CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia baseball duo of Eric Becker and Kyle Johnson were named to the Brooks Wallace Award and John Two-Way Player Watch Lists, the College Foundation announced on Wednesday (March 4).
Becker landed on the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, which is awarded annually to the nation’s best shortstop by the College Baseball Foundation. The award is named after 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.
Entering Wednesday’s midweek, Becker is batting .326 (15-for-46) with two home runs and a team-leading 16 RBIs. Defensively, the junior has only committed one error in 30 chances over the opening 12 games of the season.
Johnson landed on the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, which is awarded annually to the nation’s best two-way player by the College Baseball Foundation. It is named after former Washington State University standout John Olerud, who achieved success both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s. He was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
In limited action so far this season, Johnson is batting .200 (3-for-15) with one home run and five RBIs in eight games for the Cavaliers.