OVERLAND PARK — 2024 Lynnfield High graduate Anthony Grabau, a sophomore on the Fordham University baseball team, has been named to the 2026 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List. The list was recently released by the College Baseball Foundation.
The list features the top 100 shortstops in college baseball led by 2025 Brooks Wallace Award winner, Roch Cholowsky of UCLA.
Lynnfield High baseball coach John O’Brien said he isn’t surprised that Grabau got the nod.
“That’s quite an honor and is a credit to his work ethic,” he said. “He worked incredibly hard between his sophomore and junior years to become a better player and had a fabulous junior and senior year. He’s just a worker and really wanted it and had two great years here. He also really matured and is an excellent student. I know they really love him down there (Fordham).”
The award will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) 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.
Many of the players named to the list – including Grabau – are putting up tremendous early season offensive numbers. But, because the award is reflective of more than just offense, there are numerous players putting up solid defensive numbers as well.
The Rams’ top hitter, through the first 18 games of 2026, Grabau leads the team in batting average (.333), runs scored (20), hits (21), OBP (.457), walks (12), triples (2). He ranks second in home runs (2), RBI (15) and slugging percentage (.508). He already has seven multi-hit games and four games with multiple RBI.
An honor roll student, Grabau played varsity baseball and hockey at Lynnfield High. A captain of the baseball team, he helped lead Lynnfield to Cape Ann League titles in 2023 and 2024 and was named the 2024 Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association MVP in the all star game. A two-time Cape Ann League All-Star (2023-24) and recipient of the Pioneers’ baseball team Coaches Award, Grabau was also an Agganis All-Star. Grabau also helped the Pioneers’ boys hockey team win a Cape Ann League championship.
Last year as a freshman, Grabau didn’t waste any time in making his mark, smacking a home run in his first career at bat on Feb. 15 at No. 13 N.C. State. Grabau was named to the Atlantic-10 All-Rookie team after he batted .238 with 19 runs scored, seven doubles, seven home runs, 27 RBI, and six stolen bases.
“Our staff is excited to get another year started looking for that special player to represent Brooks’ Award,“ said Larry Wallace, co-chair of the Brooks Wallace Award. “We will dig deep to find the personal qualities as well as the physical attributes that best exemplify what we look for in the Brooks Wallace Award winner. It’s early but this list is already shaping up to be a competitive race with some big numbers from some new guys and some familiar faces on the list as well.”
Cholowsky, Dee Kennedy Jr. (Kansas State) and Jake Schaffner (North Carolina) have already won Brooks Wallace Award weekly honors in 2026.
Previous winners of the award are Kurt Suzuki Cal State Fullerton, 2004; Alex Gordon, Nebraska, 2005; Brad Lincoln, Houston, 2006; David Price, Vanderbilt, 2007; Buster Posey, Florida State, 2008; Ben Orloff, UC Irvine, 2009; Jedd Gyorko, West Virginia, 2010; Brad Miller, Clemson, 2011; Zach Vincej, Pepperdine, 2012; Alex Bregman, LSU, 2013; Trea Turner, NC State, 2014; Dansby Swanson, Vanderbilt, 2015; Sheldon Neuse, Oklahoma, 2016; Logan Warmoth, North Carolina, 2017; Cadyn Grenier, Oregon State, 2018; Grae Kessinger, Ole Miss, 2019; Cal Conley, Texas Tech, 2021; Brooks Lee, Cal Poly, 2022; Matt Shaw, Maryland 2023; Griff O’Ferrall, Virginia 2024; and Cholowsky 2025.
The Brooks Wallace Award is one of four weekly awards presented by the College Baseball Foundation. The CBF also awards the John Olerud Two-Way Player, National Pitcher and Buster Posey Collegiate Catcher of the Week.
“With the season now in full swing, there are so many deserving candidates for our many awards,” said Chris Snead, CBF Awards Chair. “This is just the beginning of this process that culminates in our Omaha announcements of our recipients.”
For more information on the Brooks Wallace Award or any of the CBF awards, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.
