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Story Courtesy UM
LUBBOCK, Texas – Senior Brandon Lopez was among the 11 players recognized as semifinalists for the 2016 Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award, the National College Baseball Hall of Fame announced Thursday.
A four-year starter for the Hurricanes, Lopez ranks third in the ACC and leads Miami with a .388 average this season.
Lopez has recorded career-best totals of 73 hits, 43 runs scored, 13 doubles, two home runs and 41 RBI for the third-ranked Hurricanes. He is slugging .489 and has recorded an on-base percentage of .454, the second-highest on the team.
Known primarily for his glove during his first three seasons at Miami, Lopez continued his strong play defensively with just five errors made in the field through his 50 starts at shortstop.
There are four ACC representatives on the semifinalist list. No other conference on the list has more than two representatives.
"These players have made our jobs really difficult this year as we try to select the best shortstop in the country," said Tyler Young, Wallace Award co-chair. "It's a great problem to have, and we can't wait to see how the postseason sorts out for these young men."
Miami now has players listed as semifinalists for three major college baseball awards; Zack Collins and Bryan Garcia were named semifinalists for the 2016 Dick Howser Trophy in late May, and Collins is also a semifinalist for the 2016 Golden Spikes Award.
For more information on the Brooks Wallace Award or the College Baseball Hall of Fame's Night of Champions, visit www.collegebaseballhall.
org.
2016 BROOKS WALLACE SHORTSTOP OF THE YEAR SEMIFINALISTS
Name
School
Conference
Taylor Walls
Florida State
ACC
Devin Hairston
Louisville
ACC
Brandon Lopez
Miami
ACC
Charles Leblanc
Pittsburgh
ACC
Sheldon Neuse
Oklahoma
Big 12
Donnie Walton
Oklahoma State
Big 12
Nick Roscetti
Iowa
Big Ten
CJ Chatham
Florida Atlantic
Conference USA
Riley Delgado
Middle Tennessee State
Conference USA
Dalton Guthrie
Florida
SEC
Kramer Robertson
LSU
SEC