UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky Named Brooks Wallace Award Winner As Nation’s Top Shortstop

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – Sophomore Roch Cholowsky of UCLA has been named the recipient of the 2025 Brooks Wallace Award, it was announced by the College Baseball Foundation on Friday.

The award annually honors the nation's top shortstop, based on combined offensive and defensive performance. 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.

Griff O’Ferrall of the University of Virginia was the 2024 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year. Cholowsky became the first sophomore and the first player from UCLA to win the award. Other 2025 finalists included junior Wehiwa Aloy (Arkansas), junior Aiva Arquette (Oregon State), senior Matt King (Arizona State) and junior Alex Lodise (Florida State).

“What an incredible year it has been for shortstops in college baseball,” Brooks Wallace Award Chair Larry Wallace said. “We are incredibly proud to have Roch as our winner of Brooks' award. Roch was instrumental in turning around a team that had a losing record last year and led them to Omaha this year. Roch defines what we look for to represent the award through his leadership off the field without overlooking the defensive prowess and power numbers he put up as well. Welcome to the Wallace family Roch!”

The Big 10 Player of the Year and Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year, Cholowsky has been a mainstay for the Bruins this season. He enters the CWS hitting .367 with 23 home runs and 73 RBI. He tops the Big Ten in OPS (1.235), slugging percentage (.742), total bases (178) and runs scored (79) and ranks third in on-base percentage (.494). His 23 home runs are the most by a Bruin since 2000. He has 19 doubles and is 7-for-8 on stolen base attempts this season.

In the field, he has committed only seven errors on 297 chances, racking up 175 assists and 115 putouts in posting a .976 fielding percentage. He has been a part of 47 double plays. UCLA will play Murray State in a CWS opening round game on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT.

Cholowksy earned first-team All-America honors from Perfect Game and second-team recognition from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Associations (NCBWA). The Chandler, Ariz., native becomes the first UCLA non-freshman position player to be named an All-American since JT Schwatz in 2021. At 47-16, this season, Cholowsky helped UCLA to its highest win total since the 2019 Bruin team finished 52-11.

"Roch has been one of the most consistent players in the country this season, making a significant impact on both sides of the ball in every game,” UCLA Head Baseball Coach John Savage said. “His passion for becoming one of UCLA's greatest players is matched by his relentless desire to win."

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.

“Recognized as the Big 10 Player of the Year, Roch has a keen eye at the plate while also possessing outstanding defensive skills at shortstop,” Brooks Wallace Award Assistant Chair Tom Quigley said. “He was a Brooks Wallace weekly award winner early in the season and has continued his spectacular play throughout the year. Roch leads UCLA in almost every offensive category and has been instrumental in leading his team to Omaha.”

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 Recipients

Name, Position, Class, School

2025 – Roch Cholowsky, SS, Sophomore, UCLA

2024 – Griff O’Ferrall, SS, Junior, Virginia

2023 – Matt Shaw, SS, Junior, Maryland

2022 – Brooks Lee, SS, Junior, Cal Poly

2021 – Cal Conley, SS, RS-Freshman, Texas Tech

2020 – Not Awarded (season suspended)

2019 – Grae Kessinger, SS, Junior, Ole Miss

2018 – Cadyn Grenier, SS, Junior, Oregon State

2017 – Logan Warmoth, SS, Junior, North Carolina

2016 – Sheldon Neuse, SS, Junior, Oklahoma

2015 – Dansby Swanson, SS, Junior, Vanderbilt

2014 – Trea Turner, SS, Junior, NC State

2013 – Alex Bregman, SS, Freshman, LSU

2012 – Zach Vincej, SS, Junior, Pepperdine

2011 – Brad Miller, SS, Junior, Clemson

2010 – Jedd Gyorko, SS, Junior, West Virginia

2009 – Ben Orloff, SS, Senior, UC Irvine

2008 – Buster Posey, C, Junior, Florida State

2007 – David Price, SP, Junior, Vanderbilt

2006 – Brad Lincoln, SP/DH, Junior, Houston

2005 – Alex Gordon, 3B, Junior, Nebraska

2004 – Kurt Suzuki, C, Junior, Cal State Fullerton