OVERLAND PARK, Kan. | Alabama A&M University junior infielder
AJ Anderson has been named to the 2026 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List, which was released Wednesday by the College Baseball Foundation.
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 top 100 shortstops in the country were announced Wednesday, led by several players putting up tremendous offensive numbers. But because the award is reflective of more than just offense, there are numerous players putting up solid defensive numbers as well.
"We are so incredibly proud to see
AJ Anderson named to the Brooks Wallace Award watch list," Alabama A&M head baseball coach
Louis Whitlow said. "Seeing AJ's transition from Bishop State to becoming the heart of our infield here at AAMU has been an inspiration.
"This recognition as one of the nation's top shortstops is so well-deserved, but I'm even more proud of the leader he's become for this program. He's put in the work every single day, and the future of things to come for his is so bright."
Anderson, who is in his second season at Alabama A&M, is batting .276, with 48 hits, including nine doubles, one triple and one home run. He has scored 30 times and drove in 20. Defensively, the Matthews, N.C. native has 104 assists, 67 putouts and has a .966 fielding percentage.
The Brooks Wallace Award is one of four weekly awards presented by the College Baseball Foundation. The CBF also awards the John Olerud Two-Way Player, National Pitcher and Buster Posey Collegiate Catcher of the Week.
"With the season now in full swing, there are so many deserving candidates for our many awards," said Chris Snead, CBF Awards Chair. "This is just the beginning of this process that culminates in our Omaha announcements of our recipients."
For more information on the Brooks Wallace Award or any of the CBF awards, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at
www.collegebaseballhall.org.
2026 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List
Name, Classification, School, Conference
• Trent Abel, Junior, Cal State Northridge, Big West
• Alex Alicea, Junior, Louisville, ACC
•
AJ Anderson, Junior, Alabama A&M, SWAC
• Clay Badylak, Graduate, Middle Tennessee, CUSA
• Charlie Bates, Sophomore, Stanford, ACC
• Chipper Beck, Senior, Utah Valley, WAC
• Eric Becker, Junior, Virginia, ACC
• Rodric Black, Senior, Stephen F. Austin, Southland
• Chase Bloomer, Senior, SIUE, OVC
• Braylen Blomquist, Sophomore, Wright State, Horizon
• Westin Boyle, Freshman, Purdue, Big Ten
• Kolby Branch, Senior, Georgia, SEC
• Jacob Brooks, Senior, Niagara, MAAC
• Michael Brown, Junior, Hofstra, CAA
• Cam Bryant, RS-Junior, Ohio, Mid-American
• Dawson Bryce, Junior, Charlotte, American
• Dylan Carey, Senior, Nebraska, Big Ten
• Roch Cholowsky, Junior, UCLA, Big Ten
• Andy Cisneros, Senior, Gonzaga, West Coast
• Owen Clyne, Senior George Mason, A-10
• Colton Coates, Junior, Louisiana Tech, CUSA
• Noah Coy, Sophomore, Notre Dame, ACC
• Logan Crock, Sophomore, Butler, BIG EAST
• Dylan Cupp, Junior, Dallas Baptist, CUSA
• Pete Daniel, Junior, Virginia Tech, ACC
• Micah Dean, Sophomore, ULM, SBC
• Nico DeFazio, RS-Junior, Houston Christian, Southland
• Dante DeFranco, Graduate, VCU, A-10
• Chase Diggins, Senior, Omaha, Summit
• Kyle Eddington, Junior, UMBC, America East
• Patrick Engskov, Senior, Arkansas State, SBC
• Henry Ferguson, Sophomore, East Tennessee State, Southern
• Zach Fjelstad, Junior, UC Irvine, Big West
• Gus Gandy, Sophomore, Samford, Southern
• Linkin Garcia, Freshman, Texas Tech, Big 12
• Johnathan Gomez, Sophomore, Farleigh Dickinson, Northeast
• Anthony Grabau, Sophomore, Fordham, A-10
• Jake Hajdu, Sophomore, Elon, CAA
• Kaikea Harrison, Senior, Tulane, American
• Jackson Hays, Freshman, Yale, Ivy League
• Maloy Heaghney, RS-Sophomore, USC Upstate, Big South
• Kai Holm, Graduate Lipscomb, ASUN
• Matt Ineich, Sophomore, West Virginia, Big 12
• Leighton Jenkins, Graduate, North Alabama, ASUN
• Kevin Jones, Graduate, UNCW, CAA
• Titan Kamaka, Senior, Mercer, ASUN
• Camden Karczewski, Graduate, Illinois State, MVC
• Ty Kaunas, Freshman, Maryland, Big Ten
• Brooks Kettering, Junior, Southeast Missouri State, OVC
• Boston Kellner, Freshman, Texas A&M, SEC
• Dee Kennedy Jr., Junior, Kansas State, Big 12
• Carson Kerce, Junior, Georgia Tech, ACC
• Matt Lashley, Junior, East Carolina, American
• Matt Leahy, Junior, Rider, MAAC
• Tyler Lichtenberger, Sophomore, Clemson, ACC
• Jerdy Lopez, Junior, Little Rock, OVC
• Matt Luigs, Freshman, Brown, Ivy League
• Eric Maisonet, Junior, Missouri, SEC
• DeShon Middleton, RS-Freshman, Prairie View A&M, SWAC
• Maddox Molony, Junior, Oregon, Big Ten
• Michael Maloney, Graduate, Western Michigan, MAC
• Diego Melendez, Junior, Jackson State, SWAC
• Steven Milam, Junior, LSU, SEC
• Pedro Moreno, Senior, Eastern Kentucky, ASUN
• PJ Moutzouridis, Junior, Arizona State, Big 12
• Sammy Mummau, RS-Sophomore, Jacksonville, ASUN
• Nate Negre, Sophomore, UCA, ASUN
• Ben Niedangel, Senior, Air Force, MWC
• Ben North, Graduate, Creighton, BIG EAST
• Jake Ogden, Senior, Miami, ACC
• Lee Owen, RS-Sophomore, Tennessee Tech, OVC
• Dawson Park, Sophomore, Texas State, SBC
• Conner Peek, Graduate, Georgetown, BIG EAST
• Elijah Pelayo, RS-Senior, Cal State Bakersfield, Big West
• Aaron Piasecki, Senior, Troy, SBC
• Willie Ponce, Graduate, High Point, Big South
• Adam Puder, RS-Sophomore, Saint Thomas, Summit
• Alejandro Puig, Sophomore, Dartmouth, Ivy League
• Jevin Relaford, Senior, South Florida, American
• Kyle Revere, Graduate, Oakland, Horizon
• Blaze Rodriguez, Freshman, Louisiana, SBC
• Jax Ryan, Junior, Missouri State, CUSA
• Travis Sanders, RS-Junior, Baylor, Big 12
• Sam Saucke, Freshman, Monmouth, CAA
• Jake Schaffner, Junior, North Carolina, ACC
• Kooper Schulte, Senior, Iowa, Big Ten
• Charlie Scholvin, Junior, Toledo, MAC
• Austin Sellers Sophomore, Georgia State, SBC
• Clayton Slack, Senior, Southern Indiana, OVC
• Cayden Smith, Sophomore, Central Michigan, MAC
• Seth Smith, Junior, Southern Miss, SBC
• Jack Spanier, Junior, Minnesota, Big Ten
• A.J. Taylor, Senior, Lamar, Southland
• Anthony Tirado, RS-Sophomore, UMASS, MAC
• Jonathan Trejo, Junior, Texas Southern, SWAC
• Jabin Trosky, RS-Junior, San Diego State, MWC
• Ryker Waite, Sophomore, Vanderbilt, SEC
• Karsen Waslefsky, Senior, New Mexico, MWC
• Jaxon Willits, Junior, Oklahoma, SEC
• Jonathan Xuereb, RS-Junior, Appalachian State, SBC
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.
The College Baseball Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Support for the College Baseball Hall of Fame will help preserve the rich history of the sport for future generations. All donations to the College Baseball Hall of Fame are tax deductible and can be made via this link on the organization's website.
The CBF presents the Brooks Wallace Award (Nation's Most Outstanding Shortstop), the National Pitcher of the Year Award, the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award, the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence.
About the College Baseball Hall of Fame
Each year, more than 200 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, 175 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and contributors have been selected for induction. Click here for a full list of College Baseball Hall of Fame classes.
The College Baseball Hall of Fame will establish a physical location in Overland Park, Kansas in 2026. Located within the iconic Museum at Prairiefire, the College Baseball Hall of Fame will serve as a shared community asset, deepening connections to the nation's favorite pastime through a dynamic and ever-evolving space for college baseball enthusiasts to celebrate the sport's rich past, present, and future.
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