UNCs Warmoth wins award as nations top college shortstop

The Tar Heel junior was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft on Monday

Madeline Gray—North State Journal
UNC's Logan Warmoth takes a swing during last week's NCAA tournament regional against Davidson

A day after his professional baseball career began with his selection as a first round draft pick by the Toronto Blue Jays, North Carolina’s Logan Warmoth received one final honor for his standout college career by being named the winner of the Brooks Wallace Award as the nation’s top shortstop. Warmoth earned the award by hitting .336 with 10 homers and 49 RBI while leading the Tar Heels to a school-record 23 ACC wins and a No. 2 national ranking. He was also solid defensively while committing only seven errors in 236 fielding chances while earning first-team All-America honors from both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The junior from Orlando, Fla., is the second shortstop from a state college to win the Brooks Wallace Award, joining NC State’s Trea Turner in 2014. Turner currently plays for the Washington Nationals. Warmoth hopes to join Turner in the Majors soon after being taken by the Blue Jays with the 22nd overall pick in the draft Monday. He will be presented the award, which is named for former Texas Tech shortstop Brooks Wallace, in July in Miami as part of the Major League All-Star Game celebration, Wallace played for the Red Raiders from 1977-80 and died of leukemia at the age of 27.