Miami Baseball's Lopez Named Brooks Wallace Award Semifinalist

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

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