Pat Blair Named to Wallace Shortstop of the Year Watch List
Blair leads Deacons with 54 runs, 57 hits, 37 walks and 18 stolen bases
Pat Blair

Pat Blair

May 7, 2012

LUBBOCK, Texas - Junior Pat Blair has been named to the first 2012 Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year watch list, as announced by the College Baseball Hall of Fame on Thursday.

The Wallace Award, sponsored by Mizuno, recognizes the nation's top shortstop and will be presented on June 30 in Lubbock, Texas, as part of the College Baseball Hall of Fame's Night of Champions.

A native of Baltimore, Md., Blair is one of 50 shortstops in the nation to be selected to the watch list and one of just four shortstops from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

In his third season as the Demon Deacons' starting shortstop, Blair is enjoying his best season to date with a .303 batting average and team-highs of 57 hits, 54 runs and 18 stolen bases. Blair has also been ideal as a leadoff man with 37 walks and a .420 on base percentage.

The Deacon shortstop ranks second in the ACC in runs and stolen bases and sixth in the conference in walks.

In addition to being near the top of the ACC rankings in 2012, Blair has also begun to cement his name in the Wake Forest record book. He is currently third all-time with 114 walks, trailing only Allan Dykstra, who had 170 from 2006-08, and Matt Antonelli, who had 128 from 2004-06. Blair also has 45 career stolen and bases and needs just three more to crack Wake Forest's Top 10 list.

Wallace Award co-chair Kevin Dunagan remarked, "Fielding percentage has to be of huge importance," in consideration for the award, and Blair has had his best defensive year for the Demon Deacons in 2012, as well. He has committed just 12 errors in 198 chances for a career-best .939 fielding percentage.

 

 

 

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