JACKSON — After three mostly mediocre seasons at Southern Mississippi, James McMahon’s final year with the Golden Eagles has been memorable.
The 6-foot-1, 212-pound senior from Hattiesburg continued a dream spring Monday by winning the Ferriss Trophy, which is given annually to the state’s top college baseball player.
“This is really awesome,” McMahon said. “Being from Mississippi, I understand the tradition of this award and how good the college baseball is in this state so it means a lot.”
McMahon, a right-hander, moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation this spring. The senior is 11-1 with a 1.72 ERA. He has held opposing hitters to a .203 batting average.
He had two long scoreless streaks this season — one that lasted 23 2/3 innings and another that stretched 18 2/3. He has been named the Conference USA Pitcher of the Week twice.
The success was hard to envision after his first three seasons with the Golden Eagles. He entered the year with 37 relief appearances, a handful of saves, and a 6.04 ERA.
McMahon said he was never able to get comfortable in the bullpen, but the move to the starting rotation allowed him to have a routine he trusts. He also started throwing a two-seam fastball that has been able to coax consistent ground ball outs.
“Mentally and physically I’m able to trust the work I do in between starts and I’m able to hold onto that when I get on the mound,” McMahon said.
McMahon is one of many reasons Southern Miss closed the regular season on a 13-game winning streak, which tied a school record. Southern Miss, which has jumped into NCAA tournament contention thanks to its recent winning ways, will face Alabama-Birmingham at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the opening round of the Conference USA tournament at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg.
“These past few weeks have been a blast,” McMahon said. “We have a lot of confidence and a little swagger. The pitchers and hitters have really been complementing each other.”
McMahon is the second Southern Miss player to win the Ferriss Trophy since its inception in 2004. Tyler Koelling, of Luling, Louisiana, received the honor in 2011.
Also Monday, McMahon was one of 12 C-USA players to make the league’s All-Academic team.
McMahon, who graduated in Construction Engineering Technology in December with a 3.50 grade-point average, earned C-USA Academic Medal once and was named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll five times, the President’s List once, the Dean’s List three times, and the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll four times as an undergraduate.
The other finalists for the Ferriss Trophy were: Jackson State infielder Melvin Rodriguez, Ole Miss pitcher Scott Weathersby, Mississippi State first baseman Wes Rea, and Millsaps pitcher/infielder Keith Shumaker.
n In related news, Southern Miss will honor members of the Hattiesburg Police Department on the field prior to its game against UAB.
Prior to the game, there will be a presentation to honor all Hattiesburg Police Department officers and staff members on the field.
Each member of the Hattiesburg Police Department will receive two free tickets to each game throughout the entire week of the C-USA Baseball tournament when they present their badge at the Pete Taylor Ticket Office.
Each fan entering the game will receive a blue ribbon to wear in honor of the HPD officers. At each gate and on the concourse, staff members will be taking donations for the families of the two fallen officers.
In addition, the Southern Miss baseball team will be honoring the HPD officers by wearing blue wristbands for the game.
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