OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - The College Baseball Foundation has released the 2026 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List as High Point University's Willie Ponce was named as one of the top 100 shortstops in the country.  

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.

Through 13 games this season, Ponce is slashing .348/.483/.630 with five doubles, one triple, two home runs, and 13 RBI, while scoring 13 runs. Defensively, Ponce owns a .961 fielding percentage, committing just two errors in 51 chances.

High Point is back on the diamond this weekend for a three-game series at the University of Florida. The first game is Friday, March 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Condron Family Ballpark. 

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 10
• 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, AAC
• Dylan Carey, Senior, Nebraska, Big Ten
• Roch Cholowsky, Junior, UCLA, Big Ten
• Andy Cisneros, Senior, Gonzaga, West Coast
• Owen Clyne, Senior George Mason, A10
• 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, Sun Belt
• Nico DeFazio, RS-Junior, Houston Christian, Southland
• Dante DeFranco, Graduate, VCU, A10
• Chase Diggins, Senior, Omaha, Summit
• Kyle Eddington, Junior, UMBC, America East
• Patrick Engskov, Senior, Arkansas State, Sun Belt
• 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, A10
• Jake Hajdu, Sophomore, Elon, CAA
• Kaikea Harrison, Senior, Tulane, AAC
• Jackson Hays, Freshman, Yale, Ivy League
• Maloy Heaghney, RS-Sophomore, USC Upstate, Big South
• Kai Holm, Graduate Lipscomb, Atlantic Sun
• Leighton Jenkins, Graduate, North Alabama, Sun Belt
• Will Johnson, Senior, Mercer, Southland
• Kevin Jones, Graduate, UNCW, CAA
• Camden Karczewski, Graduate, Illinois State, MVC
• Ty Kaunas, Freshman, Maryland, Big 10
• 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
• Brodie Kresser, Graduate, West Virginia, Big 12
• Matt Lashley, Junior, East Carolina, AAC
• 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 10
• 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, Sun Belt
• Conner Peek, Graduate, Georgetown, Big East
• Elijah Pelayo, RS-Senior, Cal State Bakersfield, Big West
• Aaron Piasecki, Senior, Troy, Sun Belt
• 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, AAC
• Kyle Revere, Graduate, Oakland, Horizon
• Blaze Rodriguez, Freshman, Louisiana, Sun Belt
• 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 10
• Charlie Scholvin, Junior, Toledo, MAC
• Austin Sellers Sophomore, Georgia State, Sun Belt
• Clayton Slack, Senior, Southern Indiana, OVC
• Cayden Smith, Sophomore, Central Michigan, MAC
• Seth Smith, Junior, Southern Miss, Sun Belt
• Jack Spanier, Junior, Minnesota, Big 10
• 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, Sun Belt