April 23, 2015 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List |
Sophomore shortstop David Fletcher has been named to the 2015 Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Watch List, it was announced on Thursday. The award, sponsored by Mizuno, recognizes the nation's top shortstop and will be presented during the National College Baseball Hall of Fame's Night of Champions on June 29 in Lubbock.
Fletcher, a Freshman All-American a year ago, is hitting .325 with 23 runs scored, 11 doubles, two triples and a homer for the Lions this season. Hitting in the heart of the LMU order for the majority of the year, Fletcher has driven in 25 runs, has drawn 22 walks and has stolen 11 bases. He has struck out just 12 times in 160 at bats. Defensively, Fletcher continues to prove himself as one of the top defensive shortstops in the nation, dazzling spectators and opponents alike with spectacular plays nearly every game. The native of Cypress, Calif., and the 2014 WCC Defensive Player of the Year, is fielding .971 this season over 204 chances.
Small-school representatives on the watch list include Lipscomb's Grant Massey, who leads the watch list with a .386 batting average and a .994 fielding percentage. Morehead State's Robby Spencer leads the list with 48 RBIs and is tied for the lead in home runs at eight. Alex Bregman, 2013 Wallace Award winner, also has eight homers on the season.
"Some of the small and mid-major schools don't get the same publicity as a lot of the larger schools do, but they definitely play some high-caliber baseball," said Tyler Young, Wallace Award co-chair. "Those guys have quality numbers and they deserve to be on this list."
Several conferences have multiple players on the list, led by the SEC and Pac-12, each with five. The West Coast Conference has four players on the list, including Fletcher, Logan Steinberg (Saint Mary's), Kyle Holder (San Diego), and Jose Vizcaino, Jr. (Santa Clara). The ACC, Big South and Big West conferences each have three players on the list.
"Those are all definitely well-known conferences within Division I baseball," said Larry Wallace, co-chair of the Wallace Award committee. "But there are 23 conferences represented on the list. There's great baseball being played all across the country, and it's great to be able to recognize that."
Fletcher and the Lions will continue West Coast Conference play this weekend when they travel to Portland for a three-game series beginning Friday at 3 p.m.
