Haggerty Named One of Nation's Top Shortstops
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Nearly one month ago, on April 25, UNM sophomore Jared Holley was named to the Brooks Wallace Award watch list, which is given annually to the best shortstop in college baseball. Since that time, however, a pair of hamstring injuries have kept him out of the lineup until May 22.
During that time his double play partner, Sam Haggerty, moved over from second base to handle shortstop until Holley returned. Haggerty played so well that he was not only named to the All-Mountain West first team as a shortstop, but Friday it was announced that he had been added to the updated Brooks Wallace Award watch list.
He is one of just 16 players on the list and the only such player from the Mountain West. The award will be presented during the National College Baseball Hall of Fame’s Night of Champions on June 28 in Lubbock, Texas.
Heading into Friday’s contest in the Mountain West Tournament, he has all 57 games for UNM, is hitting .338 with eight doubles, two triples and two home runs, is 18th in the nation with 56 runs scored and has drawn a team-high 35 walks. He is also tied for the team lead with 13 stolen bases.
Defensively he has 195 assists and has a chance to become just the fourth Lobo to ever record 200 assists in a single season. He set a Mountain West record for most assists in conference play with 106 this season. He has also helped turn 41 double plays this year, which is also tops in the Mountain West.
The 2013 Co-Freshman of the Year in the Mountain West and a Freshman All-American, Haggerty is now the third Lobo to be named to the Brooks Wallace Award watch list in the last two seasons. In addition to Holley earlier this season, former Lobo Alex Allbritton, now in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s minor league system, was named to the watch list last season.
Haggerty has started every game but one in his two seasons as a Lobo, including 106 straight. His 13-game hitting streak earlier in the season is the longest by a Lobo in 2014, and heading into Friday’s game he has reached base in 27 straight games, also longest on the team this season. He has settled into the leadoff role this season after hitting second in 2013. In 36 games at the top of the order he has a .347 batting average and has scored 37 runs.