UM closer Bittle wins Ferris Trophy

JACKSON (AP) — Mississippi closer Scott Bittle has won the Ferris Trophy.

Bittle beat out Southern Miss closer Tyler Conn and Delta State catcher Rickey Noland on Monday night for the award, given each year to Mississippi’s top college baseball player.

Bittle, a junior from Texarkana, Texas, leads the Rebels into the Southeastern Conference tournament against Georgia on Wednesday with a 1.45 earned-run average and leads the nation with 16.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

He is 6-1 this season with seven saves. His best game came Saturday when he pitched 7 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, striking out 10 to lift the Rebels to a 7-5 win over Kentucky and into the SEC tournament.

Richton, Hamilton tied 1-1 in Class 2-A MHSAA baseball series

JACKSON — Hamilton evened the best 2-of-3 Class 2-A MHSAA series against Richton with a 1-0 win Monday.

Richton (25-7) took Game 1 with a 4-2 win over Hamilton (24-10) Saturday at Trustmark Park.

Richton sophomore hurler JaCoby Jones fanned nine Lions in improving his pitching mark to 9-3 overall. He also doubled in the game.

Dylan Earnest (10-2) fanned 12 Rebels in a losing cause.

Joel Cochran led the Rebels with two hits.

Richton, the defending state champions, and Hamilton will square off in a decisive Game 3.

— By Dale McKee

Four area players to participate in MPSA all-star baseball game

PEARL — Three Heidelberg Academy Rebels and one player from Wayne Academy have been selected to play in the Mississippi Private School Association annual Class A all-star baseball game on Saturday, May 24, beginning at 11 a.m. here at Trustmark Park.