Magnolia State’s top college baseball player will be selected on May 20 at Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame luncheon
Jackson, Miss., (May 13, 2013) – Three pitchers, a catcher and an outfielder lead a star-studded line up of finalists for the 2013 C Spire Wireless Ferriss Trophy, which goes annually to the top college baseball player in Mississippi.
The five finalists include four semifinalists for the Golden Spikes award, which honors the nation’s best Division 1 college baseball player, and a finalist for Division II national player of the year. Finalists include Ole Miss’ Stuart Turner and Bobby Wahl, Mississippi State’s Hunter Renfroe, Southern Miss’ Andrew Pierce and Delta State’s Josh Branstetter.
Renfroe, a junior outfielder-designated hitter for the Bulldogs, leads the SEC in home runs (15) and slugging percentage (.750) and is tied for third in the league with a .390 batting average.
Turner, the Rebels junior catcher, is tied with Renfroe with a .390 batting average and leads Ole Miss with five home runs, 15 doubles and 46 RBIs.
Wahl, a junior pitcher for Ole Miss, is 9-0 with a 1.43 ERA and has never left or finished a game with the Rebels trailing this season. Opposing hitters are averaging .177 against him this year.
Pierce, a senior right-handed pitcher for Southern Miss, is 9-1 with a 2.37 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 95 innings of work. The Golden Eagles are 10-3 in games he has started and 16-20 in games he hasn’t pitched.
Brandstetter, a senior right-handed pitcher for Delta State, is 9-2 in 13 starts with a 1.68 ERA and 74-16 strikeouts-to-walks ratio for the Statesmen. He is a finalist for the Tino Martinez award as Division II’s most outstanding player.
The award will be presented at a May 20 luncheon sponsored by C Spire at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson. A limited number of $35 tickets remain for the 11:30 a.m. event. Call 601.982.8264 to order tickets.
The trophy is named after Mississippi baseball legend Boo Ferriss, who played for Mississippi State and the Boston Red Sox and was the long-time baseball coach at Delta State.
The five finalists – and eventual winner – are selected by the state’s college baseball coaches and a panel of Major League scouts whose territory includes Mississippi.
C Spire Wireless also sponsors college football’s Conerly Trophy and college basketball’s Howell and Gillom Trophies, which annually honor the state’s top football and male and female college basketball players.
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