Arizona first baseman Alfonso Rivas was named to the Preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List on Friday, USA Baseball announced.
 
Rivas is one of 55 players to make the list and one of six players from the Pac-12 to be included. Rivas is the seventh player from Arizona to be named to the Preseason Golden Spikes Watch List since 2008 and first since Bobby Dalbec in 2016. Other Arizona players to be named to the list since 2008 include Kevin Newman, Johnny Field, Konner Wade, Jason Stoffel and Preston Guilmet.
 
USA Baseball will announce a midseason watch list on April 10, before trimming down to semifinalists, which will be announced on May 21. On June 6, the finalists will be announced before the award is handed out on June 28.
 
Rivas has been showered with preseason accolades this year after a banner sophomore season last year. The San Diego native has been named First-Team All-America by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and a second-team pick by D1Baseball.com. He was a third-team selection by Baseball America.
 
The junior hit .371 last season in 58 games. He led the Pac-12 Conference in on-base percentage at .483 and had 13 doubles, seven home runs and 63 RBI. The 63 RBI were the most by an Arizona underclassman since 2003.
 
Rivas was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection last season and was a second-team NCBWA All-America selection. Rivas was also a second-team All-West Region selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association. He ranked 13^th in the country with his on-base percentage and was third in the Pac-12 in batting average. The first baseman was ranked as the 78^th best college draft prospect for the 2018 draft by D1Baseball.
 
When he was selected to the NCBWA second-team last season, Rivas became the first Arizona underclassman to be named an NCBWA All-American since Keoni DeRenne in 1999.
 
Rivas was one of just three Pac-12 players named to the NCBWA first-team this preseason, joining Oregon State infielder Nick Madrigal and Oregon closer Kenyon Yovan.
 
The Wildcats are closing in on the start of the 2018 season. Rivas and the Wildcats will be in action this Friday, Feb. 9 for their annual Meet the Team event at Hi Corbett Field, which begins at 6 p.m., with autographs to follow after.
 
Arizona then officially opens its season Feb. 16 at home versus Bryant in a three-game set.