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Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI

7 Southern Miss Signees Make 2026 High School Baseball Dandy Dozen List

As good as the Golden Eagles already are, the future is looking even brighter with the talent they have coming in for next season.
Dalton Trigg|
Southern Miss signee Justin Word takes a swing for Jackson Academy.
Southern Miss signee Justin Word takes a swing for Jackson Academy. | Brad Bridges

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – As great as the Southern Miss baseball program has been over the last several years, excitement for the future continues to build as the class of 2026 continues to impress.

On Monday, the Clarion Ledger released its annual high school baseball "Dandy Dozen" for 2026, and seven of the 12 players mentioned will be donning the Black and Gold next year.

Below is a list of all the Southern Miss signees named to the Dandy Dozen, along with some attached clips showing what they'll bring to the table for the Golden Eagles in 2027:

Henry Abt (outfielder, Hartfield Academy)

Trey Barnes (outfielder, Petal)

Logan Buckley (infielder/pitcher, Columbia Academy)

Taylor Latham (pitcher, Hartfield Academy)

Jackson Meehan (utility, Northwest Rankin)

Bankston Walters (pitcher, Presbyterian Christian)

Note: Walters' main position is pitcher, but don't let that fool you. He can still hit with the best of them.

Justin Word (infielder, Jackson Academy)

As mentioned before, the Golden Eagles have a lot to be excited about in the moment, as the team is currently ranked No. 12 in the nation with a 16-4 record through 20 games so far this season. However, there are several positions currently held by seniors that will need to be filled next year, so it's never too early to look ahead.

Many of the guys coming in next season should have opportunities to compete for starting infield and outfield positions as freshmen, as seniors Kyle Morrison (second base), Matthew Russo (first base), Joey Urban (center field), and Ben Higdon (right field) will all be graduating. The present for Southern Miss baseball is pretty great, and the future players coming in hope to keep it that way.

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Dalton Trigg
DALTON TRIGG

Dalton Trigg is the Publisher and Managing Editor and Publisher of Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI and hosts the Nasty Bunch & Beyond podcast. Trigg graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2016. Trigg entered the sports journalism industry in 2017, covering the Dallas Mavericks for 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2019, where he continued to cover the Mavs until 2024. He also hosts the Mavs Step Back podcast, which was started in 2019. Trigg has been married to his high school / college sweetheart, Amy, who also graduated from Southern Miss, for nearly 10 years now. Outside of busy work lives, they enjoy traveling together, cheering on their Eags and Mavs, and spending valuable time with family, including their beloved eight-year-old rescue dog, Chance. You can find Trigg on all social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter): @dalton_trigg.

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