For fourth year in a row, fans influence 10 percent of the award total; sparking renewed excitement, interest and engagement with their favorite players and schools
Jackson, Miss. - (May 20, 2017) –
Mississippi State slugging outfielder Brent Rooker was the top vote getter and winner of the fan voting segment of the 2017 C Spire Ferriss Trophy, which annually honors the top college baseball player in Mississippi, it was announced Saturday.
Rooker, a junior from Germantown, Tenn., received 1,728 votes from fans, which counts for 10 percent of the award. Southern Miss senior infielder Dylan Burdeaux finished second with 991 votes and one of his teammates, pitcher and infielder Taylor Braley, a junior, was third with 550 votes.
Finalists and the ultimate winner are chosen by the state’s college baseball coaches and a panel of Major League Baseball professional scouts. This year’s overall winner will be announced at a special awards luncheon on Monday at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in Jackson, Miss.
Over 3,500 votes were cast for the five finalists via social media and text messaging during the six-day fan voting period sponsored by C Spire and the MSHOF. Past winners have included Mississippi State outfielder Jake Mangum in 2016 and Southern Miss pitcher James McMahon in 2015.
Rooker, one of the leading sluggers in college baseball and the most prolific in Mississippi State history, hit .408 with 27 doubles, three triples, 20 home runs, 82 hits and 72 runs batted in this season. He leads Division 1 college baseball with a .871 slugging percentage and a .514 on base percentage.
The other two finalists who received fan votes were Southern Miss outfielder Matt Wallner and Delta State pitcher and infielder Zach Shannon. Wallner received 57 votes while Shannon garnered a total of 197 votes.
Tickets are available for Monday’s awards luncheon, which starts at 11:30 a.m. Coaches and finalists are expected to attend. Tickets are $40 each. For tickets or more information, go to msfame.com or call 601.982.8264.
This is the fourth time in the award’s 22-year history that fan voting has been allowed for the prestigious award. “We have some of the most passionate college baseball fans in the country and this gives them a way to have their voice heard in choosing Mississippi’s best college baseball player,” said Bill Blackwell, executive director of the MSHOF.
The award is named after the late Dave “Boo” Ferriss, a Magnolia state baseball legend, a Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer and long-time Delta State head baseball coach. Ferriss made college baseball popular and relevant with his superior coaching skills and experience and his outgoing personality with players and fans.
2017 marks the 22nd anniversary of the Outstanding Player Awards program. C Spire has served as title sponsor for 20 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 series.
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C Spire is a diversified telecommunications and technology services company that provides world-class customer-inspired service and a superior comprehensive suite of customer-inspired wireless communications, high-speed Internet access and a range of other telecommunications products and services to consumers and businesses. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspire.
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