Southern Miss Shortstop Seth Smith Named to Brooks Wallace Award Watch List

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas — University of Southern Mississippi junior shortstop Seth Smith has been named to the 2026 watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award, according to the College Baseball Foundation.

The award recognizes the nation’s top shortstop and will be presented later this year. It honors Brooks Wallace, a former Texas Tech shortstop who played from 1977 to 1980 and died of leukemia at age 27.

Smith, a Mobile, Alabama, native, is batting .444 with two doubles, a home run and seven RBIs early in the season. His performance has helped Southern Miss achieve an 11-1 record and a national ranking.

“Our staff is excited to get another year started looking for that special player to represent Brooks’ Award,” said Larry Wallace, co-chair of the award. “We will dig deep to find the personal qualities as well as the physical attributes that best exemplify what we look for in the Brooks Wallace Award winner. It’s early but this list is already shaping up to be a competitive race with some big numbers from some new guys and some familiar faces on the list as well.”

Previous winners include Kurt Suzuki, Alex Gordon, David Price, Buster Posey, Trea Turner, and others. The award is one of four weekly honors given by the College Baseball Foundation, which also recognizes the John Olerud Two-Way Player, National Pitcher, and Buster Posey Collegiate Catcher of the Week.

“With the season now in full swing, there are so many deserving candidates for our many awards,” said Chris Snead, CBF awards chair. “This is just the beginning of this process that culminates in our Omaha announcements of our recipients.”

For more information, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.

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