DuBose, Gregory and Thigpen to be honored at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 27 in the Adkerson Plaza
STARKVILLE – The Ron Polk Ring of Honor will welcome three new members on Saturday, March 27, as Eric DuBose, Paul E. Gregory and Bobby Thigpen will be inducted at 11 a.m. on the Adkerson Plaza of Dudy Noble Field.
The right field gates to Dudy Noble Field will open for the ceremony at 10:30 with a limited public capacity allowed 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 clear the stadium and re-enter with a valid game ticket once gates open for the 2 p.m. contest with Arkansas.
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.
State’s career leader in strikeouts, the first head coach to lead the program to the College World Series and one of the best two-way players to wear the maroon and white will take their place among the programs most noteworthy in the Adkerson Plaza, as Eric DuBose, Paul Gregory and Bobby Thigpen join the fraternity. More information on the class can be found by clicking here.
The inaugural class of 2019 included Jeff Brantley, Will Clark, David “Boo” Ferriss, C.R. “Dudy” Noble and Rafael Palmeiro.
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. Affectionally 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.