Kemp Alderman Named 2023 Ferriss Trophy Finalist
Alderman In the Running for Mississippi’s Highest Baseball Award
JACKSON, Miss. – (Release) The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum announced the finalists for the 2023 Ferriss Trophy presented by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and Pearl River Resort and Ole Miss baseball’s Kemp Alderman was named a finalist for the award.
Alderman joins Ty Hill of Jackson State, Hunter Hines of Mississippi State, and Slade Wilks and Tanner Hall from Southern Miss as the five finalists for the award. Hall is the reigning winner of the award having won it in 2022.
Alderman is ranked third in the SEC in total bases, fourth in hits, fifth in home runs, sixth in RBI, seventh in batting average, and ninth in slugging percentage. The outfielder leads Ole MIss in batting average (.377), slugging percentage (.733), hits (72), RBI (59), total bases (140), and home runs (19).
The junior outfielder had a scorching hot month of April, leading the SEC in total bases with 59. The junior was also ranked second in hits (31), fourth in doubles (7), fifth in home runs (7), sixth in RBI (21), and seventh in both batting average (.397) and slugging percentage (.756).
Alderman is currently riding a 43-game on-base streak, a 13-game hitting streak, and has 18 hits in his last nine games. He has at least two hits in eight of his last nine games and has drawn a walk in three of his last four.
His on-base streak is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in Division I and is the second-longest active streak in the SEC. LSU’s Dylan Crews has a streak of 51 games dating back to last season and FGCU’s Brian Ellis has a NCAA-record 117 game streak going that dates back to 2021.
Each year the most outstanding player in college baseball in Mississippi is awarded the Ferriss Trophy, named for legendary player and coach Dave “Boo” Ferriss. The finalists for this prestigious award are selected by a panel of coaches and professional scouts. This same panel will now be tasked with selecting this year’s winners.
The five finalists and their coaches will be recognized during a luncheon and program on Monday, May 22nd at the Golden Moon Casino at Pearl River Resort. The luncheon is open to the public but tickets to the event must be purchased in advance online at www.msfame.com or by calling the Hall of Fame offices at 601-982-8264.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
