur baseball player in the United States and is based upon athletic ability, sportsmanship, character and overall contribution to the sport. Condon received the award Saturday night during a presentation on ESPN.
“It is a surprise,” Condon told the SEC Network about his success. “It’s okay to say if you would have told me that I’d be sitting here doing this interview right now when I was a junior in high school, I wouldn’t believe you. But I also know that I’m here for a reason.”
Condon is the first Bulldog to receive the honor and was the program’s first finalist since Gordon Beckham in 2008.
“It’s a start of something new for Georgia baseball,” Condon said. “I’m real excited to bring this back to Athens for the first time.”
The former walk-on’s contributions to an up-and-coming Georgia program are not lost on those within it. No matter if his time donning the red and black is over, his impact will forever be felt within the Bulldogs.
“He elevated our program and elevated the game that he plays,” head coach Wes Johnson said. “For him to win the Golden Spikes Award, he will have that for the rest of his life, and it’s something for Georgia that we can talk about and recruit with that no other team can this year.”
Coming out of high school, Condon was listed as the 400th-overall national prospect and 32nd in the state of Georgia. A few years later, the Marietta-native finished his redshirt-sophomore campaign leading the league in home runs (37), batting average (.433), total bases (233) and OPS (1.565). Condon was also the only batter to slug over 1,000 this season.
“In a season that featured outstanding individual efforts from a wide range of players, Charlie Condon stood above the rest,” USA Baseball’s Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler said. “Charlie’s 2024 season was nothing short of incredible to watch, and he is greatly deserving of this honor.”
Although he is known for his bat, Condon also made game-changing plays with his glove. His defensive versatility allowed the Bulldogs to play him at first base, third base and all three outfield positions.
“We all know he’s a great hitter,” Johnson said on MLB Network. “The biggest thing that people don’t know about Charlie is how good of an athlete he really is. We’ve been able to play him at a lot of different positions. He’s played all over the field. To do that and then put up the [offensive] numbers he has just shows how his mental game is.”
Condon’s performance earned him the SEC Player of the Year, the Dick Howser Trophy, the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger of the Year Award and Perfect Game’s Player of the Year.
Most recently, the Georgia slugger received Baseball America’s College Player of the Year. Condon was also named a First Team All-American on Friday, while his teammate Corey Collins earned a spot on the Second Team.
“He can do it all,” Johnson said.
Condon’s historic season that culminated with the Golden Spikes Award is one that will be well represented in the game’s record books. However, it is his story of perseverance and determination that is most impactful to those who witnessed it.
“Charlie’s just a great example of everything that’s great about the college game right now,” USA Baseball’s general manager of professional and college national teams Eric Campbell said.
Condon is expected to now set his sights on the 2024 MLB Draft, where multiple outlets project him as the No. 1 overall pick. The Draft will take place July 14-16 in Fort Worth, Texas during MLB’s All-Star Week.