STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton State senior shortstop Ike Shirey was named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, the College Baseball Foundation announced on Friday afternoon.
The list recognizes the top 100 shortstops in the nation throughout the 2025 season. During his senior campaign, Shirey has posted a .311 batting average on 42 hits. The Dale, Oklahoma, native has appeared in 38 out of 39 games for the Texans this season, leading his squad on both sides of the ball.
"Ike Shirey being nominated for the Brooks Wallace award watch list is no surprise to us." said head coach Fuller Smith. "He is a hard-nosed throwback player who has scratched and clawed for everything in his career. We are thankful that others see what we have seen over the past two years. Ike is our kind of guy and continues to be a leader on and off the field with a cowboy toughness that is unmatched".
Shirey ranks second on the team with a .401 on-base percentage (minimum 2 PA/G). He's also accumulated 22 RBIs and 11 steals along with five extra-base hits.
Shirey has achieved a season-high three hits two times this season. He had a three-for-four outing against Sacramento State on March 29, accompanied by a season-high two steals. Additionally, he notched another three-hit appearance with two runs and two RBIs last Sunday against the UT Arlington Mavericks.
The shortstop has been fantastic on the defensive side of the diamond as well, registering 108 assists on a .972 fielding percentage through 38 games. He also leads the Purple and White with a team-high 21 double plays.
Shirey will look to continue his stellar play as Tarleton State Baseball closes out their final 16 games of the regular season. The Texans will look to defend their WAC Championship title in Mesa, Arizona from May 20-24 at Hohokam Stadium.
The Brooks Wallace Award is named after former Texas Tech shortstop, Brooks Wallace, who played from 1977-1980 and later died of leukemia at the early age of 27. The College Baseball Foundation will crown the nation's top shortstop towards the end of the season. For more information regarding the Brooks Wallace Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation's website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.
