Nation’s Top Shortstops Named Finalists for Brooks Wallace Award

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The nation’s top five shortstops have been named finalists for the 2026 Brooks Wallace Award, it was announced by the College Baseball Foundation on Tuesday.

The 2026 finalists include senior Dylan Carey (Nebraska), junior Roch Cholowsky (UCLA), junior Carson Kerce (Georgia Tech), sophomore Chris Ramirez (California Baptist) and junior Jake Schaffner (North Carolina). Cholowsky was the 2025 Brooks Wallace Award winner.

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.

Finalists were identified based on their combined offensive and defensive performances from this season. The 2026 Brooks Wallace Award will be announced at a press conference scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, June 13, in the media room at Charles Schwab Field, prior to the start of the second day of action at the MCWS.

In addition to the Wallace Award, the winners of the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year, the Buster Posey Award, presented by Hasty Awards (nation’s top catcher), the Pitcher of the Year Award, the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award, the Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence and the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award, presented by Marucci, will also be announced.

“Some difficult decisions were made as there are so many deserving shortstops this year to get down to our final five,” chair of the Brooks Wallace Award Larry Wallace said. “This field brings some impressive numbers at the plate as well as some slick fielding skills on the defensive side. Now we will try to capture the attributes of who Brooks was with our interview process to best represent his legacy.”

One of the most accomplished hitters in Nebraska history, Carey became the ninth Husker to reach 200 career hits, 150 runs, and 150 RBI, while also setting the program’s all-time record for doubles. Carey was one of Nebraska’s most reliable offensive leaders, batting .353 with a .622 slugging percentage. He netted 16 doubles, two triples, and 15 home runs, while posting a team-leading 14 multi-RBI games to go along with 65 RBI and 53 runs scored. He also has recorded 26 multi-hit games. The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-Big Ten selection, he sported a .981 fielding percentage with just four errors on the season. He also played a key role in turning 27 double plays.

Cholowsky, a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year, is just the third player in conference history to earn the honor in back-to-back seasons. He led the Big Ten in home runs (21) and runs scored (73), driving UCLA’s offense while posting a .320 batting average. Over 60 games, he had 74 hits, 60 RBI, and 10 doubles, while also delivering 19 multi-hit games and 17 multi-RBI performances. He also set a UCLA single-season record with 25 hit-by-pitches. Defensively, Cholowsky was equally impactful with a .965 fielding percentage while turning 30 double plays. His ability to cover ground enabled him to rank second among Division I shortstops with a 4.53 WAR, along with 14.73 defensive runs saved and a 1.08 defensive WAR mark.

A First Team All-ACC selection, Kerce was a driving force for the Yellow Jackets hitting .384 over 61 games while leading the team extra-base hits (44), ranking third in hits (91) and fifth in runs (70). He set a Georgia Tech single-season record with 29 doubles. His offensive line includes 11 home runs, four triples, and 51 RBI, contributing to a standout .679 slugging percentage, and 34 walks. His production was steady with a team-leading 15 games with three or more hits. Kerce posted a .961 fielding percentage while turning 19 double plays across the season. He was named ACC Player of the Week on April 13.

Ramirez, the 2026 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Player of the Year, became just the third player in Cal Baptist program history to earn the conference’s top honor. He also secured the WAC Defensive Player of the Year recognition for the second consecutive season. A First-Team All-WAC selection, Ramirez delivered an exceptional all-around season, leading CBU with a .389 batting average and a program-record 98 hits. He racked up 22 doubles, seven home runs, 71 runs scored, and 42 RBI while posting a strong .575 slugging percentage. He also added 21 stolen bases. Ramirez's sure-handedness saw him turn 29 double plays and post a .979 fielding percentage with just five errors. He earned two WAC Player of the Week awards and recognition as the College Baseball Foundation’s Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Week on May 5.

All-ACC First Team honoree, Schaffner has anchored North Carolina both offensively and defensively as the Tar Heels’ leadoff hitter. A junior transfer from North Dakota State, the left-handed hitter leads the team in hits, total bases, and stolen bases while batting an impressive .362. His production includes 19 doubles, seven triples, and six home runs, along with 77 runs scored and 44 RBI. Schaffner’s consistency is highlighted by 26 multi-hit games and 21 multi-run performances. Defensively, Schaffner's sure-handedness is reflected in a .985 fielding percentage with just three errors over 59 games. He has also played a key role in turning 30 double plays. He earned recognition as the College Baseball Foundation’s Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Week on March 3.

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; Griff O’Ferrall, SS, Virginia, 2024; and Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA, 2025.

For more information on the Brooks Wallace Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.

2026 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Finalists

Name, Class, School, Hometown, Conference

· Dylan Carey, Senior, Nebraska, Castle Rock, Colorado, BIG TEN

· Roch Cholowsky, Junior, UCLA, Chandler, Arizona, Big TEN

· Carson Kerce, Junior, Georgia Tech, Marietta, Georgia, ACC

· Chris Ramirez, Sophomore, California Baptist, Corona, California, WAC

· Jake Schaffner, Junior, North Carolina, Janesville, Wisconsin, ACC