University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Tyler Koelling Wins Cellular South Ferriss Trophy
5/23/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 23, 2011
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss senior outfielder Tyler Koelling was named the 2011 recipient of the Cellular South Ferriss Trophy, given to the top collegiate baseball player in the state of Mississippi. The award was presented Monday at a luncheon at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in Jackson.
Koelling is the first Southern Miss player to garner this award since its inception in 2004. He beat out teammate, B.A. Vollmuth (Biloxi, Miss.), and Mississippi State's Jarrod Parks, the other two finalists, for the trophy.
A three-year starter for the Golden Eagles, Koelling has been instrumental in the team's 38-15 record this season and their winning a share of the Conference USA regular-season title. It was the school's first regular-season crown since 2003.
"We are very proud of Tyler Koelling for winning the Ferriss Trophy," said Southern Miss baseball coach Scott Berry. "He has made great strides as a player and a leader on our baseball team over the past three years and without question his 2011 season is the best he has had as a Golden Eagle. He has done everything that we have asked him to do and done everything possible to help this team win. It's a well-deserved honor.
"We are pleased that we had two of the finalists for this prestigious award. B.A. Vollmuth has proven over his career that he is one of the best players in the state and his contributions this season to our baseball team our part of the reason that we were able win a share of the Conference USA regular-season championship."
The Luling, La., native leads the team in hitting with a .367 batting average to go along with a team-best 18 doubles and 46 runs batted in. His offensive numbers also included a triple and four home runs.
His batting average ranks second in C-USA, while his hit total (84) ranks second as well. He is tied for third in total bases (116), tied for fourth in doubles and tied for fifth in RBI in the league.
In league play, he hit .370 with 11 doubles, three home runs and 25 RBI.
Koelling was one of the toughest to strikeout in the country this season as he ranks nationally in the Top 10 with just nine on the year.
Defensively, he made just two errors in 112 fielding chances was five-for-nine in stolen base opportunities.
This is the first time in history that the same school has won top player honors in both basketball and baseball in the same academic year and just the third time that one school has captured two of three top awards in the state of Mississippi for collegiate men.
