MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – University of Minnesota shortstop Jack Spanier has been named a 2026 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Semifinalist, as announced by the College Baseball Foundation this morning.
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.
Spanier is currently slashing a .322 batting average with a 1.023 OPS in his 38 appearances for the Gophers this season. At the midseason mark, Spanier leads total runs (44), triples (4), bases on balls (36), and on-base percentage (.466). Spanier has also shined from the infield, tallying 53 putouts and 89 assists over 144 chances for a .979 fielding percentage.
The Gophers return to Siebert Field this weekend for a three game stretch against the Northwestern Wildcats. All the action is set to kick off with game one on Friday, Apr. 24, at 5:30 PM.