Brooks Wallace Award announces 2024 watch list

By College Baseball Foundation | April 24, 2024

LUBBOCK, Texas – For one of the few times in the history of the Brooks Wallace Award, the field for the 2024 watch list is wide open with no player standing tall above the others.

The top 100 shortstops in the country were announced Wednesday, led by several players putting up tremendous offensive numbers. But because the award is about more than just offense, there are several players putting up solid defensive numbers as well.

“Many of these young men are fielding their position with no errors or very few this far along into the season, which is incredible,” said Larry Wallace, co-chair of the Brooks Wallace Award. “With our selections ramping up, this is one of the main skills we look for in shortstop of the year award.”

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 award honors outstanding defensive play as much as it does production at the plate. One player displaying both of those features is Creighton senior Nolan Clifford. Ranked No. 3 in batting average and No. 1 in fielding on the watch list, Clifford is hitting .367 with four home runs and 30 RBI, and in the field has compiled a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with no errors in 109 chances.

Hot on his heels, however, is Rutgers junior Josh Kuroda-Grauer. Kuroda-Grauer ranks No. 1 batting average and No. 18 in fielding. He has compiled a .440 batting average with four home runs and 39 RBI, and he has just four errors in 162 chances.

There are plenty of players on the list who are also expected to be high draft picks this summer and beyond. Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy has led the front-running Razorbacks for most of the season, hitting .275 with nine home runs and 37 RBI while committing just four errors in 103 chances. Texas sophomore Jalin Flores is hitting .344 with 14 home runs and 36 RBI with just five errors in 164 chances. Kansas State junior Kaelen Culpepper is hitting .319 with seven home runs, 33 RBI and just five errors in 148 chances.

“The Brooks Wallace Award is wide open this season with 27 conferences represented in our initial top 100 watch list,” said Tom Quigley, Brooks Wallace Award co-chair. “We have quite a few solid hitters and some heavy hitters as well.”

For more information on the Wallace Award or the Night of Champions event, visit www.collegebaseballhall.org.

2024 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List

Name, School, Conference

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