Photo courtesy Austin Perryman/Mississippi State Athletics

No one took home a Ferriss Trophy in 2020 because COVID-19 shut the college baseball season down rather suddenly. College baseball is back in 2021, though, and so will the Ferriss Trophy, which is given to the best college baseball player at a four-year university or college in the state of Mississippi.

Mississippi State University outfielder Tanner Allen won the fan voting portion of the C-Spire Outstanding Player Awards. Tanner beat out fellow teammate pitcher Landon Sims and three players from the University of Mississippi. The Rebels were pitcher Doug Nikhazy, pitcher Gunnar Hoglund and pitcher/outfielder Kevin Graham.

Tanner earned 2,612 votes to win easily over the other four finalists. Teammate Sims earned just 903 votes while Nikhazy earned 699 votes, Hoglund earned 573 votes and Graham gathered 566 votes.

The Theodore, Ala., native, has played and started in 49 games this season as he has a .389 batting average. He has amassed 74 hits, 53 runs, 48 RBI, 11 doubles, eight home runs, eight stolen bases and five triples. He is enjoying an impressive .626 slugging percentage and a .468 on-base percentage.

He leads the team in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, hits, RBI, triples, home runs at-bats with 190, and total bases with 119. He is second on the team in runs scored, doubles, walks with 28, hit by pitch with 13, steal attempts with 11 and stolen bases with eight.

Mississippi State ends the regular season with a three game series on the road against the University of Alabama. Game one is Thursday, May 20, with game two on Friday, May 21, and the series and regular season final on Saturday, May 22.

The Bulldogs are second in the SEC West standings and could improve their seeding in the SEC Tournament that begins on May 25 and runs to May 30. After the SEC Tournament the Bulldogs will wait to hear their fate in the NCAA Tournament.

Due to COVID-19, the Ferriss Trophy won’t be the only one given on Monday, May 24, in a virtual event. All the C-Spire Outstanding Player Awards will be given on the same day. The Conerly Trophy for best college football player, Howell Trophy for best men’s college basketball player and the Gillom Trophy for best women’s basketball player.

The Conerly Trophy will be decided between UM wide receiver Elijah Moore, MSU cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, University of Southern Mississippi offensive lineman Arvin Fletcher, Jackson State University wide receiver Daylen Baldwin, Mississippi Valley State University linebacker and top-fan vote winner Jerry Garner, Belhaven University running back Brad Foley, Millsaps University defensive back Christian Roberts, and running back Cole Fagan.

The finalists for the Howell Trophy are JSU guard and top-vote getter Tristan Jarrett, MSU guard D.J. Stewart Jr. and UM guard Devontae Shuler. The finalists for the Gillon Trophy are JSU guard and top-vote getter Dayzsha Rogan, JSU center Ameshya Williams and UM forward Shakira Austin.

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