LSU junior shortstop Kramer Robertson has been named to the Brooks Wallace Award watch list, and Tiger senior pitcher John Valek III is among hurlers on the National Pitcher of the Year watch list, the National College Baseball Hall of Fame announced last week. 
The Brooks Wallace Award, which is given to the nation’s best shortstop, has 54 players on its watch list, including eight players from the Southeastern Conference. 
Since moving from second base to shortstop before the eighth game of the year, Robertson has been stalwart in the Tigers’ infield, holding a .955 fielding percentage on 128 opportunities. 
Through 40 games this season, the third-year Tiger is batting .320 with 28 RBIs and 13 doubles. He has a .432 on-base percentage and has the second-least amount of strikeouts of LSU players with more than 100 at-bats. 
Former LSU shortstop Alex Bregman, who was the 2015 No. 2 overall pick of the Houston Astros, won the award in 2013.
After transferring from Akron, Valek claimed the No. 3 spot in the weekend pitching rotation and has the best record of the three starters.
He is 6-1 in 10 starts with a 3.78 ERA. The Parkland, Florida native has struck out 40 hitters and has only allowed seven walks in 52.1 innings. Opponents are batting .277 against the southpaw. 
With 16 hurlers selected to the list, the SEC has the most pitchers on the National Pitcher of the Year watch list of any conference. Former LSU ace and currently Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola won the award in 2014. 

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Wingate Jones

LSU senior pitcher John Valek III (27) pitches during LSU's 11-8 victory on Sunday, April 24, 2016 at Alex Box Stadium