Kemp Alderman (Photo from Ole Miss Baseball website)
The annual award is given to the most outstanding college baseball player in Mississippi.
Each year, the most outstanding player in Mississippi college baseball is awarded the Ferriss Trophy, named for legendary player and coach Dave “Boo” Ferriss. The 2023 award is presented by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in partnership with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and Pearl River Resort.
The finalists and winner for the prestigious award are selected by a panel of coaches and professional scouts. This year’s finalists were:
- Ty Hill of Jackson State
- Hunter Hines of Mississippi State
- Kemp Alderman of Ole Miss
- Slade Wilks of Southern Miss
- Tanner Hall of Southern Miss.
USM’s Hall won the Ferris Trophy in 2022.
On Monday, Ole Miss’ Kemp Alderman was announced as the 2023 winner of the Ferris Trophy.
Alderman hails from Decatur where he played high school ball at Newton County Academy. The Junior outfielder who also made appearances at pitcher and catcher for the Rebels this season had a .368 batting average with a .706 slugging percentage. Alderman had 75 hits with 19 homeruns and 60 RBIs.
Alderman’s home run total this season is the third-highest in a single season for a Rebel in Ole Miss baseball history.
The Ferris Trophy win is a bright spot for an Ole Miss Baseball season that failed to live up to expectations following their College World Series national championship in 2022. The Rebels opened the season ranked 4th in the nation but did not make the postseason for the first time since 2011, finishing the year with the program’s first losing record since 1997 at 25-29.
