Baseball: O’Ferrall one of 25 semifinalists for Brooks Wallace Award

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Posted on Wednesday, May. 17, 2023, 4:29 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo: UVA Athletics

Virginia sophomore Griff O’Ferrall was one of 25 semifinalists named for the Brooks Wallace Award, annually bestowed on the nation’s top shortstop by the College Baseball Foundation. He’s the first Cavalier shortstop among the final 25 since Chris Taylor in 2011.

The award will be presented this summer by the College Baseball Foundation. It is named for former Texas Tech shortstop Brooks Wallace, a slick-fielding shortstop who played for the Red Raiders from 1977 to 1980. Wallace died of leukemia at the age of 27.

O’Ferrall has started all 110 of his career games as the Cavaliers shortstop, including all 52 this season. He is one of two semifinalists (Jacob Wilson – Grand Canyon) with a batting average over .400 going into the final weekend of the regular season. O’Ferrall is hitting .407 with 16 doubles, a pair of triples and 33 RBI. Serving primarily as the Cavalier leadoff hitter, he has successfully swiped 14 bases in 15 attempts.

O’Ferrall’s 85 hits are the ninth-most in the country and second-most behind teammate Kyle Teel for the ACC lead. O’Ferrall has scored a team-best 60 runs, the second most in the ACC and one of 14 Cavaliers ever to score 60 runs in a season.

Back on April 11th, he was named the Brooks Wallace Award Shortstop of the Week after he went 11 for 18 (.611), scored seven runs and drove in a pair of runs in a four-game stretch against Liberty and Miami.