LUBBOCK, Texas ¨C 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

• Wehiwa Aloy, Arkansas, SEC
• Dillon Baker, Miami (Ohio), Mid-American
• Romeo Ballesteros, New Mexico State, Conference USA
• Finley Bates, San Diego State, Mountain West
• Colton Becker, Morehead State, Ohio Valley
• Will Bermudez, UC Irvine, Big West
• Aiden Brewer, UNC-Greensboro, Southern
• Nolan Brown, Stephen F. Austin, WAC
• Ali Camarillo, Texas A&M, SEC
• Benny Casillas, Loyola Marymount, West Coast
• C.J. Castillo, Texas Southern, SWAC
• Kaelen Culpepper, Kansas State, Big 12
• Nolan Clifford, Creighton, Big East
• Tremayne Cobb, Jr., Troy, Sun Belt
• Collier Cranford, Kansas, Big 12
• Kyle Debarge, Louisiana, Sun Belt
• Coby Dejesus, Houston, Big 12
• Eduardo Diaz, Navy, Patriot
• Devin Dixon, New Mexico, Mountain West
• Kanin Dodge, Lamar University, Southland
• Jordan Donaghue, Hawaii, Big West
• Gavin Donohue, Sacred Heart, Northeast
• Carter Dorighi, Butler, Big East
• Mason Dunaway, James Madison, Sun Belt
• Chris Einemann, Bryant, American East
• Brody Fahr, Presbyterian College, Big South
• Andrew Fernandez, Tennessee Martin, Ohio Valley
• Jalin Flores, Texas, Big 12
• Lane Forsythe, Oklahoma State, Big 12
• Bradley Frye, Mercer, Southern
• Camden Gasser, Purdue, Big Ten
• Jon Jon Gazdar, Austin Peay, Atlantic Sun
• Gunner Gouldsmith, Sacramento State, WAC
• Clay Grady, Virginia Tech, ACC
• Elijah Hainline, Oregon State, Pac-12
• Michael Hallquist, Ball State, Mid-American
• Troy Hamilton, South Carolina Upstate, Big South
• Luke Heefner, Dallas Baptist, Conference USA
• Cal Hejza, Illinois, Big Ten
• Jacob Hinderleider, Clemson, ACC
• Garrett Howe, Samford, Southern
• Core Jackson, Utah, Pac-12
• Kyle Jackson, Kent State, Mid-American
• Quentin Jenkins, Alabama State, SWAC
• Caleb Johnson, Jacksonville State, Conference USA
• Henry Kaczmar, Ohio State, Big Ten
• Matt Kinge, UTSA, AAC
• Gavin Kilen, Louisville, ACC
• Hayden Knotts, Northwestern State, Southland
• Brodie Kresser, West Virginia, Big 12
• Josh Kuroda-Grauer, Rutgers, Big Ten
• Maddox Latta, Cal State Fullerton, Big West
• Trey Law, Youngstown State, Horizon
• Luke Lawrence, Illinois State, Missouri Valley
• Matt Leahy, Rider, Metro Atlantic
• Trevor Leon, Western Illinois, Ohio Valley
• Brando Lereoux, Florida Atlantic, AAC
• Brett Lesher, Delaware, Coastal
• Lucas Loos, Eastern Illinois, Ohio Valley
• Maximus Martin, Georgia State, Sun Belt
• Tanner Marsh, Liberty, Conference USA
• David Marshall, Jr., St. Bonaventure, Atlantic 10
• Jack Marshall, Stonehill, Northeast
• Sam McNulty, Boston College, ACC
• David Mershon, Mississippi State, SEC
• Matt Miceli, Stony Brook, Coastal
• Maddox Molony, Oregon, Pac-12
• P.J. Moutzouridis, California, Pac-12
• Paul Myro, UNLV, Mountain West
• J.R. Nelson, Ohio, Mid-American
• Ben Newton, Fresno State, Mountain West
• Luke Nomura, Fairfield, Metro Atlantic
• Griff O'Ferrall, Virginia, ACC
• Josh Paino, California Baptist, WAC
• Garrett Palladino, Alcorn State, SWAC
• Grant Randall, Incarnate Word, Southland
• Sawyer Reeves, The Citadel, Southern
• Jack Renwick, Wofford, Southern
• T.J. Rogers, San Francisco, West Coast
• Trevor Roper, Houston Christian, Southland
• Tyler Ross, Bowling Green, Mid-American
• Jake Schaffner, North Dakota State, Summit
• Colby Shelton, Florida, SEC
• Anthony Silva, TCU, Big 12
• Grant Smith, Kentucky, SEC
• Mike Stellrecht, Binghamton, American East
• Adam Stuart, High Point, Big South
• Noah Sudyka, UC San Diego, Big West
• Ty Swaim, VMI, Southern
• Chase Swain, Manhattan, Metro Atlantic
• Paul Tammaro, Connecticut, Big East
• Robert Tate, Jackson State, SWAC
• Trent Turner, Western Carolina, Southern
• Cooper Weiss, Auburn, SEC
• Jeron Williams, Toledo, Mid-American
• Malcolm Williams, Santa Clara, West Coast
• Jonathan Vastine, Vanderbilt, SEC
• Luke Wood, College of Charleston, Coastal
• Zane Zielinski, Illinois-Chicago, Missouri Valley