2018 Brooks Wallace Award semifinalists announced
The award is given annually to the nation's best shortstop
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Two of the best stories in college baseball this season are being fueled by two of the top shortstops in the nation, both of whom headline the list of semifinalists for the 2018 Brooks Wallace Award.
The award, sponsored by Mizuno, honors the nation's top shortstop and will be presented this summer by the College Baseball Foundation. It is named for former Texas Tech shortstop Brooks Wallace, who played for the Red Raiders to from 1977 to 1980. Wallace died of leukemia at the age of 27.
The 2018 season has had a pair of surprise teams come to the forefront in Minnesota from the Big Ten and Tennessee Tech out of the Ohio Valley Conference. Each team has one of the top shortstops in the country leading the way.
Terrin Vavra has been a catalyst for the Golden Gophers' surge to the top of the Big Ten standings. The junior is hitting .398 with seven home runs and 43 RBI while compiling a fielding percentage of .958.
Tennessee Tech has been perhaps the biggest surprise of the season, rattling off an impressive 28-game winning streak from early March until the final day of April. Helping the Golden Eagles in that pursuit was junior David Garza, who is hitting .330 with 13 home runs and 59 RBI to go with a .954 fielding percentage.
Deacon Liput has No. 1-ranked Florida looking well on its way to defending its national championship. The Gators' junior is hitting .305 with six home runs and 30 RBI, but maybe more impressive is the fact he has committed just two errors all season for a .984 fielding percentage.
Nico Hoerner has Stanford poised for a deep playoff run as well. The junior is hitting .326 with a pair of home runs and 30 RBI while compiling a .963 fielding percentage.
Surging South Carolina is led by junior shortstop Madison Stokes, who is hitting .341 with eight home runs and 33 RBI while committing just four errors for a .968 fielding percentage.
For more information on the Wallace Award or the College Baseball Hall of Fame's Night of Champions, visit www.collegebaseballhall.org.
BROOKS WALLACE AWARD WATCH LIST
|
Name |
School |
Conference |
|
David Garza |
Tennessee Tech |
Ohio Valley |
|
Chris Givin |
Xavier |
Big East |
|
Jimmy Glowenke |
Dallas Baptist |
Missouri Valley |
|
Nick Grande |
Stony Brook |
American East |
|
Cadyn Grenier |
Oregon State |
Pac-12 |
|
Nico Hoerner |
Stanford |
Pac-12 |
|
Will Holland |
Auburn |
SEC |
|
Reid Leonard |
Morehead State |
Ohio Valley |
|
Deacon Liput |
Florida |
SEC |
|
Owen Miller |
Illinois State |
Missouri Valley |
|
Joey Ortiz |
New Mexico State |
WAC |
|
Matt Sanders |
Troy |
Sun Belt |
|
Braden Shewmake |
Texas A&M |
SEC |
|
Madison Stokes |
South Carolina |
SEC |
|
Terrin Vavra |
Minnesota |
Big Ten |
|
RJ Yeager |
Mercer |
Southern |
