By Malcolm Butler
Former Ruston Bearcat and current UNO shortstop Kasten Furr has been named to the initial 2023 Brooks Wallace Award watch list, the College Baseball Foundation announced.
Furr is one of 100 Division I players named to the prestigious list.
The award honors the nation’s top shortstop and will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation later this year. 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.
The award honors outstanding defensive play as much as it does production at the plate.
Furr, a two-time all-Southland Conference award winner, is in his fourth year playing for the Privateers. Thus far this season, Furr is hitting .326 with 45 hits, including seven doubles, two triples and four home runs. He has scored a team-high 45 runs and also totaled 20 RBI and a team-high six stolen bases.
He has been stellar defensively, committing just one error in 136 chances for a eye-popping .993 fielding percentage.
Furr was 2-for-4 at the plate in Tuesday’s loss at Tulane, including a three-run home run against the Green Wave.
He has led UNO to a 21-16 record thus far this season.
For more information on the Wallace Award or the Night of Champions event, visit www.collegebaseballhall.org.
2023 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List
Name, School, Conference, Class
- Wehina Aloy, Sacramento State, American, Freshman
- Kohl Abrams, UNC-Ashville, Big South, Junior
- Bryce Arnold, Campbell, Big South, Junior
- Trevor Austin, Mercer, Southern, RS-Senior
- Colton Becker, Morehead State, Ohio Valley, Junior
- Joey Berini, East Carolina, American, Junior
- Ryan Black, UT- Arlington, American, Freshman
- Andy Blake, Columbia, Ivy League, Senior
- Chase Bloomer, Siu-Edwardsville, Ohio Valley, Freshman
- Alex Bouche, Old Dominion, Sun Belt, Freshman
- Kolby Branch, Baylor, Big 12, Freshman
- Peter Brookshaw, North Dakota State, Summit, Senior
- Marcus Brown, Oklahoma State, Big 12, Junior
- Zach Budzig, UNC-Greensboro, Southern, Junior
- Ali Camarillo, Cal-State Northridge, Big West, Sophomore
- Jordan Carrion, Florida State, ACC, Junior
- CJ Castillo, Texas Southern, SWAC, Junior
- Cam Clayton, Washington, Pac-12, Sophomore
- Nolan Clifford, Creighton, Big East, Junior
- Owen Cobb, Stanford, Pac-12, Senior
- Drew Cowley, Oregon, Pac-12, Senior
- Mario Demera, San Francisco, West Coast, Junior
- Austin Denlinger, Monmouth, Colonial, Grad
- Randal Diaz, Indiana State, Missouri Valley, Sophomore
- Dustin Dickerson, Southern Miss, Sun Belt, Junior
- Kevin Dubrule, Army, Patriot, Senior
- Jack Dragum, Charlotte, Conference USA, Senior
- Blake Evans, Georgia Southern, Sun Belt, Senior
- Pascanel Ferraras, Western Carolina, Southern, Junior
- Noah Fisher, Northern Kentucky, Horizon, Grad
- Cole Foster, Auburn, SEC, Junior
- JJ Freeman, Delaware, Colonial, RS-Senior
- Kaster Furr, New Orleans, Southland, Junior
- Jon Jon Gazdar, Austin Peay, ASUN, Sophomore
- Phillip Glasser, Indiana, Big Ten, Grad
- Jacob Gonzalez, Ole Miss, SEC, Junior
- Nick Goodwin, Kansas State, Big 12, Junior
- Clay Grady, Virginia Tech, ACC, Freshman
- Payton Green, North Carolina State, ACC, Sophomore
- Hunter Haas, Texas A&M, SEC, Junior
- Luke Heefner, Dallas Baptist, Conference USA, Sophomore
- Troy Hamilton, USC-Upstate, Big South, RS-Junior
- Dakota Harris, Oklahoma, Big 12, Junior
- Jay Harry, Penn State, Big Ten, Junior
- Luka Hill, Arizona State, Pac-12, Sophomore
- Ty Hill, Jackson State, SWAC, Grad
- Taylor Hopkins, Eastern Michigan, Mid-American, RS-Junior
- Jim Jarvus, Alabama, SEC, Senior
- Cody Jefferis, Michigan, Big Ten, Grad
- Justin Johnson, Wake Forest, ACC, RS-Junior
- Mikey Kane, Oregon State, Pac-12, Sophomore
- Matt King, UTSA, Conference USA, Sophomore
- Christian Knapczyk, Louisville, ACC, Junior
- Josh Kuroda-Grauer, Rutgers, Big Ten, Sophomore
- Josh Leslie, McNeese State, Southland, Senior
- Alex Lodise, North Florida, ASUN, Freshman
- Tracer Lopez, Texas Tech, Big 12, Freshman
- Noah Lucier, Fairfield, Metro Atlantic, Grad
- Chase Malloy, Jacksonville, ASUN, Senior
- Brice Matthews, Nebraska, Big Ten, Junior
- Jacob McCaskey, Gardner-Webb, Big South, Senior
- Nik McClaughry, Arizona, Pac-12, Senior
- Mac McCroskey, Oral Roberts, Summit, RS-Senior
- Kyler McIntosh, Alabama State, SWAC, Sophomore
- Michael McNamara, Kent State, Mid-American, Junior
- Alex Mooney, Duke, ACC, Sophomore
- Sam Mongelli, Sacred Heart, Northeast, Senior
- Zac Morris, VMI, Southern, Grad
- Jake Mummau, Florida Gulf Coast, ASUN, Sophomore
- Paul Myro, UNLV, Mountain West, Junior
- Griff O’Ferrall, Virginia, ACC, Sophomore
- Bryan Padilla, Connecticut, Big East, RS-Sophomore
- Crew Parke, Abilene Christian, American, Junior
- John Peck, Pepperdine, West Coast, Junior
- Dominic Pitelli, Miami, ACC, Junior
- Davis Powell, Texas State, Sun Belt, Junior
- Drew Reckart, Western Kentucky, Conference USA, Grad
- Sawyer Reeves, The Citadel, Southern, Junior
- Jack Renwick, Wofford, Southern, Junior
- Jake Rainess, Maine, American East, RS-Junior
- Josh Rivera, Florida, SEC, Junior
- Nick Rodriguez, Missouri Sate, Missouri Valley, Sophomore
- Kaeber Rog, Southern Illinois, Missouri Valley, Senior
- Matt Ruiz, Georgia State, Sun Belt, Junior
- Simon Scherry, Evansville, Missouri Valley, Junior
- Michael Seegers, Iowa, Big Ten, Junior
- Matt Shaw, Maryland, Big Ten, Junior
- Anthony Silva, TCU, Big 12, Freshman
- Grant Smith, Kentucky, SEC, Senior
- Eric Snow, South Florida, American, Freshman
- John Taylor, Louisiana, Sun Belt, Junior
- Adam Tellier, Ball State, Mid-American, Senior
- Jordan Thompson, LSU, SEC, Junior
- Tevin Tucker, West Virginia, Big 12, RS-Senior
- Jonathan Vastine, Vanderbilt, SEC, Sophomore
- Max Viera, Seton Hall, Big East, Junior
- Jeron Williams, Toledo, Mid-American, Junior
- Colby Wilkerson, North Carolina, ACC, Junior
- Jacob Wilson, Grand Canyon, WAC, Junior
- Braylen Wimmer, South Carolina, SEC, Senior
- Kade York, UTRGV, American, Junior
