CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina junior shortstop Aaron Attaway was listed among 25 collegiate shortstops on 2013’s first Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award Watch List released late Friday night. Attaway is the only representative from the Southern Conference on the first watch list.

The Brooks Wallace Award, sponsored by Mizuno, recognizes the nation's top shortstop and will be presented during the College Baseball Hall of Fame's Night of Champions on June 29 in Lubbock, Texas.

"Each of these shortstops have some impressive statistics – whether it's batting averages or fielding percentages," said Darby Brown, Wallace Award co-chair. "We look forward to seeing what they do during the upcoming weeks.”

Attaway has started all 40 games this season at shortstop – a position in which he has started all but one of his career games fielding. The preseason second-team All-Southern Conference selection at shortstop, Attaway ranks third on the Catamount baseball team in batting average at the time the list was released.

He has collected a SoCon-leading 60 base hits, including 11 doubles, three triples and seven home runs. He ranks second on the Catamount squad – and sixth in the SoCon – with 36 RBIs and has scored a league-leading 40 runs through 40 games played.

In the Sunday, extra-inning victory over Furman that clinched the series back on April 7, Attaway hit for the cycle to lead the Catamounts with a four-hit outing. He blasted a solo home run to lead off the third inning, doubling in the fifth before tripling down the right-field line in the ninth inning. In extra frames, Attaway reached the cycle by dropping a single into right field.

In the field, the Morganton, N.C., native has been a part of turning 21 of WCU’s 31 double plays on the year. Attaway has 178 fielding chances with 58 putouts and a combined 110 assists – tied for second in the SoCon – against 10 errors for a .944 fielding percentage.