OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – UCF shortstop Antonio Jimenez was named to the 2025 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List, which was released Friday by the College Baseball Foundation.
The award was first handed out in 2004. It was named after former Texas Tech shortstop Brooks Wallace, who died at the age of 27 due to leukemia. From 2004-2008 the award was presented to the player who was deemed the nation’s most outstanding player. During that period future MLB All-Stars such as Kurt Suzuki, Alex Gordon, David Price and Buster Posey won the award.
Since 2009, the award has been presented to the player that is deemed to be the best shortstop in the country by the College Baseball Foundation. A total of 15 shortstops have won the award. Among those players include current MLB stars in Alex Bregman, Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson.
Jimenez was one of 100 shortstops named to this year’s award watch list. He is also one of the seven shortstops from the Big 12 Conference to be named to the list.
Jimenez currently holds a batting average of .321 and is second on the team in slugging with a .562 percentage. He also has 44 hits, 34 RBIs and is tied for the team lead in home runs with seven and runs scored with 37. He also has currently reached base safely in 19 straight games. As a fielder he has a 48 putouts, 90 assists and a .965 fielding percentage.
For more information on the Brooks Wallace Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.
2025 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List
Name, Positions, Class, School
• 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 State, Ivy League
• Dillon Baker, Miami OH, Mid-American
• 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
• Lucas 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, Missouri Valley
• Deric Fabian, Auburn, SEC
• Ryne Farber, Texas State, Sun Belt
• Jalin Flores, Texas, SEC
• Bradley Frye, Mercer, Southern
• Nomar Garcia, Indiana State, Missouri Valley
• Jonathan Gomez, Farleigh Dickinson, Northeast
• Jack Goodman, Northeastern, Coastal Athletic
• Dylan Grego, Ball State, Mid-American
• Kevin Hager, Cornell, Ivy League
• Cam Hassert, Loyola Marymount, West Coast
• Kai Holm, Lipscomb, Atlantic Sun
• Marek Houston, Wake Forest, ACC
• Keen Hunter, UNC Asheville, Big South
• Core Jackson, Utah, Big 12
• Antonio Jimenez, UCF, Big 12
• Kevin Jones, UNCW, Coastal Athletic
• Camden Karczewski, Purdue Ft Wayne, Horizon
• Tyriq Kemp, Baylor, Big 12
• Ryan Kennell, Radford, 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 Madeira, North Carolina, ACC
• Maximus Martin, Kansas State, Big 12
• Luke Mathews, Kent State, Mid-American
• 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, East Tennessee State, Southern
• Sam Miller, Columbia, Ivy League
• Gable Mitchell, Iowa, Big Ten
• Maddox Molony, Oregon, Big Ten
• J R Nelson, Ohio, Mid-American
• Charlie Niehaus, Cincinnati, Big 12
• Ben North, Creighton, BIG EAST
• Sheehan O'connor, New Mexico State, Conference USA
• J Ogden, Miami, ACC
• Ray Ortiz, NJIT, American East
• Michael Perazzo, Sacramento State, WAC
• Rob Rispoli, Connecticut, BIG EAST
• Shai Robinson, Illinois State, Missouri Valley
• 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
