GIVE TODAY TO THE FERRISS STATUE FUND

CLEVELAND, Miss. - Delta State University and the Department of Athletics is proud to announce that a statue is being commissioned to honor Coach Dave "Boo" Ferriss and pay tribute to his illustrious career.  The statue is being crafted by Kim Sessums of Brookhaven, Mississippi, and will be located at the stadium and dedicated this coming fall on Saturday, Oct. 3. Official dedication details will be finalized later this fall. 

"As a fan of Delta State University Athletics, you already know the impact that Coach Ferriss has had on the DSU baseball program, and also for the game on the state, region and national levels," DSU director of athletics Ronnie Mayers said. "What truly makes this man worthy of having a statue erected on the Delta State campus is reflected in the time he has always taken to know his players and fans so well, something he has continued to do in the years since he last hung up his uniform."
               
DSU Athletics invites you to be a part of this momentous occasion by contributing to the Ferriss Statue Fund. Along with your donation, we encourage you to jot down a fond memory to be shared with Coach and Mrs. Ferriss.  Coach Ferriss has given us more than 55 years of service and memories here at Delta State. Don't miss this opportunity to support this overdue tribute and to share in honoring this legendary coach and man.

Contributions to the Ferriss Statue Fund can be made online at www.DeltaStateGiving.org or by mailing a check payable to The Delta State University Foundation, to DSU Athletics, Box A3, Cleveland, MS 38733.
                
ABOUT COACH DAVE "BOO" FERRISS
Most people simply know him as "Boo." He is Dave "Boo" Ferriss, Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer and legendary coach of the Delta State University Statesmen. Ferriss retired following the completion of the 1988 season, but he continues to be a tireless supporter at all levels of baseball throughout the state and especially his beloved Statesmen.

The Shaw, Miss., native spent 46 years in baseball on the collegiate and professional levels, including 26 seasons at Delta State. A legend in national collegiate baseball coaching circles, Ferriss was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1988 in Atlanta, Ga. Ferriss compiled a 639-387-8 record, all at Delta State and his coaching record ranks him among all-time national coaching leaders at the NCAA Division II level. His 1988 team was ranked ninth nationally in the Collegiate Baseball poll.

When Ferriss took over the baseball program in 1960 he started it from the ground level. The Statesmen played many of their games off campus and Ferriss coached without the benefit of an assistant. He directed DSU teams to the NCAA Division II Playoffs in eight of his last 12 years, including three trips to the NCAA Division II championships where the Statesmen finished third, second and third respectively in 1977, 1978 and 1982. Gulf South Conference championships came in 1978, 1979, 1985 and 1988, with the Statesmen finishing second in 1981 and third in 1982. Forty-nine of his players earned All-Gulf South Conference honors.

Ferriss also earned several honors for his coaching accomplishments. In 1988, he received the United States Baseball Federation Service Award for his contributions to the game. He has been named NCAA Regional "Coach of the Year" three times while also earning GSC coaching honors three times. In 1978 and 1982 he was selected as "College Baseball Coach of the Year" in Mississippi and was runner-up in that category in 1985. His 1985 team was ranked No. 1 in the nation for several weeks in the NCAA Division II poll.

Under his direction, 20 Statesmen players earned All-American honors and 23 continued their baseball careers on the professional level. Twenty former players received Academic All-American honors and forty former players are now coaching in the high school and college ranks.

His commitment to Delta State is why the University and the Department of Athletics are erecting a statue in his honor inside the stadium that bears his name.

The statue, created by renowned Mississippi artist Kim Sessums, will feature Ferriss in his Delta State uniform and it will be placed behind the newly renovated grandstand next fall.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Anyone wishing to donate to the Ferriss Statue Fund, may do so at www.DeltaStateGiving.org or by mailing the form below to DSU Athletics, Box A3, Cleveland, MS 38733. Please make checks payable to Delta State University Foundation with memo to Ferriss Statue Fund.

Please note that you can double or triple your support if you are employed by a company with a matching gift program. Please secure a matching gift application from your employer's human resources office and return it with your gift.

Donors may also break their gifts up into monthly payments. For gifts above $5,000, annual installments may be made over a 5-year period.