OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Sophomore Roch Cholowsky of UCLA has been named the recipient of the 2025 Brooks Wallace Award, the the College Baseball Foundation announced.
The award annually honors the nation's top shortstop, based on combined offensive and defensive performance. 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.
Griff O’Ferrall of the University of Virginia was the 2024 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year. Cholowsky became the first sophomore and the first player from UCLA to win the award. Other 2025 finalists included junior Wehiwa Aloy (Arkansas), junior Aiva Arquette (Oregon State), senior Matt King (Arizona State) and junior Alex Lodise (Florida State).
“What an incredible year it has been for shortstops in college baseball,” Brooks Wallace Award Chair Larry Wallace said. “We are incredibly proud to have Roch as our winner of Brooks' award. Roch was instrumental in turning around a team that had a losing record last year and led them to Omaha this year. Roch defines what we look for to represent the award through his leadership off the field without overlooking the defensive prowess and power numbers he put up as well. Welcome to the Wallace family, Roch!”
The Big 10 Player of the Year and Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year, Cholowsky has been a mainstay for the Bruins this season. He enters the CWS hitting .367 with 23 home runs and 73 RBI. He tops the Big Ten in OPS (1.235), slugging percentage (.742), total bases (178) and runs scored (79) and ranks third in on-base percentage (.494). His 23 home runs are the most by a Bruin since 2000. He has 19 doubles and is 7-for-8 on stolen base attempts this season.
In the field, he has committed only seven errors on 297 chances, racking up 175 assists and 115 putouts in posting a .976 fielding percentage. He has been a part of 47 double plays. UCLA will play Murray State in a College World Series opening round game Saturday at 2 p.m. CT.
Cholowksy earned first-team All-America honors from Perfect Game and second-team recognition from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Associations (NCBWA). The Chandler, Ariz., native becomes the first UCLA non-freshman position player to be named an All-American since JT Schwatz in 2021. At 47-16, this season, Cholowsky helped UCLA to its highest win total since the 2019 Bruin team finished 52-11.
"Roch has been one of the most consistent players in the country this season, making a significant impact on both sides of the ball in every game,” UCLA head baseball coach John Savage said. “His passion for becoming one of UCLA's greatest players is matched by his relentless desire to win."
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.
“Recognized as the Big 10 Player of the Year, Roch has a keen eye at the plate while also possessing outstanding defensive skills at shortstop,” Brooks Wallace Award Assistant Chair Tom Quigley said. “He was a Brooks Wallace weekly award winner early in the season and has continued his spectacular play throughout the year. Roch leads UCLA in almost every offensive category and has been instrumental in leading his team to Omaha.”
For more information on the Brooks Wallace Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.
Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Recipients
Year - Name, Position, Class, School
- 2025 – Roch Cholowsky, SS, Sophomore, UCLA
- 2024 – Griff O’Ferrall, SS, Junior, Virginia
- 2023 – Matt Shaw, SS, Junior, Maryland
- 2022 – Brooks Lee, SS, Junior, Cal Poly
- 2021 – Cal Conley, SS, RS-Freshman, Texas Tech
- 2020 – Not Awarded (season suspended)
- 2019 – Grae Kessinger, SS, Junior, Ole Miss
- 2018 – Cadyn Grenier, SS, Junior, Oregon State
- 2017 – Logan Warmoth, SS, Junior, North Carolina
- 2016 – Sheldon Neuse, SS, Junior, Oklahoma
- 2015 – Dansby Swanson, SS, Junior, Vanderbilt
- 2014 – Trea Turner, SS, Junior, NC State
- 2013 – Alex Bregman, SS, Freshman, LSU
- 2012 – Zach Vincej, SS, Junior, Pepperdine
- 2011 – Brad Miller, SS, Junior, Clemson
- 2010 – Jedd Gyorko, SS, Junior, West Virginia
- 2009 – Ben Orloff, SS, Senior, UC Irvine
- 2008 – Buster Posey, C, Junior, Florida State
- 2007 – David Price, SP, Junior, Vanderbilt
- 2006 – Brad Lincoln, SP/DH, Junior, Houston
- 2005 – Alex Gordon, 3B, Junior, Nebraska
- 2004 – Kurt Suzuki, C, Junior, Cal State Fullerton
About the College Baseball Foundation
The purpose of the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) is to preserve, elevate and advance the game; to inspire the next generation; to teach those who love college baseball about its rich history and traditions; to celebrate those who make college baseball special; and to honor those who have come before us, and built the foundation upon which college baseball thrives today.
The College Baseball Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Support for the College Baseball Hall of Fame will help preserve the rich history of the sport for future generations. All donations to the College Baseball Hall of Fame are tax deductible and can be made via this link on the organization’s website.
The CBF presents the Brooks Wallace Award (Nation’s Most Outstanding Shortstop), the National Pitcher of the Year, the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year, the Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year, the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award and the Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence Award.
About the College Baseball Hall of Fame
Each year, more than 190 representatives nationwide vote on the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction class. The voting body is comprised of national and regional college baseball media, active and retired coaches, former players, former inductees, college baseball historians and members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) collegiate baseball committee. The College Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2006. Since that time, 165 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and contributors have been selected for induction. Click here for a full list of College Baseball Hall of Fame classes.
The College Baseball Hall of Fame will establish a physical location in Overland Park, Kan., in early 2026. Located within the iconic Museum at Prairiefire, the College Baseball Hall of Fame will serve as a shared community asset, deepening connections to the nation's favorite pastime through a dynamic and ever-evolving space for college baseball enthusiasts to celebrate the sport's rich past, present and future.