Lubbock, TX – The best-kept secret in Clarksville is no longer a secret, with the College Baseball Hall of Fame naming Austin Peay State University (APSU) shortstop Jon Jon Gazdar one of its five finalists for the 2024 Brooks Wallace Award, which recognizes the best shortstop across the country.
It is the first time an Austin Peay State University athlete has reached the finalist stage of the Wallace Award. Gazdar was joined on the list of finalists by Ball State senior Michael Hallquist, Rutgers junior Josh Kuroda-Grauer, Mississippi State sophomore David Mershon, and Virginia junior Griff O’Ferrall. The 2024 Brooks Wallace Award winner will be announced on June 19th.
Gazdar, a Walnut Creek, California product, was one of the key contributors to the Governors’ incredible offensive year. He finished the season batting .405 to lead the APSU Govs and all ASUN hitters while ranking 10th nationally. Gazdar is the first Govs hitter since 2004 and only the 10th hitter in program history to finish a season batting .400 or better.
There was more to Gazdar’s season than an impressive batting average. He finished with 21 doubles, becoming only the second APSU Govs hitter to record two 20-double seasons during their career. He also had 96 hits, four shy of the APSU record, scored 67 runs, and posted a .484 on-base percentage. Gazdar began the season with a 40-game reached-safely streak, becoming the fifth Govs hitter to post a reached-safely streak of 40 games or more.
However, Gazdar’s eye at the plate was his strength. He was among the nation’s toughest batters to strike out for a second consecutive year. He ranked fifth nationally with a strikeout every 16.9 at-bats per the NCAA. D1Baseball.com concurs, with the Govs’ shortstop ranked fifth with just five percent of his total plate appearances ending in a strikeout.
But don’t forget about Gazdar’s defensive credentials as well. He became the first Govs player to earn Atlantic Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors after posting a .964 fielding percentage. He also was a First Team All-ASUN selection and earned Academic All-ASUN honors for a second consecutive season.
The Wallace Award honors the nation’s top shortstop and will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation later this year. The award emphasizes the nation’s best all-around shortstop, with defensive efficiency given as much weight as offensive ability. 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.
For more information on the Brooks Wallace Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org
