May 7, 2024

Luling native Koelling named Mississippi’s best

June 8, 2011 From staff and wire reports Baseball, Sports

From left to right: Nick Crutcher, president of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, Boo Ferriss award recipient Tyler Koelling, and Boo Ferriss, the award’s namesake. The Boo Ferriss award is given to the top collegiate baseball player in the

Luling native and 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.

Koelling played his high school ball at Archbishop Rummel.

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 was instrumental in the team’s 39-19 record this past 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.”

The Luling native led 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 was 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 RBIs.

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 and 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.