Jan. 7, 2008
WACO, Texas -- Baylor junior shortstop Beamer Weems was added to the 2008 Brooks Wallace Award Preseason Watch List, the College Baseball Foundation announced over the weekend. Dedicated to the memory of late Texas Tech shortstop and assistant coach Brooks Wallace, the award is in its fifth year and is given annually to the nation's top collegiate baseball player.
A two-time All-Big 12 Conference honoree and a unanimous first-team all-league pick last season, Weems also was named the nation's third-best shortstop by CSTV.com behind only Ryan Flaherty of Vanderbilt and Danny Espinosa of Long Beach State. Other shortstops on the 2008 CSTV.com list were Gordon Beckham (Georgia), Cole Figueroa (Florida), Brandon Cole (UCLA), Greg Miclat (Virginia), Brandon Hicks (Texas A&M) and Jason Christian (Michigan).
Weems hit .321 and shared the team lead with nine home runs in 2007; he also led Baylor with 17 doubles, 59 RBI, 125 total bases and 35 walks last season. He was even stronger in Big 12 play, hitting .361 with five home runs, 27 RBI, seven doubles, three triples, a .649 slugging percentage and a .438 on base percentage in 24 games.
Known for his defensive prowess, Weems has committed only 22 errors in 110 career starts at shortstop with only six fielding errors (others were throwing errors).
Weems is the second Baylor player named to the 2008 Wallace Award Preseason Watch List; senior relief pitcher Nick Cassavechia was named to the list last month.
Baylor opens its 2008 season Feb. 22-24, hosting Purdue for a three-game series at Baylor Ballpark.
NOTE: Former Baylor star Seth Fortenberry was named "Best Outfield Am" in the New York Yankees farm system by Baseball America. The publication annually reviews each franchise's minor league system; Fortenberry was so honored for the second consecutive year. A 2006 11th-round draft selection of the Yankees, Fortenberry hit .255 with 18 home runs, 87 RBI, 23 doubles, four triples and 25 stolen bases in 140 games last season for Class A Charleston.
