Vanderbilt’s Ryker Waite has been named one of the 50 semifinalists for the 2026 Brooks Wallace Award, according to an announcement by the College Baseball Foundation on Apr. 22.
The Brooks Wallace Award recognizes the top shortstop in college baseball each year. Being selected as a semifinalist highlights both offensive and defensive excellence among collegiate players.
Waite, a sophomore, has contributed significantly to Vanderbilt this season with a .301 batting average, five home runs, two triples, and nine doubles. He leads his team in walks with 35 and is second in stolen bases with nine. Waite has driven in 32 runs and recently hit a grand slam during Tuesday’s win over Xavier. Defensively, he and his teammates have turned more double plays than any other Southeastern Conference team this year. According to D1Baseball’s Synergy stats, Waite ranks thirteenth among Division I shortstops in defensive runs saved at 8.58.
The College Baseball Foundation selects semifinalists based on their combined offensive and defensive performance throughout the season. The award is named after former Texas Tech shortstop Brooks Wallace, who played from 1977 to 1980 before passing away from leukemia at age twenty-seven.
The winner of the Brooks Wallace Award will be announced later this year by the College Baseball Foundation.
