USM's McMahon wins C Spire Ferriss Trophy
Posted on: May 18,2015
2015 C Spire Ferriss Trophy winner James McMahon of Southern Miss.
James McMahon, a finalist for NCAA Division I Pitcher of the Year, today was presented the C Spire Ferriss Trophy at a luncheon at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.
For McMahon, a senior from Oak Grove, it was another highlight in a magical season. Heading into this week’s Conference USA Tournament, McMahon has compiled an 11-1 record with a 1.72 earned run average. He started 14 games for the Golden Eagles, and USM won 13 of those.
The other finalists were Mississippi State slugger Wes Rea, Jackson State slugger Melvin
Rodriguez, Millsaps pitcher/infielder Keith Shumaker and Ole Miss pitcher Scott Weathersby. McMahon and Weathersby were teammates at Oak Grove High.
McMahon becomes the second USM player to win the C Spire Ferriss in the award’s history. Outfielder Tyler Koelling was the first in 2011.
McMahon’s previous three seasons at USM were no predictor of what he has achieved as a senior. Pitching in relief, McMahon had a 3-2 record and a 6.04 earned run average entering his senior season. At the end of his junior season McMahon told USM coach Scott Berry he believed he could pitch better as a starter. Berry suggested he go learn how to be a starting pitcher in a summer league.
McMahon did just that and the results have been phenomenal.
The C Spire Ferriss Trophy is named for Mississippi 93-year-old baseball legend Boo Ferriss, who pitched for Mississippi State and the Boston Red Sox before becoming a highly successful college coach at Delta State.
Professional baseball scouts and Mississippi’s college coaches account for 90 percent of the Ferriss Trophy voting. A weighted 10 percent of the final results comes from Internet fan voting conducted by C Spire. McMahon also finished first in the fan voting.
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