Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Ike Freeman Named To Brooks Wallace Award Watch List
April 20, 2018 | Baseball
LUBBOCK, Texas – A group of 53 of the most talented athletes in Division I college baseball headline the 2018 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, the College Baseball Foundation announced Thursday, and North Carolina sophomore Ike Freeman was among those included for the honor of the nation's top shortstop.
The award, sponsored by Mizuno, honors the nation's top shortstop and will be presented this summer by the College Baseball Foundation. 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.
Freeman is in the midst of a fantastic sophomore season where he is leading on, and off, the field in multiple ways. Through 36 games this season, the defensive standout is hitting .308 with a .400 on-base percentage with 22 RBI and 27 runs scored. In ACC play, he is leading the team in batting average (.364) and in his last two ACC series against Miami and Virginia, he is batting an incredible 10-for-20 (.500).
"So many of these young men not only field their position well but also can hit with the best of them," said Larry Wallace, co-chairman of the Brooks Wallace Award. "Brooks would be amazed at some of the power exhibited in today's game."
"The college game is taking on a Major League feel, i.e. shortstops like Carlos Correa of the World Series Champion Astros, as so many players hit for high average and power," said Tom Quigley, co-chairman of the Brooks Wallace Award. "This year it will be a tough choice to narrow down the field for the award. A lot of conferences are represented, and we are seeing so much depth nationwide in NCAA baseball."
For more information on the Olerud Award or the College Baseball Hall of Fame's Night of Champions, visit www.collegebaseballhall.org.
BROOKS WALLACE AWARD WATCH LIST
The award, sponsored by Mizuno, honors the nation's top shortstop and will be presented this summer by the College Baseball Foundation. 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.
Freeman is in the midst of a fantastic sophomore season where he is leading on, and off, the field in multiple ways. Through 36 games this season, the defensive standout is hitting .308 with a .400 on-base percentage with 22 RBI and 27 runs scored. In ACC play, he is leading the team in batting average (.364) and in his last two ACC series against Miami and Virginia, he is batting an incredible 10-for-20 (.500).
"So many of these young men not only field their position well but also can hit with the best of them," said Larry Wallace, co-chairman of the Brooks Wallace Award. "Brooks would be amazed at some of the power exhibited in today's game."
"The college game is taking on a Major League feel, i.e. shortstops like Carlos Correa of the World Series Champion Astros, as so many players hit for high average and power," said Tom Quigley, co-chairman of the Brooks Wallace Award. "This year it will be a tough choice to narrow down the field for the award. A lot of conferences are represented, and we are seeing so much depth nationwide in NCAA baseball."
For more information on the Olerud Award or the College Baseball Hall of Fame's Night of Champions, visit www.collegebaseballhall.org.
BROOKS WALLACE AWARD WATCH LIST
| Name | School | Conference |
| Jax Biggers | Arkansas | SEC |
| Vinny Capra | Richmond | Atlantic 10 |
| Chris Cook | East Tennessee State | Southern |
| Logan Davidson | Clemson | ACC |
| Cole Daily | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Michael Davis | Texas Tech | Big 12 |
| Scott Dubrule | Jacksonville | Atlantic Sun |
| Jeremy Eierman | Missouri State | Missouri Valley |
| Ike Freeman | North Carolina | ACC |
| Andrew Fregia | Sam Houston State | Southland |
| Tyler Fitzgerald | Louisville | ACC |
| Matt Forlow | Manhattan | Metro Atlantic |
| David Garza | Tennessee Tech | Ohio Valley |
| Jimmy Glowenke | Dallas Baptist | Missouri Valley |
| Nick Grande | Stony Brook | American East |
| Cadyn Grenier | Oregon State | Pac-12 |
| Chris Givin | Xavier | Big East |
| Michael Hartnagel | Butler | Big East |
| Nico Hoerner | Stanford | Pac-12 |
| Will Holland | Auburn | SEC |
| Connor Kaiser | Vanderbilt | SEC |
| Ryland Kerr | Eastern Kentucky | Ohio Valley |
| Grae Kessinger | Mississippi | SEC |
| Zach Kone | Duke | ACC |
| Connor Kopach | Southern Illinois | Missouri Valley |
| Garrett Kueber | Austin Peay | Ohio Valley |
| Seth Lancaster | Coastal Carolina | Sun Belt |
| Andres Lipcius | Tennessee | SEC |
| Deacon Liput | Florida | SEC |
| Reid Leonard | Morehead State | Ohio Valley |
| Robbie Metz | George Washington | Atlantic 10 |
| Owen Miller | Illinois State | Missouri Valley |
| Ryne Ogren | Elon | Colonial |
| Joey Ortiz | New Mexico State | WAC |
| Jake Palomaki | Boston College | ACC |
| Michael Perri | San Francisco | West Coast |
| Robert Salazar | Abilene Christian | Southland |
| Mike Salvatore | Florida State | ACC |
| Matt Sanders | Troy | Sun Belt |
| Max Schuemann | Eastern Michigan | Mid-American |
| Sam Shaikin | Valparaiso | Horizon |
| Cam Shepard | Georgia | SEC |
| Braden Shewmake | Texas A&M | SEC |
| Dalton Skelton | Louisiana Tech | Conference USA |
| Josh Somdecerff | Central Arkansas | Southland |
| Bryson Stott | UNLV | Mountain West |
| Marshawn Taylon | Grambling | SWAC |
| Cameron Thompson | Kansas State | Big 12 |
| Terrin Vavra | Minnesota | Big Ten |
| Will Wilson | North Carolina State | ACC |
| Tyler Yamaguchi | Northern Colorado | WAC |
| David Yanni | Pittsburgh | ACC |
| RJ Yeager | Mercer | Southern |
Players Mentioned
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