Stratton Named Finalist For C Spire/Ferriss Trophy
The trophy is presented annually to Mississippi's most outstanding collegiate baseball player and named in honor of former Mississippi State and Boston Red Sox pitcher and Delta State coaching great Dave "Boo" Ferriss. This year's recipient will be named at a C Spire Wireless mid-day luncheon Monday, May 14 at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
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Miss second baseman Alex Yarbrough (Allen, Texas) and Delta State pitcher
Colton Mitchell (Lake, Miss.) are the other two finalists for the ninth annual Ferriss Trophy presentation.
Stratton notched his SEC-leading ninth win and became the 12th MSU
hurler to reach the 100-strikeout mark in a season in last weekend's
series-opening win at Alabama. In 12 mound appearances, the Tupelo, Miss.,
native has compiled a 2.19 earned run average (second-lowest in the SEC) and
recorded 101 strikeouts (tied for third-most in the NCAA). Stratton has reached
double figures in strikeouts three times this year, including a dazzling
17-strikeout display in his first 2012 start on SEC opening night at LSU. He's
earned five wins and registered seven quality starts in his eight game-opening
pitching performances. He tossed back-to-back nine-inning games last month,
including a career-first complete-game shutout win over Ole Miss. A two-time SEC
Pitcher of the Week honoree, Stratton has issued 17 walks in 82.1 innings while
holding opponents to .207 hitting.
The Bulldog right-hander, on the watch list for the 2012 Golden Spikes Award, is one of only two SEC players selected last week for academic all-district honors and becomes eligible for Capital One Academic All-America honors.
Infielder Thomas Berkery and catcher Ed Easley represented Mississippi State as back-to-back recipients of the Ferriss Trophy in 2006 and 2007. Current MSU student assistant coach Brad Corley (2006), Connor Powers (2010) and Jarrod Parks (2011) have also been past finalists for the award.
Tickets for Monday's 11:30 a.m. buffet luncheon in Jackson are $35 each. Sponsorship tables are also available for purchase. For more information, call the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame at 601-982-8264.
C Spire Wireless is also the sponsor for college football's Conerly Trophy and college basketball's Howell and Gillom Trophies.