Mississippi State outfielder Dakota Jordan was named the winner of the 2024 Ferriss Trophy which is awarded annually to the best collegiate baseball player in the state.

He edged out a list of finalists that included Ole Miss' Ethan Lege, Southern Miss' Dalton McIntyre, Belhaven's Brett Sanchez and William Carey's RJ Stinson.

"Being nominated for this award and just being here, it's a blessing," Jordan said Monday.

Jordan is the first winner from Mississippi State since Tanner Allen in 2021 and the ninth member of the Bulldogs − holding a lead in the state above Ole Miss' second-place total of six.

Jordan is hitting .363 this season with 17 home runs and 61 RBIs. He has appeared and started in all 55 games for the Bulldogs, providing a stalwart in the third spot of coach Chris Lemonis' lineup.

"He's our spark plug," Lemonis said. "When he plays well, we usually play really well. He just does so many things for you. He plays great defense, he flies, he's got power, he hits for average − he's your true five-tool guy. He's brought that to the team all year long."

As a sophomore, Jordan has helped MSU rise back toward being a program contending for a hosting bid in the NCAA Tournament. Since Allen helped lead Mississippi State to a national title in 2021, the Bulldogs have not been back to the postseason.

That'll change Tuesday (8 p.m., SEC Network) when No. 5 seed Mississippi State (36-19) faces No. 12 seed Ole Miss (27-28) in the SEC tournament.

"That was one of the goals just to get things back on track," Jordan said. "Tanner Allen − he'll text me if he feels like I'm feeling down. He texted me the other day just telling me to keep my head up and just keep balling."

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Jordan, who attended Jackson Academy and came to MSU from Canton, is the second straight Mississippian to win the Ferriss Trophy. Ole Miss' Kemp Alderman out of Decatur won in 2023.

"That was the biggest part, especially being from Mississippi," Jordan said. "It's a pretty big deal."

Mississippi State has won three of the four primary awards handed out by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame this past academic calendar. Delta State quarterback Patrick Shegog won the Conerly Trophy as the state's top football player in 2023. However, MSU won both basketball awards with Josh Hubbard securing the Howell Trophy as the top men's player while Jessika Carter won the Gillom Trophy on the women's side.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State baseball's Dakota Jordan wins 2024 Ferriss Trophy