Quartet to be inducted on Saturday, May 1 at 11 a.m. on the Adkerson Plaza of Dudy Noble Field
STARKVILLE – The third class of the Ron Polk Ring of Honor will see their plaques unveiled when the quartet of Paul Maholm, Jonathan Papelbon, Jay Powell and Del Unser are enshrined as the 2021 class on Saturday, May 1 at 11 a.m. on the Adkerson Plaza inside of Polk-DeMent Stadium.
The right field gates to Dudy Noble Field will open for the ceremony at 10:30 a.m. with fans allowed entry on a first-come, first-served basis. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. No ticket is required for the Ring of Honor ceremony and fans attending will be asked to clear the stadium and re-enter with a valid game ticket once gates open for the 2 p.m. contest with Texas A&M.
Face coverings over the nose and mouth are required while entering and exiting Dudy Noble Field, and during the Ring of Honor ceremony. Should Adkerson Plaza reach capacity for the event, limited space may be available for fans to view the ceremony from outside the plaza gates.
The Ring of Honor is named after legendary head coach Ron Polk, who served as the head coach at Mississippi State from 1976-97 and again from 2002-08. Affectionately referred to as the Godfather of Southeastern Conference baseball, Polk served 31 years as head coach in the conference, adding a stint at the University of Georgia (2000-01). The architect of five SEC championship teams and five SEC Tournament-title winning squads, Polk was a four-time SEC Coach of the Year and two-time national Coach of the Year honoree.
The first SEC coach in any sport to reach 1,000 victories, he guided Mississippi State to six College World Series appearances and owned a 1,139-590 record with the Maroon and White. He totaled 1,373 career coaching victories, making eight total trips to Omaha. A two-time Team USA head coach, Polk is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association, Mississippi Sports and College Baseball Halls of Fame. During his tenure as a head coach, Polk tutored 33 All-Americans, 71 All-SEC selections, 187 Major League Baseball draft picks, including 29 who reached the big leagues. Named an SEC Legend in 2017, Polk has also earned the prestigious Lefty Gomez Award from the ABCA and Rube Award from Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame for his tireless service to others during his career.
—
Paul Maholm
2001-03
A dominating left-hander, Maholm led Mississippi State in innings pitched and strikeouts during each of his three seasons on campus. A two-time All-American and Freshman All-American, Maholm earned All-SEC honors twice, including first-team laurels in 2003. Part of the 2001 SEC Tournament championship team, he amassed 273 career strikeouts in 312 innings pitched. A 10-game winner in 2002, Maholm captured 27 victories on the mound during his career.
A first-round pick in the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft, he had a 10-year career in Major League Baseball. Of those 10 seasons, seven were spent in Pittsburgh with the team that drafted him. He logged 77 victories and 984 strikeouts in 10 professional seasons.
Jonathan Papelbon
2001-03
In three seasons, Papelbon appeared in 61 games and collected 13 saves and nine victories out of the bullpen. The right-hander led the team in saves in 2002 (5) and 2003 (7), after helping State to the 2001 SEC Tournament title as a freshman. In 111 2/3 innings of relief work, he struck out 134 batters and held the opposition to a .245 batting average.
A fourth-round pick by Boston in the 2003 MLB Draft, he spent his first seven professional seasons with the Red Sox. The six-time All-Star helped Boston to its second World Series title of the 2000s. He posted 368 saves in 689 professional appearances and struck out 808 batters in 725 career innings. On the mound, one of the most dominant closers of his time, Papelbon recorded the final out in 585 MLB games.
Jay Powell
1991-93
From his time at Mississippi State through his career in Major League Baseball, there weren’t many relievers more reliable than Powell. A Freshman All-American, Powell was an All-SEC selection as a freshman in 1991 and went on to earn a pair of all-region honors. He led MSU in saves in 1991 (10). Over 67 career appearances, Powell totaled 11 victories and 17 saves with 160 strikeouts in 161 innings of work. In three seasons, the right-hander helped MSU to an NCAA Regional each season.
In the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft, the Baltimore Orioles selected Powell with the 19th overall pick and he spent 11 seasons in professional baseball. A part of the 1997 World Series Florida Marlins club, he was the winner in Game 7. Powell holds the distinction as the first relief pitcher in Major League Baseball history to complete a 10-plus year career without a loss.
Del Unser
1964-66
One of the original power hitters in Southeastern Conference history, Unser was an All-American during the 1966 season. A two-time first-team All-SEC selection, he led the SEC in home runs in 1965 (7) and 1966 (7) and led the 1966 squad in every major statistical category. The Bulldogs won back-to-back SEC titles in 1965 and 1966 and he was a part of the first back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances in MSU history.
A first-round pick in the 1966 Major League Baseball Draft, Unser enjoyed a 15-year professional career and won the 1980 World Series title with Philadelphia. He finished No. 2 in the 1968 American League Rookie of the Year voting and hit 87 career MLB home runs and piled up 481 RBIs in 1,799 career games played.