Cullowhee, N.C. – For the second time in as many years, Western Carolina shortstop
Trent Turner was recognized among the top 100 collegiate shortstops in the country as he appeared on the initial 2025 Brooks Wallace Award watch list, which was released Friday by the College Baseball Foundation.
Turner is one of four shortstops in the Southern Conference to grace the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List this season. For a second-straight year, he is joined by Bradley Frye of Mercer, as well as ETSU's Cody Miller and Ryan Wynn of Wofford.
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.
Turner has started all 38 games at the time of this year's nomination, ranking third on the Catamount squad with a .322 seasonal batting average with 48 base hits, including eight doubles, a triple, and a team-leading seven home runs. His 149 seasonal at-bats rank tied for 10th in the SoCon. He is tied for third on the team with 34 runs scored and is second on the squad with 34 RBI, a mark that ranks tied for 12th in the conference.
In the field, Turner has 100 assists and has been a part of turning 22 of WCU's 29 double plays on the year, the second-most in the conference to date and 0.76 per game.
"It's a great time of the year when we get to start diving into looking at all the shortstops from around the country and who might best represent the Brooks Wallace Award this year," said Larry Wallace, co-chair of the Brooks Wallace Award. "This list doesn't disappoint with some stellar offensive numbers along with some outstanding gloves to represent the shortstop position."
For more information on the Brooks Wallace Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at
www.collegebaseballhall.org.
Western Carolina (18-20, 3-8 SoCon) concludes its three-game Southern Conference series against Wofford on Saturday with a 2 p.m. rubber match at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. The Terriers won game one on Thursday, 9-6, with the Catamounts evening the series with a 7-4 win on Friday.
Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required) with live stats available online at CatamountSports.com.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount baseball and WCU Athletics through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).
2025 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List
Name, School, Conference
• Trent Abel, Cal State Northridge, Big West
• Alex Adams, Air Force, Mountain West
• Landon Akers, Bellarmine, Atlantic Sun
• Alex Alicia, Louisville, ACC
• Wehiwa Aloy, Arkansas, SEC
• Nick Arias, Abilene Christian, WAC
• Aiva Arquette, Oregon State, Independent
• Davis Baker, Penn, Ivy League
• Dillon Baker, Miami (OH), MAC
• Michael Ball, Nevada, Mountain West
• Emilio Barreras, Grand Canyon, WAC
• Eric Becker, Virginia, ACC
• Tyler Bell, Kentucky, SEC
• Beny Bikar, Southern, SWAC
• Chase Bloomer, SIUE, OVC
• Kolby Branch, Georgia, SEC
• Armando Briseno, Long Beach State, Big West
• Dylan Carey, Nebraska, Big Ten
• Yomar Carreras, Rutgers, Big Ten
• Benjamin Casillas, Michigan, Big Ten
• Nate Castellon, Cal Poly, Big West
• Roch Cholowsky, UCLA, Big Ten
• Wallace Clark, Duke, ACC
• Lukas Cook, Purdue, Big Ten
• Jack Cotrone, Davidson, Atlantic 10
• Sam Decarlo, Washington, Big Ten
• Justin Decriscio, NC State, ACC
• Ahmar Denatto, Prairie View A&M, SWAC
• Tyler Epstein, Missouri State, MVC
• Deric Fabian, Auburn, SEC
• Ryne Farber, Texas State, Sun Belt
• Jalin Flores, Texas, SEC
• Bradley Frye, Mercer, Southern
• Nomar Garcia, Indiana State, MVC
• Jonathan Gomez, Farleigh Dickinson, Northeast
• Jack Goodman, Northeastern, CAA
• Dylan Grego, Ball State, MAC
• Kevin Hager, Cornell, Ivy League
• Cam Hassert, Loyola Marymount, West Coast
• Kai Holm, Lipscomb, Atlantic Sun
• Marek Houston, Wake Forest, ACC
• Core Jackson, Utah, Big 12
• Antonio Jimenez, UCF, Big 12
• Kevin Jones, UNCW, CAA
• Camden Karczewski, Purdue Ft Wayne, Horizon
• Hunter Keen, Radford, Big South
• Tyriq Kemp, Baylor, Big 12
• Ryan Kennell, Gardner-Webb, Big South
• Brodie Kesser, West Virginia, Big 12
• Jimmy King, Holy Cross, Patriot
• Matt King, Arizona State, Big 12
• Alex Kizearry, Quinnipiac, MAAC
• Jake Lambdin, Xavier, BIG EAST
• Isaiah Lane, San Diego, West Coast
• Maddox Latta, Cal State Fullerton, Big West
• Justin Lebron, Alabama, SEC
• Brando Leroux, FAU, AAC
• Tyler Lichtenberger, Appalachian State, Sun Belt
• Alex Lodise, Florida State, ACC
• Kyle Lodise, Georgia Tech, ACC
• Isaac Lopez, UTRGV, Southland
• Alex Madera, North Carolina, ACC
• Maximus Martin, Kansas State, Big 12
• Luke Mathews, Kent State, MAC
• Jonathan Mendez, UC Santa Barbara, Big West
• Lorenzo Meola, Stetson, Atlantic Sun
• Jared Mettam, Saint Mary's College, West Coast
• Steven Milam, LSU, SEC
• Cody Miller, ETSU, Southern
• Sam Miller, Columbia, Ivy League
• Gable Mitchell, Iowa, Big Ten
• Maddox Molony, Oregon, Big Ten
• J.R. Nelson, Ohio, MAC
• Charlie Niehaus, Cincinnati, Big 12
• Ben North, Creighton, BIG EAST
• Sheehan O'Connor, New Mexico State, Conference USA
• Jake Ogden, Miami, ACC
• Ray Ortiz, NJIT, American East
• Michael Perazzo, Sacramento State, WAC
• Rob Rispoli, Connecticut, BIG EAST
• Shai Robinson, Illinois State, MVC
• TJ Rogers, San Francisco, West Coast
• Trent Rumley, Canisius, MAAC
• TJ Salvaggio, Southeastern Louisiana, Southland
• Blake Schaaf, Georgetown, BIG EAST
• Jake Schaffner, North Dakota State, Summit
• Colby Shelton, Florida, SEC
• Ike Shirey, Tarleton State, WAC
• Brady Short, Central Connecticut, Northeast
• Carter Sintek, South Dakota State, Summit
• Clayton Slack, Southern Indiana, OVC
• Zane Spinn, Lamar, Southland
• Trent Turner, Western Carolina, Southern
• Jonathan Vastine, Vanderbilt, SEC
• Michael Whooley, Villanova, BIG EAST
• Jaxson Willits, Oklahoma, SEC
• Matt Wolfe, Middle Tennessee, Conference USA
• Kade Wood, Mississippi Valley State, SWAC
• Drew Wyers, Bryant, American East
• Ryan Wynn, Wofford, Southern
• Colin Yeaman, UC Irvine, Big West
