Three Bulldogs Named Finalists For 2016 C Spire Ferriss Trophy
May 16, 2016 | Baseball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – As the 2016 regular season hits the homestretch, three Diamond Dawgs have been named finalists for the 2016 C Spire Ferriss Trophy.
Junior RHP Dakota Hudson, freshman outfielder Jake Mangum and dual threat outfielder and pitcher Reid Humphreys were named three of the five finalists for the award. Ole Miss' J.B. Woodman and Delta State's Will Robertson were also named finalists for the trophy.
The Ferriss Trophy, presented annually to the top collegiate baseball player in the state of Mississippi, will be presented Monday, May 23, at a luncheon at the Cleveland Country Club. The award is named after former Mississippi State and Boston Red Sox pitching great David M. “Boo” Ferriss.
Major League scouts who cover Mississippi and Mississippi's college coaches, whose votes count for 90 percent of the total, will make their choice this week from among the five finalists. Fan voting, which begins Tuesday at www.csopavoting.com and concludes on Sunday, will account for a weighted 10 percent of the final tally. The winner will be announced at the luncheon.
Hudson is coming off his first-career complete game shutout this past weekend, improving to 8-3 after the win at Auburn. The Dunlap, Tenn., native currently stands sixth in the SEC with 91 strikeouts, while his 2.52 ERA is good for eighth in the league. Hudson's eight wins are the most since Ross Mitchell collected eight in 2014.
Continuing his stellar freshman season, Mangum ranks second in the SEC with a .405 clip and led all freshmen in the NCAA entering the weekend in batting average. So far Mangum has tallied 64 hits and a .519 slugging percentage, with nine doubles, three triples and one home run. The Pearl, Miss., native has driven home 25 runs this year and leads MSU with a .460 on-base percentage.
Rounding out MSU's list of finalists is Brandon, Miss., native Reid Humphreys, who has been a threat at the plate and on the mound for MSU this year. Humphreys sports a .333 batting average so far this year, with 53 hits, 15 doubles, five home runs and two triples. The Bulldog junior has driven in 44 runs this year, second best on the team. He leads State with 13 multi-RBI games this season. Humphreys has made 15 appearances on the mound for State this year, leading the Bulldogs with six saves. Humphreys has tossed 25 strikeouts in 19.1 innings of work this season.
Four Bulldogs in history have earned the C Spire Ferriss Trophy, with the last being Hunter Renfroe in 2013. Chris Stratton (2012), Ed Easley (2007) and Thomas Berkery (2006) round out State's list of Ferriss Trophy winners.
Tickets are $40 each and available by calling the MSHOF offices at 601 982-8264 or by going online at http://msfame.com/c-spire-ferriss-trophy/.
This year marks the 21st anniversary of the Outstanding Player Awards Program. C Spire has served as title sponsor for 19 of those years since 1998. The Conerly Trophy in college football, the Howell Trophy in men's college basketball, the Gillom Trophy in women's college basketball and the Ferriss Trophy in college baseball comprise the four elements of the C Spire Outstanding Player Award series are jointly presented by the company and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.
Fans can follow the Bulldogs on social media by searching for “HailStateBB” on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for “HailStateSnap.”
