University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: AINSLEY E. FAUTH
Schaffner Named A Brooks Wallace Award Finalist
June 2, 2026 | Baseball
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Carolina baseball star Jake Schaffner has been announced as one of the five finalists for the 2026 Brooks Wallace Award, the College Baseball Foundation announced on Tuesday.
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Named for former Texas Tech player Brooks Wallace, who passed away from leukemia at the age of 27, the award honors the nation's top shortstop. Finalists were identified based on their combined offensive and defensive performances from this season.
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The first team All-ACC honoree Schaffner has been sensational in the leadoff spot for the No. 5 Tar Heels. He is currently hitting .362 with a 1.057 OPS and team highs in hits (85), extra base hits (32), runs scored (77), and stolen bases (25-28).
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He has also been rock solid defensively, logging a .985 fielding percentage and committing just three errors across his 59 games. His top tier and elite glove cover a tremendous amount of ground on the left side of the Carolina infield.
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 The 2026 Brooks Wallace Award will be announced at a press conference scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, June 13, in the media room at Charles Schwab Field, prior to the start of the second day of action at the MCWS.
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Named for former Texas Tech player Brooks Wallace, who passed away from leukemia at the age of 27, the award honors the nation's top shortstop. Finalists were identified based on their combined offensive and defensive performances from this season.
Â
The first team All-ACC honoree Schaffner has been sensational in the leadoff spot for the No. 5 Tar Heels. He is currently hitting .362 with a 1.057 OPS and team highs in hits (85), extra base hits (32), runs scored (77), and stolen bases (25-28).
Â
He has also been rock solid defensively, logging a .985 fielding percentage and committing just three errors across his 59 games. His top tier and elite glove cover a tremendous amount of ground on the left side of the Carolina infield.
Â
 The 2026 Brooks Wallace Award will be announced at a press conference scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, June 13, in the media room at Charles Schwab Field, prior to the start of the second day of action at the MCWS.
Players Mentioned
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