Kennedy Named Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Semifinalist
Apr 22, 2026 | Baseball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State shortstop Dee Kennedy has been named a semifinalist for the 2026 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award, the College Baseball Foundation announced Wednesday.
Kennedy is one of six players from the Big 12 Conference on the 50-man semifinalist list for the Brooks Wallace Award, which recognizes the nation's top shortstop based on both their offensive and defensive production. Finalist for the award will be announced later this year.
With the honor, Kennedy becomes the fourth Wildcat in program history to be named a semifinalist, joining Drew Biery (2009), Austin Fisher (2013) and Nick Goodwin (2023).
A year after batting .279 with 43 RBI and 11 home runs, Kennedy has put together a dominant junior campaign, leading K-State in nearly every major offensive category, including batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs, hits, RBI, doubles, home runs and total bases.
The Fort Worth product posts a slash line of .392/.497/.823 with 62 hits, including 13 doubles, two triples and a program-record 17 home runs. He has driven in 60 RBI, highlighted by a team-leading 17 multi-RBI games, while also recording 17 multi-hit performances.
Kennedy's 17 home runs are the most by a junior in program history, while he is just the second player in school history to reach the milestone.
Nationally, Kennedy ranks among the top performers in several categories, sitting third in runs scored, fifth in total bases (130) and sixth in RBI, while ranking seventh in slugging percentage. His 17 home runs are tied for 12th in the country. In the Big 12, he also ranks among the league leaders with 19 stolen bases, the second-most in the conference.
This season, Kennedy was named to the Baseball America Midseason Player of the Year and USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, which honors the nation's top amateur player. He has earned multiple weekly honors, including Golden Spikes Award x D1 Baseball Player of the Week and Big 12 Player of the Week (February 16). He was also named the Brooks Wallace Award Player of the Week and was selected to the Baseball America National Team of the Week and named the NCBWA Co-Hitter of the Week (February 17).
K-State (26-16, 9-9 Big 12) will return to Tointon Family Stadium for the annual Dillons Sunflower Showdown with the 16th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (30-11, 14-4 Big 12), starting Friday at 6 p.m. CT. The entire showdown will broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Baseball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Kennedy is one of six players from the Big 12 Conference on the 50-man semifinalist list for the Brooks Wallace Award, which recognizes the nation's top shortstop based on both their offensive and defensive production. Finalist for the award will be announced later this year.
With the honor, Kennedy becomes the fourth Wildcat in program history to be named a semifinalist, joining Drew Biery (2009), Austin Fisher (2013) and Nick Goodwin (2023).
A year after batting .279 with 43 RBI and 11 home runs, Kennedy has put together a dominant junior campaign, leading K-State in nearly every major offensive category, including batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs, hits, RBI, doubles, home runs and total bases.
The Fort Worth product posts a slash line of .392/.497/.823 with 62 hits, including 13 doubles, two triples and a program-record 17 home runs. He has driven in 60 RBI, highlighted by a team-leading 17 multi-RBI games, while also recording 17 multi-hit performances.
Kennedy's 17 home runs are the most by a junior in program history, while he is just the second player in school history to reach the milestone.
Nationally, Kennedy ranks among the top performers in several categories, sitting third in runs scored, fifth in total bases (130) and sixth in RBI, while ranking seventh in slugging percentage. His 17 home runs are tied for 12th in the country. In the Big 12, he also ranks among the league leaders with 19 stolen bases, the second-most in the conference.
This season, Kennedy was named to the Baseball America Midseason Player of the Year and USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, which honors the nation's top amateur player. He has earned multiple weekly honors, including Golden Spikes Award x D1 Baseball Player of the Week and Big 12 Player of the Week (February 16). He was also named the Brooks Wallace Award Player of the Week and was selected to the Baseball America National Team of the Week and named the NCBWA Co-Hitter of the Week (February 17).
K-State (26-16, 9-9 Big 12) will return to Tointon Family Stadium for the annual Dillons Sunflower Showdown with the 16th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (30-11, 14-4 Big 12), starting Friday at 6 p.m. CT. The entire showdown will broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Baseball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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