JACKSON, Miss. - Feb. 7, 2005 – Participating college baseball coaches in the state listed 17 players as potential recipients of the 2005 Cellular South Ferriss Trophy which is awarded annually to Mississippi's top college baseball player.
Head coaches at the state's twelve four-year college programs were asked to name a maximum of two players from their team and one from another team who bear watching during the 2005 season. All twelve coaches participated. Players not named in the pre-season watch list are still eligible to win the Cellular South Ferriss Trophy.
The players selected by the coaches are listed alphabetically by university:
ALCORN STATE:
- Earl Smith, RHP, JR, Stockton, CA; 6'6" 217 pound transfer from Grossmount Community College in CA; sports 90 mph fastball;
- Corey Wimberley, 2B, JR Jacksonville, FL; 2004 SWAC Newcomer of the Year & Louisville Slugger All-American; stole 40 bases to rank second in NCAA Division I; .420 batting average ninth best in NCAA;
BELHAVEN
- Nick Brister, SS, SR Moss Point, MS; started all 60 games in 2004, leading the Blazers in steals (19), walks (32) and runs scored (44);
- Brandon Ingle, C, SR Madison Central High School; In 50 games last season, Ingle hit .292 while collecting 42 hits in 144 at bats; over his last 15 games, Ingle hit .511 with 23 hits and a slugging percentage of .733.
DELTA STATE
- Brad Lightsey, RHP, SR Batesville, MS; went 11-1 with a 5.19 era and 57 k's in DSU's 2004 national championship season; hit 6 hr's while batting .303;
- Bert Pickard, C/3B, SR, Biloxi, MS; Pre-season All-American selection; started all 65 games in 2004 and hit .335 with 75 rbi's; DSU seeking a third consecutive Gulf South Conference championship and a twelfth straight GSC West crown;
JACKSON STATE
- Carl Lipsey, 2B, SR, Fresno, CA; was the top base stealing thief in Division I baseball last season with 49 stolen bases while ranking 12th in walks; hit .364 with 62 rbi's;
MILLSAPS
- Garner Wetzel, SS, JR, Gulfport, MS; hit .311 with 32 rbi's while batting second in the lineup; very strong arm and may be used out of the bullpen in 2005;
MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE
- Jake Bell, OF, JR, Pearl, MS; hit .367 with 6 doubles and 5 homers in injury-shortened 2004 season.
- Marc Chisholm, OF, JR, Clinton, MS; hit .363 with 36 rbi last season including 10 doubles and 6 hr's; scored 33 runs;
MISSISSIPPI STATE
- Brad Corley, OF, JR, Louisville, KY; led team with.380 average, 19 hr's, 55 rbi's and 93 hits; ranked first in the SEC in slugging percentage; second in hr's; fourth in batting average; 2004 Ferriss Trophy finalist;
- Alan Johnson, RHP, SR, Pleasant Grove, AL; 3-4 record with 5.56 ERA in 2004; 48 k's in 78 innings.
- Jeffrey Rea, 2B, SO, Nettleton, MS; former MS high school player of the year hit .324 with 32 RBI's in 2004; his 79 hits the second best total among all SEC freshmen;
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY
- Andrew Cunha, RHP, SR, Tucson, AZ; SWAC saves leader in 2004 with six in 18 relief appearances; recorded 35 k's en route to All-SWAC tournament teams honors; a third team All-SWAC choice last season;
- Zach Penprase, SS, SO, Moorpark, CA; led team in hitting (.327) and hits (51) in 2004; named second team All-SWAC and SWAC All-Tournament team;
OLE MISS
- Stephen Head, IF/P, JR, Raymond, MS; two-time All-American and 2005 NCBWA pre-season All-American; 2004 Ferriss Trophy winner; two-way threat who ranked in the SEC top ten last season in hitting (.346 13 hr's 53 rbi's) and pitching ( 6-3 2.82 era);
- Mark Holliman, RHP, JR, Germantown, TN; Third team All-American selection by Baseball America; 9-3 last season with 3.05 era and 101 k's in 106 innings; picked off five runners, third best in SEC.
RUST COLLEGE
- Jamal Gray, P, SR, Greenwood, MS; 3.19 era in 2004.
- DeWayne Johnson, SS, JR, No information available.
USM
- Patrick Ezell, RHP, SO, Petal, MS; Pre-season C-USA pitcher of the year; 6-2 with 3.57 era and team-leading 73 k's in 2004.
- Marc Maddox, 1B, JR, Hattiesburg, MS; Pre-season ALL-CUSA choice; hit. .317 with 60 rbi's and .555 slugging percentage in 2004; charged with only five errors in 584 chances last season; one of 58 nominees for the Brooks Wallace Award, presented annually to the national college baseball player of the year.
WILLIAM CAREY
- Greg Alexander, CF, SO, Hattiesburg, MS; speedster who stole 23 bases in 29 attempts last season while hitting .371 with 30 rbi's;
- Zach Butler, RHP, JR, Gulfport, MS; transfer from Pearl River CC where he went 9-1 with 81 k's in 72 innings last season;
The Cellular South Ferriss Trophy is named after Dave "Boo" Ferriss, an All-SEC pitcher at Mississippi State who went on to a highly-successful coaching career at Delta State. He is a member of both the Boston Red Sox and Mississippi Sports Halls of Fame.
The second annual Cellular South Ferriss Trophy recipient will be announced at the Museum on the evening of Monday May 23, 2005.
About Cellular South
The company is one of the largest privately held wireless providers in the U.S. and is licensed to provide wireless service - to a total population of more than five million people - on its network stretching from the Memphis Metropolitan Area, throughout all of Mississippi, along Coastal Alabama and the Florida Panhandle through Destin/Seaside. For more information, contact Cellular South at 1-877-CSOUTH1 or visit cellularsouth.com.
Contact:
Michael Rubenstein, (601) 982-8264, 1-800-280-FAME
Tanya Rankin, Cellular South (601) 974-7134 trankin@cellularsouth.com
