Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina's Jackson Lyda was one of 50 shortstops in the NCAA today named a semifinalist for the 2026 Brooks Wallace Award, honoring the nation's top collegiate shortstop. The top 50 shortstops in the country were selected based on both their offensive and defensive production this season.
 
The Brooks Wallace Award is presented by the College Baseball Foundation and is named in honor of former Texas Tech shortstop Brooks Wallace, who played for the Red Raiders from 1977-80. Wallace died of leukemia at the age of 27.
 
Lyda is the lone Southern Conference shortstop on the midseason watch list updated this week. The SoCon was among seven of the 14 mid-major conferences to receive one shortstop nominee, with the WAC receiving four and both the Atlantic-10 and Conference USA receiving three.
 
A product of nearby Fletcher, N.C., and West Henderson High, Lyda took over the shortstop position earlier this season after an injury sidelined two-time Brooks Wallace Award candidate – and another Western North Carolina product, Waynesville's Trent Turner. Lyda's performance in the middle infield prompted the Catamount coaching staff to slide the infield veteran Turner to second base upon his return to the lineup, giving WCU one of the top offensive and defensive alignments up the middle in both the Southern Conference and the Southeast.
 
Lyda enters the week second on the squad among the regulars with a .322 seasonal batting average, going 48-for-149 with 10 extra-base hits, including seven doubles and three home runs. He has 34 runs scored and 24 total RBI, batting in WCU's lead-off role 29 times. Lyda enjoyed a 19-game reached-base-safely streak earlier this season, and enters the weekend having reached in 10 straight games.
 
In the field, Lyda has been part of turning 19 of WCU's Southern Conference-leading 32 double-plays, a mark that ranks the Catamounts tied for 47th in the country. He has a .980 fielding percentage with 45 putouts and 105 assists in 153 chances with just three errors on the year.
 
"Narrowing our list to even 50 is a difficult task to take on as there are so many deserving shortstops at midseason," said Larry Wallace, co-chair of the Brooks Wallace Award. "All these kids are piling up big offensive numbers with power. But just as important are the defensive skills and how well they field their position."

The watch list includes 2025 Brooks Wallace Award winner Roch Cholowsky (UCLA). Cholowsky and fellow semifinalists Dee Kennedy Jr. (Kansas State), Camden Kozeal (Arkansas), Ryder Robinson (BYU), and Jake Schaffner (North Carolina) have already won Brooks Wallace Award weekly honors in 2026.

The CBF annually presents the Brooks Wallace Award (Nation's Most Outstanding Shortstop), the National Pitcher of the Year Award, the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award, the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence.
 
Western Carolina (27-15, 8-4 SoCon) returns home for a three-game Southern Conference series against mountain rival East Tennessee State (25-13, 8-4 SoCon), slated to open on Friday. The Catamounts and Bucs are amidst a three-way tie for second in the SoCon behind league-leading Wofford (30-11, 8-1), the first league team to 30 wins this season.

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).

2026 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Semifinalists
Name, Classification, School, Conference

• Eric Becker, Junior, Virginia, ACC
• Chase Bloomer, Senior, SIUE, OVC
• Kolby Branch, Senior, Georgia, SEC
• Roch Cholowsky, Junior, UCLA, Big Ten
• Owen Clyne, Senior, George Mason, A-10
• Noah Coy, Sophomore, Notre Dame, ACC
• Dylan Cupp, Junior, Dallas Baptist, CUSA
• Caden Dulin, Senior, Pittsburgh, ACC
• Kade Dupont, RS-Senior, ULM, SBC
• Linkin Garcia, Freshman, Texas Tech, Big 12
• Johnathan Gomez, Sophomore, Farleigh Dickinson, Northeast
• Reid Howard, Sophomore, Western Kentucky, CUSA
• Matt Ineich, Sophomore, West Virginia, Big 12
• Titan Kamaka, Senior, Mercer, ASUN
• Dee Kennedy Jr., Junior, Kansas State, Big 12
• Carson Kerce, Junior, Georgia Tech, ACC
• Camden Kozeal, Junior, Arkansas, SEC
• Jamie Laskofski, Sophomore, William & Mary, CAA
• Luke Lawrence, Senior, Kentucky, SEC
• Brendan Lawson, Sophomore, Florida, SEC
• Justin Lebron, Junior, Alabama, SEC
• Jackson Lyda, Sophomore, Western Carolina, SoCon
• Tanner Marsh, Junior, Liberty, CUSA
• Michael Maloney, Graduate, Western Michigan, MAC
• Manny Marin, Sophomore, Tennessee, SEC
• Steven Milam, Junior, LSU, SEC
• Bo Moody, Freshman, Presbyterian, Big South
• Reece Moroney, Junior, Rhode Island, A-10
• PJ Moutzouridis, Junior, Arizona State, Big 12
• Ben North, Graduate, Creighton, BIG EAST
• Dawson Park, Sophomore, Texas State, SBC
• Zandt Payne, Graduate, Abilene Christian, WAC
• Willie Ponce, Graduate, High Point, Big South
• Andrew Ramirez, Senior, Southeast Missouri State, OVC
• Chris Ramirez, Sophomore, California Baptist, WAC
• Ryder Robinson, Junior, BYU, Big 12
• Ricky Sanchez, Gonzaga, WCC
• Travis Sanders, RS-Junior, Baylor, Big 12
• Jake Schaffner, Junior, North Carolina, ACC
• Kooper Schulte, Senior, Iowa, Big Ten
• Charlie Scholvin, Junior, Toledo, MAC
• Ike Shirey, Senior, Tarleton State, WAC
• Julio Solier, Sophomore, Boston College, ACC
• Petey Soto Jr., Junior, Utah Tech, WAC
• Jack Spanier, Junior, Minnesota, Big Ten
• Rhett Stokes, Senior, Nebraska, Big Ten
• Ryker Waite, Sophomore, Vanderbilt, SEC
• Karsen Waslefsky, Senior, New Mexico, MWC
• Jaxon Willits, Junior, Oklahoma, SEC
• Dyerson Wouters, Dayton, A-10

About the College Baseball Foundation
The purpose of the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) is to preserve, elevate, and advance the game; to inspire the next generation; to teach those who love college baseball about its rich history and traditions; to celebrate those who make college baseball special; and to honor those who have come before us, and built the foundation upon which college baseball thrives today.

The College Baseball Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Support for the College Baseball Hall of Fame will help preserve the rich history of the sport for future generations. All donations to the College Baseball Hall of Fame are tax deductible and can be made via this link on the organization's website.

The CBF presents the Brooks Wallace Award (Nation's Most Outstanding Shortstop), the National Pitcher of the Year Award, the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award, the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence.

About the College Baseball Hall of Fame
Each year, more than 200 representatives nationwide vote on the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction class. The voting body is comprised of national and regional college baseball media, active and retired coaches, former players, former inductees, college baseball historians and members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) collegiate baseball committee. The College Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2006. Since that time, 175 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and contributors have been selected for induction. Click here for a full list of College Baseball Hall of Fame classes.

The College Baseball Hall of Fame will establish a physical location in Overland Park, Kansas in 2026. Located within the iconic Museum at Prairiefire, the College Baseball Hall of Fame will serve as a shared community asset, deepening connections to the nation's favorite pastime through a dynamic and ever-evolving space for college baseball enthusiasts to celebrate the sport's rich past, present, and future.