University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
JB Middleton Wins Ferriss Trophy
5/19/2025 1:03:00 PM | Baseball
JACKSON, Miss. – Southern Miss junior right-handed pitcher JB Middleton (Yazoo City, Miss.) won the 2025 Ferriss Trophy Monday afternoon, awarded annually to the most outstanding college baseball player in Mississippi.
Named in honor of Hall of Famer and Mississippi baseball legend Dave "Boo" Ferriss, the trophy celebrates excellence on the diamond across the state's four-year colleges and universities. This year's finalists were selected by a panel of coaches and scouts and represent the top talent in Mississippi collegiate baseball. The ceremony was held at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum.
Middleton finished the regular season with a 9-1 record and a 2.07 ERA with 104 strikeouts and only 23 walks and 53 hits in 91 1/3 innings, while opponents hit .169 against him. He led the Sun Belt in innings pitched and ranked second in both ERA and wins.
The Golden Eagles top starting pitcher ranks No. 2 nationally in WHIP (0.83), No. 3 in hits allowed by nine innings (5.22), fifth in ERA, No. 12 in wins and No. 15 in strikeouts. During the year, he pitched at least five innings in 13 of 14 starts, while posting 10 or more strikeout games four times during the year including a career-high 12 against both South Alabama and Georgia State.
Middleton won his last seven decisions and allowed zero or one earned run in an outing eight times. He was the only two-time Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week and is a finalist for Ferriss Trophy, the award for top collegiate baseball player in the state of Mississippi, semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and a member of the College Pitcher of the Year Watch List.
The award for Middleton gives Southern Miss its fifth winner of this award, which dates back to 2004, and fourth pitcher. The other Golden Eagle Ferriss Trophy winners include Tyler Koelling (2011), James McMahon (2015), Nick Sandlin (2018) and Tanner Hall (2022).
Southern Miss returns to action Wednesday, May 21, when they start their two-time title defense as Sun Belt Conference champions with their first tournament game at 12:30 p.m., against a yet undetermined opponent.
Named in honor of Hall of Famer and Mississippi baseball legend Dave "Boo" Ferriss, the trophy celebrates excellence on the diamond across the state's four-year colleges and universities. This year's finalists were selected by a panel of coaches and scouts and represent the top talent in Mississippi collegiate baseball. The ceremony was held at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum.
Middleton finished the regular season with a 9-1 record and a 2.07 ERA with 104 strikeouts and only 23 walks and 53 hits in 91 1/3 innings, while opponents hit .169 against him. He led the Sun Belt in innings pitched and ranked second in both ERA and wins.
The Golden Eagles top starting pitcher ranks No. 2 nationally in WHIP (0.83), No. 3 in hits allowed by nine innings (5.22), fifth in ERA, No. 12 in wins and No. 15 in strikeouts. During the year, he pitched at least five innings in 13 of 14 starts, while posting 10 or more strikeout games four times during the year including a career-high 12 against both South Alabama and Georgia State.
Middleton won his last seven decisions and allowed zero or one earned run in an outing eight times. He was the only two-time Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week and is a finalist for Ferriss Trophy, the award for top collegiate baseball player in the state of Mississippi, semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and a member of the College Pitcher of the Year Watch List.
The award for Middleton gives Southern Miss its fifth winner of this award, which dates back to 2004, and fourth pitcher. The other Golden Eagle Ferriss Trophy winners include Tyler Koelling (2011), James McMahon (2015), Nick Sandlin (2018) and Tanner Hall (2022).
Southern Miss returns to action Wednesday, May 21, when they start their two-time title defense as Sun Belt Conference champions with their first tournament game at 12:30 p.m., against a yet undetermined opponent.
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