Mississippi State Pitcher Tomas Valincius Wins 2026 Ferriss Trophy

Tomas Valincius, a sophomore pitcher for Mississippi State, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Ferriss Trophy. The award is presented annually to the top college baseball player in Mississippi by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, according to the organization.

Valincius, a native of Lockport, Illinois, has made 14 starts this season, posting a 9-2 record with a 3.04 ERA. He has struck out 112 batters and walked 17 in 80 innings. His performance places him among the SEC leaders, tied for the most wins, second in strikeouts, fourth in innings pitched, and fifth in ERA.

In SEC play, Valincius has struck out 86 batters, more than any other pitcher in the conference. His efforts helped Mississippi State, which has produced 10 Ferriss Trophy winners in its 22 years of existence, the most of any school in the state.

Previous Bulldogs winners include 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). Mangum is the only player to win twice.

The Ferriss Trophy is named after former Mississippi State baseball legend Dave “Boo” Ferriss. The university encourages fans to follow the baseball program on social media by searching ‘HailStateBB’ on platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram.

Source: Original Article