The College Baseball Foundation, established in 2004 and originator of the College Baseball Hall of Fame, recently announced its initial watch list for two of the six awards it annually presents, the John Olerud Two Way Player of the Year (honoring the best dual role player in the nation) and the Brooks Wallace Award (honoring the best shortstop in the nation). Several candidates from HBCU schools are included.
Listed below are…
2026 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Watch List
Name, Positions, Class, School, Conference
· Jay Campbell, OF/RHP, Sophomore, Florida A&M, SWAC
· Myles Dickerson, IF/RHP, Freshman, Delaware State, NEC
· Thomas Ealey, LHP/OF, Sophomore, Norfolk State, MEAC
2026 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List
Name, Classification, School, Conference
· AJ Anderson, Junior, Alabama A&M, SWAC
· DeShon Middleton, RS-Freshman, Prairie View A&M, SWAC
· Diego Melendez, Junior, Jackson State A&M, SWAC
· Jonathan Trejo, Junior, Texas Southern A&M, SWAC
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 Award, the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award, the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence.
About the College Baseball Hall of Fame
Each year, more than 200 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, 175 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, Kansas in 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.