Nation’s Top Shortstops Named Brooks Wallace Award Semifinalists
OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – The nation’s top 30 shortstops have been named semifinalists for the 2025 Brooks Wallace Award, it was announced by the College Baseball Foundation on Wednesday.
The award honors the nation's top shortstop and will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation later this year. It is named for former Texas Tech shortstop Brooks Wallace, who played for the Red Raiders from 1977 to 1980. Wallace died of leukemia at the age of 27.
The semifinalists were identified based on their combined offensive and defensive performances from this season. Finalists for the Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award will be announced on June 4, with the 2025 winner to be announced at a date to be finalized later that month. Griff O’Ferrall of the University of Virginia was the 2024 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year.
“Paring down our list each year is always difficult and this year is no different,“ said Larry Wallace, co-chair of the Brooks Wallace Award. “All these candidates are hitting for big averages but how well they field their position is paramount in choosing the winner for this award.”
Seven shortstops on the watch list have already earned distinction as Brooks Wallace Award weekly honorees. Wehiwa Aloy (Arkansas), Aiva Arquette (Oregon State), Roch Cholowsky (UCLA), Core Jackson (Utah), Matt King (Arizona State), Alex Lodise (Florida State) and Drew Wyers (Bryant) have been recognized as weekly Brooks Wallace Award winners this season.
Lodise (Florida State) and Wyers (Bryant) lead all semifinalists with.422 batting averages this season. King (Arizona State) and Benny Casillas (Michigan) sport batting averages of .401.
Cholowsky (UCLA) is pacing the field with 20 home runs with Aloy (Arkansas) registering 18 home runs. Lodise (Florida State) and Aiva Arquette (Oregon State) are tracking close behind with 17 round trippers.
Lodise (Florida State) and Cholowsky (UCLA) lead semifinalists with 63 RBIs. Arquette (Oregon State) has 60 RBIs, while Aloy (Arkansas) has 58 RBIs. Kyle Lodise (Georgia Tech), King (Arizona State), Colin Yeaman (UC Irvine) and Dylan Grego (Ball State), come in at 56, 54, 54 and 52 RBIs, respectively.
Aloy (Arkansas) and Alex Alicea (Louisville) top the runs scored list, crossing the plate 72 and 71 times this season. Lodise (Georgia Tech) and Jackson (Utah) both have tallied 61 runs scored.
Alicea (Louisville) is leading the way defensively, boasting a .997 fielding percentage. Colby Shelton (Florida) boasts a .984 fielding percentage, while Arquette (Oregon State) and Lorenzo Meola (Stetson) check in with a .980 fielding percentage.
The Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award was first awarded in 2004. Prior to 2009, the award recognized the National Player of the Year.
Previous winners of the award are Kurt Suzuki, C, Cal State Fullerton, 2004; Alex Gordon, 3B, Nebraska, 2005; Brad Lincoln, SP/DH, Houston, 2006; David Price, SP, Vanderbilt, 2007; Buster Posey, C, Florida State, 2008; Ben Orloff, SS, UC Irvine, 2009; Jedd Gyorko, SS, West Virginia, 2010; Brad Miller, SS, Clemson, 2011; Zach Vincej, SS, Pepperdine, 2012; Alex Bregman, SS, LSU, 2013; Trea Turner, SS, NC State, 2014; Dansby Swanson, SS, Vanderbilt, 2015; Sheldon Neuse, SS, Oklahoma, 2016; Logan Warmoth, SS, North Carolina, 2017; Cadyn Grenier, SS, Oregon State, 2018; Grae Kessinger, SS, Ole Miss, 2019; Cal Conley, SS, Texas Tech, 2021; Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly, 2022; Matt Shaw, SS, Maryland 2023; and Griff O’Ferrall, SS, Virginia, 2024.
For more information on the Brooks Wallace Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.
2025 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Semifinalists
Name, School, Hometown, Conference
· Alex Alicea, Louisville, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ACC
· Wehiwa Aloy, Arkansas, Wailuku, Hawai'i , SEC
· Aiva Arquette, Oregon State, Kailua, Hawai'i, Independent
· Dillon Baker, Miami (OH), Tampa, Florida, MAC
· Kolby Branch, Georgia, Lucas, Texas, SEC
· Benny Casillas, Michigan, Los Ángeles, California, Big Ten
· Roch Cholowsky, UCLA, Chandler, Arizona, Big Ten
· Lukas Cook, Purdue, Knoxville, Tennessee, Big Ten
· Dylan Grego, Ball State, Kansas City, Missouri, MAC
· Cam Hassert, Loyola Marymount, Longmont, Colorado, West Coast
· Core Jackson, Utah, Wyoming, Ontario, Big 12
· Tyriq Kemp, Baylor, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Big 12
· Matt King, Arizona State, Houston, Texas, Big 12
· Maddox Latta, Cal State Fullerton, Granada Hills, California, Big West
· Alex Lodise, Florida State, St. Augustine, Florida, ACC
· Kyle Lodise, Georgia Tech, Brunswick, Georgia, ACC
· Isaac Lopez, UTRGV, Edinburg, Texas, Southland
· Alex Madera, North Carolina, Delran, New Jersey, ACC
· Lorenzo Meola, Stetson, Green Brook, New Jersey, Atlantic Sun
· Jake Ogden, Miami, Homestead, Florida, ACC
· Ray Ortiz, NJIT, Bayonne, New Jersey, America East
· TJ Salvaggio, Southeastern Louisiana, Slidell, Louisiana, Southland
· Blake Schaaf, Georgetown, Oakland, California, BIG EAST
· Jake Schaffner, North Dakota State, Janesville, Wisconsin, Summit
· Colby Shelton, Florida, Lexington, South Carolina, SEC
· Ike Shirey, Tarleton State, Dale, Oklahoma, WAC
· Brady Short, Central Connecticut, Huley, New York, Northeast
· Carter Sintek, South Dakota State, Bennington, Nebraska, Summit
· Drew Wyers, Bryant, Columbus, New Jersey, America East
· Colin Yeaman, UC Irvine, Saugus, California, Big West
2025 Brooks Wallace Award Weekly Honorees
Date Honored - Player, Pos., Class, School, Player Hometown
2/25 - Aiva Arquette, SS, Junior, Oregon State University, Kailua, Hawai'i
3/4 - Core Jackson, SS, Senior, University of Utah, Wyoming, Ontario
3/11 – Maximus Martin, SS, Junior, Kansas State University, Edgewater Park, New Jersey
3/18 – Bryce Hughes, IF, Graduate, Texas Southern University, Baytown, Texas
3/25 – Wehiwa Aloy, IF, Junior, University of Arkansas, Wailuka, Hawai'i
4/1 – Alex Lodise, IF, Junior, Florida State University, St. Augustine, Florida
4/8 – Dyrenson Wouters, IF, Junior, Dayton University, Oranjestad, Aruba
4/15 – Matt King, IF, Senior, Arizona State University, Houston, Texas
4/22 – Gunner Antillon, IF, Senior, Bowling Green University, Rancho Cucamonga, California
4/29 – Roch Cholowsky, IF, Sophomore, UCLA, Chandler, Arizona
5/6 – Drew Wyers, IF, Junior, Bryant University, Columbus, New Jersey
5/13 – Justin Lebron, IF, Sophomore, University of Alabama, Miramar, Florida
5/20 – Case Sullivan, IF, RS-Freshman, Valparaiso University, Carmel, Indiana
