MSU’s Jake Mangum and Ethan Small Named C Spire Ferriss Trophy Finalists

Mississippi State baseball players senior outfielder Jake Mangum and redshirt-junior pitcher Ethan Small were named two of the five finalists for the C Spire Ferriss Trophy, which is presented annually to the top collegiate baseball player in the state of Mississippi.

The Ferriss Trophy will be awarded at a special Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame luncheon on Monday, May 20. The award is named after former Mississippi State and Boston Red Sox pitching legend David M. “Boo” Ferriss. The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m where former MSU baseball player and long-time MLB manager Buck Showalter will be the guest speaker.

The scouts and coaches, whose votes count for 90% of the total, will make their choice this week from among the five finalists. Fan voting, which begins Tuesday at www.cspire.com/ferriss and concludes on Saturday, will account for 10% of the final vote.

Mangum, a native of Pearl, Mississippi, holds a .401 batting average with 93 hits, 20 doubles, three triples, 37 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. He also became the all-time Southeastern Conference hits leader this season. He is currently ranked No. 2 nationally with his 93 hits and currently has 368 career hits. He is also on pace to become the first MSU baseball player to post multiple 100-hit seasons.

Small, a native of Lexington, Tennessee, has made 13 starts on the mound where he has garnered a 7-1 record with a 1.73 ERA and a career-best 132 strikeouts in 78 innings pitched. His 132 strikeouts also rank No. 2 nationally and are No. 6 on the MSU single-season list.

The other finalists include:

Tyler Keenan, Ole Miss sophomore third baseman

Grae Kessinger, Ole Miss junior shortstop

Matt Wallner, Southern Miss junior outfielder