Ross Mitchell

Classroom

Even though he is an All-American on the baseball diamond, Mitchell’s performance in the classroom may even be more impressive. While at Mississippi State, he has excelled as a double-major student and will graduate this coming May with a bachelor’s degree in both Business Administration and in Marketing. In addition, he has maintained an impressive 3.29 grade-point average while also being named to the Dean’s List (3.5-3.79 GPA) in the Spring of 2014 and the President’s List (3.8-4.0 GPA) in the Fall of 2014. Mitchell is a four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Character

While the impact Mitchell has made in the classroom and on the field is impressive, the motivation for his success could possibly be his most remarkable attribute. In everything that he does, Mitchell is driven by a desire to positively impact and improve the lives of others. An example of this came in November of 2014 when he and three of his peers founded their own start-up business, Broken Apparel Company. In starting this clothing company, Mitchell and his peers hoped to platform themselves to provide assistance and encouragement to those who are broken and in need. One of the many ways they have been able to do this is by donating a portion of all of their proceeds to non-profit organizations that fall in line with their vision to help others.

From Rob Shillito, Mitchell’s athletic academic counselor: “It is with great pleasure that I recommend Ross Mitchell for the Senior CLASS Award. I can attest from firsthand experience that he not only meets the criteria for the Senior CLASS Award, he exemplifies the very nature, demeanor and drive you would hope for from a senior student-athlete.”

Community

Mitchell is a member of the 2014 SEC Community Service Team. The last two winters, he has gone on mission trips to the Bahamas to help build homes and teach the game of baseball. He holds parties (no drinking/smoking) of up to 250 students on the weekends at his house as a “safe way for students to have fun on weekends.” Mitchell has spoken to more than a dozen schools and churches since 2013. In the summer, Mitchell coaches high school kids on summer teams. This past winter, Mitchell bought Christmas presents for a hometown child and surprised him with the gifts at his school. Mitchell organized a fundraiser for a fellow MSU student this spring to pay for her tuition in 2015. He also organized a quarterly event on campus called “The Outlet,” through which he brings in a band and a guest speaker in an attempt to encourage students to stay positive.

Competition

So far in his career, Mitchell is 27-6 in 85 appearances. The Smyrna, Tenn., native owns a career 1.98 ERA in 264 innings pitched. In 2013, Mitchell earned All-America honors from the NCBWA, Louisville Slugger and College Baseball Insider All-American after being the only pitcher in the country to win 13 or more games without a single loss. In 2014, he was named to the All-SEC second team after being one of two pitchers to be named SEC Pitcher of the Week three times. Mitchell has led his team to the NCAA Tournament each year he’s played, including making it to the NCAA College World Series championship series in 2013. In his redshirt freshman season in 2012, Mitchell appeared in 24 games (23 in relief), opening his collegiate career with a 3-0 record and a 1.18 ERA.