RIO GRANDE VALLEY – Graduate student Vela alum Isaac Lopez of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) baseball team is being honored as one of the top 30 shortstops in the nation as a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award.
 
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.
 
The semifinalists were identified based on their combined offensive and defensive performances from this season. Finalists for the Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award will be announced on June 4, with the 2025 winner to be announced at a date to be finalized later that month.  Griff O'Ferrall of Virginia was the 2024 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year.
 
Lopez is one of two shortstops in the Southland Conference (SLC) to be named a semifinalist along with TJ Salvaggio (Southeastern).
 
An All-SLC Second Team and all-defensive team selection, Lopez is hitting .347/.421/.491 with six home runs, 13 doubles, 41 RBI, 57 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 51 games.
 
Lopez ranks 71^st in the NCAA and fifth in the SLC in hits per game (1.47), 83^rd in the NCAA and fourth in the SLC in hits (75), 98^th in the NCAA and second in the SLC in sacrifice flies (5), 106^th in the NCAA and fourth in the SLC in runs per game (1.12), 112^th in the NCAA and sixth in the SLC in runs scored (57), and 228^th in the NCAA and eighth in the SLC in hitting (.347).
 
Lopez is leaving his mark on the program, as for his career, Lopez ranks first in assists (502), second in hits (225) and at-bats (722), third in RBI (128) and runs scored (163), fourth in home runs (22), and eighth in games played (195).
 
Defensively, Lopez has a .963 fielding percentage and has been part of turning 30 double plays.
 
"Pairing down our list each year is always difficult, and this year is no different," said Larry Wallace, co-chair of the Brooks Wallace Award. "All these candidates are hitting for big averages but how well they field their position is paramount in choosing the winner for this award."
 
The Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award was first awarded in 2004. Prior to 2009, the award recognized the national player of the year.
 
Previous winners of the award are Kurt Suzuki, C, Cal State Fullerton, 2004; Alex Gordon, 3B, Nebraska, 2005; Brad Lincoln, SP/DH, Houston, 2006; David Price, SP, Vanderbilt, 2007; Buster Posey, C, Florida State, 2008; Ben Orloff, SS, UC Irvine, 2009; Jedd Gyorko, SS, West Virginia, 2010; Brad Miller, SS, Clemson, 2011; Zach Vincej, SS, Pepperdine, 2012; Alex Bregman, SS, LSU, 2013; Trea Turner, SS, NC State, 2014; Dansby Swanson, SS, Vanderbilt, 2015; Sheldon Neuse, SS, Oklahoma, 2016; Logan Warmoth, SS, North Carolina, 2017; Cadyn Grenier, SS, Oregon State, 2018; Grae Kessinger, SS, Ole Miss, 2019; Cal Conley, SS, Texas Tech, 2021; Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly, 2022; Matt Shaw, SS, Maryland 2023; and Griff O'Ferrall, SS, Virginia, 2024.
 
For more information on the Brooks Wallace Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at CollegeBaseballHall.org.
 
2025 Brooks Wallace Award Semifinalists
Name, School, Conference
•Alex Alicia, Louisville, ACC
•Wehiwa Aloy, Arkansas, SEC
•Aiva Arquette, Oregon State, Independent
•Dillon Baker, Miami (OH), Mid-American
•Kolby Branch, Georgia, SEC
•Benjamin Casillas, Michigan, Big Ten
•Roch Cholowsky, UCLA, Big Ten
•Lucas Cook, Purdue, Big Ten
•Dylan Grego, Ball State, Mid-American
•Cam Hassert, Loyola Marymount, West Coast
•Core Jackson, Utah, Big 12
•Tyriq Kemp, Baylor, Big 12
•Jimmy King, Holy Cross, Patriot
•Maddox Latta, Cal State Fullerton, Big West
•Alex Lodise, Florida State, ACC
•Kyle Lodise, Georgia Tech, ACC
•Isaac Lopez, UTRGV, Southland
•Alex Madeira, North Carolina, ACC
•Lorenzo Meola, Stetson, Atlantic Sun
•Jake Ogden, Miami, ACC
•Ray Ortiz, NJIT, American East
•TJ Salvaggio, Southeastern, 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
•Drew Wyers, Bryant, American East
•Colin Yeaman, UC Irvine, Big West

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