OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The nation’s top 30 shortstops have been named semifinalists for the 2025 Brooks Wallace Award, the College Baseball Foundation announced 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 RBI. Arquette (Oregon State) has 60, while Aloy (Arkansas) has 58. Kyle Lodise (Georgia Tech), King (Arizona State), Colin Yeaman (UC Irvine) and Dylan Grego (Ball State), come in at 56, 54, 54 and 52 RBI, 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 Award Semifinalists
Name, School, Hometown, Conference
- Alex Alicea, Louisville, Milwaukee, ACC
- Wehiwa Aloy, Arkansas, Wailuku, Hawai'i, SEC
- Aiva Arquette, Oregon State, Kailua, Hawai'i, Independent
- Dillon Baker, Miami (OH), Tampa, Fla., MAC
- Kolby Branch, Georgia, Lucas, Texas, SEC
- Benny Casillas, Michigan, Los Angeles, Big Ten
- Roch Cholowsky, UCLA, Chandler, Ariz., Big Ten
- Lukas Cook, Purdue, Knoxville, Tenn., Big Ten
- Dylan Grego, Ball State, Kansas City, Mo., MAC
- Cam Hassert, Loyola Marymount, Longmont, Colo., 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, Calif., Big West
- Alex Lodise, Florida State, St. Augustine, Fla., ACC
- Kyle Lodise, Georgia Tech, Brunswick, Ga., ACC
- Isaac Lopez, UTRGV, Edinburg, Texas, Southland
- Alex Madera, North Carolina, Delran, N.J., ACC
- Lorenzo Meola, Stetson, Green Brook, N.J., Atlantic Sun
- Jake Ogden, Miami, Homestead, Fla., ACC
- Ray Ortiz, NJIT, Bayonne, N.J., America East
- TJ Salvaggio, Southeastern Louisiana, Slidell, La., Southland
- Blake Schaaf, Georgetown, Oakland, Calif., BIG EAST
- Jake Schaffner, North Dakota State, Janesville, Wis., Summit
- Colby Shelton, Florida, Lexington, S.C., SEC
- Ike Shirey, Tarleton State, Dale, Okla., WAC
- Brady Short, Central Connecticut, Huley, N.Y., Northeast
- Carter Sintek, South Dakota State, Bennington, Neb., Summit
- Drew Wyers, Bryant, Columbus, N.J., America East
- Colin Yeaman, UC Irvine, Saugus, Calif., Big West
2025 Brooks Wallace Award Weekly Honorees
Feb. 25 – Aiva Arquette, SS, Junior, Oregon State
March 4 – Core Jackson, SS, Senior, Utah
March 11 – Maximus Martin, SS, Junior, Kansas State
March 18 – Bryce Hughes, IF, Graduate, Texas Southern
March 25 – Wehiwa Aloy, IF, Junior, Arkansas
April 1 – Alex Lodise, IF, Junior, Florida
April 8 – Dyrenson Wouters, IF, Junior, Dayton
April 15 – Matt King, IF, Senior, Arizona State
April 22 – Gunner Antillon, IF, Senior, Bowling Green
April 29 – Roch Cholowsky, IF, Sophomore, UCLA
May 6 – Drew Wyers, IF, Junior, Bryant
May 13 – Justin Lebron, IF, Sophomore, Alabama
May 20 – Case Sullivan, IF, RS-Freshman, Valparaiso
About the College Baseball Foundation
The purpose of the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) is to preserve, elevate and advance the game; to inspire the next generation; to teach those who love college baseball about its rich history and traditions; to celebrate those who make college baseball special; and to honor those who have come before us, and built the foundation upon which college baseball thrives today.
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The CBF presents the Brooks Wallace Award (Nation’s Most Outstanding Shortstop), the National Pitcher of the Year, the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year, the Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year, the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award and the Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence Award.
About the College Baseball Hall of Fame
Each year, more than 190 representatives nationwide vote on the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction class. The voting body is comprised of national and regional college baseball media, active and retired coaches, former players, former inductees, college baseball historians and members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) collegiate baseball committee. The College Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2006. Since that time, 165 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and contributors have been selected for induction. Click here for a full list of College Baseball Hall of Fame classes.
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