Tomas Valincius Wins 2026 Ferriss Trophy
May 18, 2026 | Baseball
JACKSON – Tomas Valincius has made his first season in Maroon and White a memorable one.
The Mississippi State sophomore pitcher has already picked up numerous honors for his mound prowess this year. On Monday, Valincius added another to his collection by being named the Ferriss Trophy winner for 2026.
The Ferriss Trophy is presented annually to the top collegiate player in the Magnolia State at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. He claimed the honor over finalists Grayden Harris (Southern Miss), Ace Reese (MSU), Cade Townsend (Ole Miss) and Judd Utermark (Ole Miss).
Valincius has made 14 starts this season going 9-2 with a 3.04 earned run average, 112 strikeouts and only 17 walks in 80 innings of work. The Lockport, Illinois, native is tied for the SEC lead in wins, is second in strikeouts, fourth in innings, and fifth in ERA. He has struck out 86 batters in SEC play, more than any other pitcher in the conference.
An MSU player has won the Ferriss Trophy 10 times during its 22 years of existence, the most of any program. Former Bulldogs to claim the Ferriss Trophy are Thomas Berkery (2006), Ed Easley (2007), Chris Stratton (2012), Hunter Renfroe (2013), Jake Mangum (2016, 2019), Brent Rooker (2017), Tanner Allen (2021) and Dakota Jordan (2024).
Mangum is the only two-time winner of the Ferriss Trophy. The award is named in honor of former Diamond Dawg legend Dave "Boo" Ferriss.
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