OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The College Baseball Foundation has named its watch list for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award for the 2026 season on Wednesday afternoon. Freshman Brayden Zilis was one of 54 players named to this year's watch list.
The award honors the best dual role players in the nation and will be awarded by the College Baseball Foundation later this year. The award is named after John Olerud, a former standout player at Washington State who achieved success as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s. Olerud was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
Zilis joined Illinois State ahead of the 2026 season and ranked as the No. 31 high school shortstop in Illinois by Perfect Game. A standout at Minooka High School, Zilis was named to the 2025 PrepBaseball Illinois All-State First Team, his second straight selection. Zilis was also named one of the Missouri Valley Conference's Top-10 Impact Freshmen before the season began by D1Baseball.com's Patrick Ebert.
For more information on the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award or any of the CBF awards, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.
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