SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Two Santa Clara baseball juniors have been named to watch lists for a pair of the game's most prestigious honors this week. Right-handed pitcher Reece Karalus has been named to the NCBWA Midseason Stopper of the Year Watch List and shortstop Jose Vizcaino, Jr. has been named to the initial watch list for the 2015 Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award.
The NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award is given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball and the Brooks Wallace award recognizes the nation's top shortstop.
KARALUS
Karalus, a 2015 preseason All-WCC selection, was also named to the list during his sophomore campaign with the Broncos. He ranks 3rd in program history with 21 career saves and has earned nine of those saves in 2015, alongside a 2.78 ERA and 37 strikeouts against just seven walks this season. The North Bend, Wash. native recorded the second-most saves in Bronco single-season history with 11 last year and tied for the team lead with six wins on his way to earning First Team All-WCC honors.
The NCBWA will announce five finalists for the 2015 Stopper of the Year – the Division I national saves leader and four other relief pitching standouts – on Wednesday, June 3, prior to the start of NCAA Super Regional competition. The NCBWA's All-America Committee will select the winner, with this year's recipient to be announced during the 2015 College World Series. WCC pitchers David Bigelow of Gonzaga and J.D. Busfield of LMU have also been named to the list.
Click here to view the official NCBWA release.
VIZCAINO, JR.
Vizcaino, Jr., also a 2015 preseason All-WCC selection, is hitting .300 on the season and leads the team in doubles (10), home runs (6), RBIs (25), slugging percentage (.546) and stolen bases (8). His 18 extra-base hits are seven higher than the next-best Bronco batter. The La Jolla, Calif. native earned the first two WCC Rawlings Baseball Player of the Week Awards of the season on Feb. 16 and 23 for his efforts against defending national champion and unanimous preseason No. 1 Vanderbilt as well as Cincinnati. He recorded a career-long 17-game hitting streak March 13-April 10.
The Brooks Wallace award will be presented during the National College Baseball Hall of Fame's Night of Champions on June 29 in Lubbock, Texas. The WCC has the third-most players on the list with a total of four, including David Fletcher of LMU, Logan Steinberg of Saint Mary's and Kyle Holder of San Diego. Only the Pac-12 and SEC had more players named to the list; each conference tallied five.
Click here to view the official College Baseball Hall of Fame release.
UP NEXT
Santa Clara baseball hosts Gonzaga for a three-game series beginning with a 6 p.m. first pitch Friday at Schott Stadium. Start times are 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
