LUBBOCK, Texas – SIUE baseball freshman Chase Bloomer has been named to the 2023 Brook Wallace Award watch list announced Tuesday by the College Baseball Foundation. The award recognizes the top shortstop in college baseball.

The initial watch list includes 101 players. Bloomer is one of just 10 freshmen on the list and joins Morehead State junior Colton Becker as the only two players from the Ohio Valley Conference named to the list.

Bloomer has appeared in 26 of SIUE's 35 games making 24 starts, all at shortstop. He is hitting .262 with 12 RBIs. In 105 chances in the field, Bloomer has committed just three errors for a .971 fielding percentage.

The Brooks Wallace award 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. Bloomer is the first Cougar named to the watch list.

SIUE plays host to Blackburn Wednesday night at Simmons Complex before traveling to Little Rock for a three-game OVC series beginning Friday.