Mississippi State sophomore pitcher Tomas Valincius is the winner of this year’s Ferriss Trophy, handed out annually to the top college baseball player in Mississippi.
Valincius received the honor during a luncheon at Pearl River Resort on Monday. The trophy is named in honor of Dave “Boo” Ferriss, a former Bulldog pitcher who went on to play six seasons for the Boston Red Sox before injury derailed a historic career that included 46 wins across his first two professional campaigns.
As someone who sported the maroon and white and had plenty of hardware to his name, the late Ferriss would be more than impressed with Valincius’ stats.
In his first season as a Bulldog after transferring from Virginia, Valincius has a 9-2 record with a 3.04 ERA across 14 starts. The lefty’s win count is tied for best in the SEC and his 112 strikeouts is second in the league. He leads the SEC in strikeouts against conference opponents, fanning 86 in 10 appearances.
Valincius won the Ferriss Trophy over teammate and Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese, Ole Miss pitcher Cade Townsend, Ole Miss third baseman Judd Utermark, and Southern Miss pitcher Grayden Harris.
He joins eight other Bulldogs to win the Ferriss Trophy since its inception in 2004. The list includes Thomas Berkery (2006), Ed Easley (2007), Chris Stratton (2012), Hunter Renfroe (2013), Jake Mangum (2016, 2019), Brent Rooker (2017), Tanner Allen (2021), and Dakota Jordan (2024).
Valincius and Mississippi State will return to action Wednesday in the SEC Tournament. They will play the winner of Tuesday’s opener between Ole Miss and Missouri.