A familiar name to Kosciusko baseball fans is among the newest members of the Mississippi State M-Club Sports Hall of Fame.
Former Diamond Dawgs standout and Whippets head coach Ted Milton has been selected for induction into the Class of 2026, the university announced this week.
Milton, who starred at Mississippi State from 1969–72, is being honored for a standout collegiate career that helped pave the way for his later success in coaching at the high school level in Mississippi. During his time with the Bulldogs, he was a key offensive contributor, finishing his career with a .311 batting average, 23 home runs and 96 RBIs. He was also part of Mississippi State’s first-ever College World Series team in 1971 and became the program’s first academic All-American.
After his college career, Milton became a coach at Kosciusko, leading the Whippet baseball team to the 1974 State Championship.
Bottom Row (L to R): Kerry Howell, Paul Woods, Danny Howell, Ken Holmes, Tony Collins
Middle Row (L to R): Tommy Thompson, Mike Caldwell, Larry Burden, Bernie Steen, Ricky Cain, Gerry Taylor, Mike Steed (manager)
Back Row (L to R): Head Coach Ted Milton, Richard Bell, James Culpepper, Randy Holloway, Buddy Shumkaer, Larry Harmon, Jimmy Cockroft
That championship run remains a significant moment in Kosciusko baseball history and helped cement Milton’s legacy in the community.
Milton’s Hall of Fame selection comes as part of an eight-member class that also includes football standouts Fletcher Cox, Johnthan Banks and Daniel Boyd; basketball’s Mario Austin and Kunshinge Sorrell-Howard; women’s golf standout Kathe Kingston; and volleyball player Aimee York Strickland.
The group will be formally inducted during the 2026 M-Club Sports Hall of Fame Gala on Friday, Sept. 25, in Starkville, ahead of Mississippi State’s home football game against Missouri.
