Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics
Shortstop Brooks Lee Named a Finalist for Brooks Wallace Award
6/7/2021 12:01:00 PM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Cal Poly freshman shortstop Brooks Lee is one of six finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, sponsored by Mizuno and presented by the College Baseball Foundation to the nation's top collegiate shortstop.
Though the 2021 baseball season ended just eight days ago, Lee has already accumulated several postseason awards, including Big West Conference Co-Field Player of the Year as well as Co-Freshman Field Player of the Year and a spot on Collegiate Baseball's All-American first team.
The 2019 San Luis Obispo High School graduate became the 54th Mustang to earn a spot on the All-Big West First Team and earned Big West Field Player of the Week honors three times this season.
The second-year freshman hit a team-leading .342 this spring with 10 home runs and 57 RBIs, also breaking the school single-season record for doubles with 27.
A semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award (player of the year), Lee also led the Mustangs in hits (76), triples (3), home runs (10), total bases (139) and sacrifice flies (8). His 27 doubles is tied for fifth place in the Big West record book.
This season, he was first in the Big West in doubles, slugging percentage, RBIs, sacrifice flies and total bases, third in home runs and hits, sixth in runs scored and ninth in batting average. Nationally, he ranks No. 2 in doubles and sacrifice flies, 16th in total bases, 33rd in RBIs and 36th in hits.
Lee claimed back-to-back Big West Player of the Week awards in March after going 7-for-12 against Utah Valley and 7-for-14 versus UCLA, driving in 14 runs in the two series, and earned his third after the Cal State Fullerton series four weeks ago (9-for-18, four doubles, grand slam, five runs scored, seven RBIs).
He produced hitting streaks of 12 games (stopped by UC Irvine), 11 games (snapped by Hawai'i) and nine games (halted by CSUN) this season and compiled a team-leading 25 multiple-hit games and 16 multiple-RBI contests (most in the Big West).
Lee has one of the highest fielding percentages in the nation among shortstops with a .974 average, committing just six errors on the season. He finished second in the Big West among regular shortstops in fielding percentage.
The other five finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award are senior Liam Spence from Tennessee, junior R.J. Yeager from Mercer, sophomores Trey Sweeney from Eastern Illinois and Collin Burns from Tulane, and redshirt freshman Cal Conley from Texas Tech.
"Baseball is back in full swing, and it's great to get out to NCAA ballparks," said Tom Quigley, co-chair of the Brooks Wallace Award. "Shortstops seem to be really hitting the ball well at this point as we have our top six finalists still hitting above .300 with power, too.
"We recognize defensive fielding percentages with high emphasis as well for finalists," Quigley added. "We look forward to the excitement building as we whittle down our Brooks Wallace Award list for 2021. These players represent the best of this year's shortstops."
The award, to be presented this summer, 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.
A closer look at the five other finalists:
Collin Burns, RS-Soph., Tulane: Burns had an outstanding season in leading the Green Wave to a second-place finish in the American Athletic Conference and the team's first appearance in the AAC semifinals since 2016. On the year, he hit .353 with eight home runs and 50 RBI and showed his prowess with the glove, committing just five errors for a .974 fielding percentage.
Cal Conley, RS-Fr., Texas Tech: Conley continued the long tradition of outstanding Texas Tech shortstops and was a mainstay in the Red Raiders lineup, starting all 51 games this season. Entering the NCAA postseason, he was hitting .337 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI while compiling a .960 fielding percentage.
Liam Spence, Sr., Tennessee: The Volunteers have experienced a resurgence in 2021 and are poised to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament after winning the SEC West, reaching the league tournament title game and claiming the Knoxville Regional on Sunday. On the season, Spence hit .353 with three home runs and 30 RBI and committed just four errors in compiling a .975 fielding percentage.
Trey Sweeney, RS-Soph., Eastern Illinois: The Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, Sweeney helped lead the Panthers to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1998-99. He was outstanding throughout the year, hitting .382 with 14 home runs and 58 RBI and a .975 fielding percentage, committing just five errors on the year.
R.J. Yeager, Jr., Mercer: Yeager was a key cog for the Bears, who finished second in the Red Division of the Southern Conference. Yeager started all 57 games for the Bears in 2021, hitting .308 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI to go with a .969 fielding percentage.
For more information on the Wallace Award or the Night of Champions event, visit www.collegebaseballhall.org.
Though the 2021 baseball season ended just eight days ago, Lee has already accumulated several postseason awards, including Big West Conference Co-Field Player of the Year as well as Co-Freshman Field Player of the Year and a spot on Collegiate Baseball's All-American first team.
The 2019 San Luis Obispo High School graduate became the 54th Mustang to earn a spot on the All-Big West First Team and earned Big West Field Player of the Week honors three times this season.
The second-year freshman hit a team-leading .342 this spring with 10 home runs and 57 RBIs, also breaking the school single-season record for doubles with 27.
A semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award (player of the year), Lee also led the Mustangs in hits (76), triples (3), home runs (10), total bases (139) and sacrifice flies (8). His 27 doubles is tied for fifth place in the Big West record book.
This season, he was first in the Big West in doubles, slugging percentage, RBIs, sacrifice flies and total bases, third in home runs and hits, sixth in runs scored and ninth in batting average. Nationally, he ranks No. 2 in doubles and sacrifice flies, 16th in total bases, 33rd in RBIs and 36th in hits.
Lee claimed back-to-back Big West Player of the Week awards in March after going 7-for-12 against Utah Valley and 7-for-14 versus UCLA, driving in 14 runs in the two series, and earned his third after the Cal State Fullerton series four weeks ago (9-for-18, four doubles, grand slam, five runs scored, seven RBIs).
He produced hitting streaks of 12 games (stopped by UC Irvine), 11 games (snapped by Hawai'i) and nine games (halted by CSUN) this season and compiled a team-leading 25 multiple-hit games and 16 multiple-RBI contests (most in the Big West).
Lee has one of the highest fielding percentages in the nation among shortstops with a .974 average, committing just six errors on the season. He finished second in the Big West among regular shortstops in fielding percentage.
The other five finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award are senior Liam Spence from Tennessee, junior R.J. Yeager from Mercer, sophomores Trey Sweeney from Eastern Illinois and Collin Burns from Tulane, and redshirt freshman Cal Conley from Texas Tech.
"Baseball is back in full swing, and it's great to get out to NCAA ballparks," said Tom Quigley, co-chair of the Brooks Wallace Award. "Shortstops seem to be really hitting the ball well at this point as we have our top six finalists still hitting above .300 with power, too.
"We recognize defensive fielding percentages with high emphasis as well for finalists," Quigley added. "We look forward to the excitement building as we whittle down our Brooks Wallace Award list for 2021. These players represent the best of this year's shortstops."
The award, to be presented this summer, 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.
A closer look at the five other finalists:
Collin Burns, RS-Soph., Tulane: Burns had an outstanding season in leading the Green Wave to a second-place finish in the American Athletic Conference and the team's first appearance in the AAC semifinals since 2016. On the year, he hit .353 with eight home runs and 50 RBI and showed his prowess with the glove, committing just five errors for a .974 fielding percentage.
Cal Conley, RS-Fr., Texas Tech: Conley continued the long tradition of outstanding Texas Tech shortstops and was a mainstay in the Red Raiders lineup, starting all 51 games this season. Entering the NCAA postseason, he was hitting .337 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI while compiling a .960 fielding percentage.
Liam Spence, Sr., Tennessee: The Volunteers have experienced a resurgence in 2021 and are poised to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament after winning the SEC West, reaching the league tournament title game and claiming the Knoxville Regional on Sunday. On the season, Spence hit .353 with three home runs and 30 RBI and committed just four errors in compiling a .975 fielding percentage.
Trey Sweeney, RS-Soph., Eastern Illinois: The Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, Sweeney helped lead the Panthers to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1998-99. He was outstanding throughout the year, hitting .382 with 14 home runs and 58 RBI and a .975 fielding percentage, committing just five errors on the year.
R.J. Yeager, Jr., Mercer: Yeager was a key cog for the Bears, who finished second in the Red Division of the Southern Conference. Yeager started all 57 games for the Bears in 2021, hitting .308 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI to go with a .969 fielding percentage.
For more information on the Wallace Award or the Night of Champions event, visit www.collegebaseballhall.org.
Players Mentioned
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