Photo by: Conor Dillon/UGAAA
Branch Named Brooks Wallace Award Semifinalist
May 21, 2025 | Baseball
ATHENS, Ga. ----- University of Georgia junior Kolby Branch is among the nation's top 30 shortstops who have been named semifinalists for the 2025 Brooks Wallace Award, it was announced by the College Baseball Foundation on Wednesday.
The semifinalists were identified based on their combined offensive and defensive performances from this season.
Branch has started all 56 games for the third-ranked Bulldogs to go with a .300 batting average, 13 home runs and 39 RBI. He is fielding .979 in 187 total chances. Also, he has had 17 multi-hit games, 10 multi-RBI games and a 21-game on base streak. Nine of his 13 home runs came in SEC action. On Wednesday, Georgia faces Oklahoma in the second round of the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala.
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. The award, which began in 2004 and went to the nation's top player and then specifically top shortstop starting in 2009, is named for former Texas Tech shortstop Brooks Wallace. He played for the Red Raiders from 1977 to 1980. Wallace died of leukemia at the age of 27.
"Paring 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."
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 www.collegebaseballhall.org.
The semifinalists were identified based on their combined offensive and defensive performances from this season.
Branch has started all 56 games for the third-ranked Bulldogs to go with a .300 batting average, 13 home runs and 39 RBI. He is fielding .979 in 187 total chances. Also, he has had 17 multi-hit games, 10 multi-RBI games and a 21-game on base streak. Nine of his 13 home runs came in SEC action. On Wednesday, Georgia faces Oklahoma in the second round of the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala.
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. The award, which began in 2004 and went to the nation's top player and then specifically top shortstop starting in 2009, is named for former Texas Tech shortstop Brooks Wallace. He played for the Red Raiders from 1977 to 1980. Wallace died of leukemia at the age of 27.
"Paring 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."
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 www.collegebaseballhall.org.
Players Mentioned
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