Payne Named Semifinalist for Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award
4/22/2026 1:48:00 PM | Baseball
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Abilene Christian baseball's Zandt Payne was recognized among the nation's top shortstops as a semifinalist for the 2026 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award, the College Baseball Foundation announced Wednesday. Payne was one of 50 semifinalists selected for their offensive and defensive production.
The honor, which will be presented later this year, is named for former Texas Tech shortstop Brooks Wallace, who played for the Red Raiders from 1977-80. Wallace passed away from leukemia at the age of 27.
Payne has been a mainstay at shortstop for the Wildcats for the past three seasons. He has started each of ACU's 39 games this year, leading the team with a .331 batting average and a .453 on-base percentage. Payne's 52 hits pace the Wildcats to go with 10 home runs and 33 runs batted in. He's slugging .561 with a team-high six stolen bases.
The graduate student from Edmond, Okla. ranks third in the Western Athletic Conference in runs scored (43), and he's one of six players with double-digit home runs. Payne's 1.014 OPS, hits and walks each rank within the conference's top 10. He's displayed strong defense in the field, committing just three errors this season with a .980 fielding percentage. He's played a role in 17 double plays.
"Narrowing our list to even 50 is a difficult task to take on as there are so many deserving shortstops at midseason," said Larry Wallace, co-chair of the Brooks Wallace Award. "All these kids are piling up big offensive numbers with power. But just as important are the defensive skills and how well they field their position."
Payne has appeared in 141 games in an ACU uniform with 136 starts. He earned All-WAC First Team honors as a senior in 2025, ranking second in the WAC in batting average (.376) and on-base percentage (.490). Payne has totaled 160 hits, 118 runs and 98 RBIs as a Wildcat.
Previous winners of the Brooks Wallace Award include Dansby Swanson (2015), Trea Turner (2014), Alex Bregman (2013), Buster Posey (2008), David Price (2007) and Alex Gordon (2005).
The honor, which will be presented later this year, is named for former Texas Tech shortstop Brooks Wallace, who played for the Red Raiders from 1977-80. Wallace passed away from leukemia at the age of 27.
Payne has been a mainstay at shortstop for the Wildcats for the past three seasons. He has started each of ACU's 39 games this year, leading the team with a .331 batting average and a .453 on-base percentage. Payne's 52 hits pace the Wildcats to go with 10 home runs and 33 runs batted in. He's slugging .561 with a team-high six stolen bases.
The graduate student from Edmond, Okla. ranks third in the Western Athletic Conference in runs scored (43), and he's one of six players with double-digit home runs. Payne's 1.014 OPS, hits and walks each rank within the conference's top 10. He's displayed strong defense in the field, committing just three errors this season with a .980 fielding percentage. He's played a role in 17 double plays.
"Narrowing our list to even 50 is a difficult task to take on as there are so many deserving shortstops at midseason," said Larry Wallace, co-chair of the Brooks Wallace Award. "All these kids are piling up big offensive numbers with power. But just as important are the defensive skills and how well they field their position."
Payne has appeared in 141 games in an ACU uniform with 136 starts. He earned All-WAC First Team honors as a senior in 2025, ranking second in the WAC in batting average (.376) and on-base percentage (.490). Payne has totaled 160 hits, 118 runs and 98 RBIs as a Wildcat.
Previous winners of the Brooks Wallace Award include Dansby Swanson (2015), Trea Turner (2014), Alex Bregman (2013), Buster Posey (2008), David Price (2007) and Alex Gordon (2005).
Players Mentioned
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