Ben Higdon Sets Tone as No. 12 Southern Miss Gets Bounce-Back Win vs. Nicholls

The Golden Eagles shook off a disappointing weekend series loss to Arkansas State by defeating Nicholls on the Gulf Coast.

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Following a disappointing weekend series loss to Arkansas State to open Sun Belt play, No. 12 Southern Miss quickly turned its attention to a midweek game against Nicholls, a team that had beaten the Golden Eagles in three of its last four tries.

Despite a slow scoring start, Southern Miss bounced back into the win column and avenged a home loss to Nicholls nearly two weeks ago with a 4-0 shutout win at Keesler Federal Stadium in Biloxi on Tuesday. With the win, the Golden Eagles improved to 17-4 on the year, while the Colonels fell to 11-12.

Higdon Sets The Tone

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Senior right fielder Ben Higdon set the tone for Southern Miss on both offense and defense on Tuesday. In the bottom of the fourth inning, he got the Golden Eagles on the board with a sacrifice fly that scored senior first baseman Matthew Russo from third base. Then, in the very next frame, Higdon prevented what would've at least been a lead-off double for Nicholls by making a gutsy diving catch at the warning track to get the first out in the top of the fifth inning.

Due to the high standards set by this program, Southern Miss head coach Christian Ostrander voiced his displeasure following his team's disappointing performance over the weekend. As a member of the team's leadership council, Higdon is essentially an extension of his head coach and shares responsibility for getting his guys back on track when facing adversity. That leadership role was on full display in the Golden Eagles' bounce-back win.

Eags Take Advantage of Colonels' Errors

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After paying for their early mistakes in a 5-2 rubber-match loss to Arkansas State on Sunday, the Golden Eagles were able to flip the script and take advantage of Nicholls' errors on Tuesday to create some momentum.

Before Higdon scored Russo on that sac-fly in the bottom of the fourth, Russo was able to get in scoring position from the lead-off spot after two Nicholls outfielders collided on a fly ball near centerfield. Southern Miss then took advantage of two more Colonel errors in the sixth inning to push the lead to 4-0, which held for the remainder of the game.

Sometimes the baseball just doesn't bounce your way, but it did for Southern Miss in Biloxi on this night, and the team was prepared to capitalize on those moments.

Eubanks Productive in First Start

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The Golden Eagles' designated hitter spot has been up for grabs so far, and freshman Gray Eubanks got his first start in that role on Tuesday. It was his fourth appearance overall this season.

Although he didn't register a hit, Eubanks showed great discipline at the plate, working his way on base twice on the night. In the bottom of the fifth inning, senior second baseman Kyle Morrison hit a line drive down the first base line, and Eubanks was able to score all the way from first to give Southern Miss a 2-0 lead.

Then, in the bottom of the sixth inning, Eubanks scored junior catcher Tucker Stockman from third base with a sacrifice fly to put the final touches on USM's 4-0 shutout win. Who knows how that designated hitter spot will develop as this season rolls on, but the Golden Eagles have to be pleased with what they've seen out of the freshman from Huntingdon, Tenn.

A Surprise Out of the Bullpen

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During his weekly radio appearance on the SuperTalk Eagle Hour on Monday, Southern Miss head coach Christian Ostrander hinted at the possibility of sophomore LHP Grayden Harris potentially moving into the Friday starting spot. He essentially made that move official on Tuesday night, as senior RHP Colby Allen made his way out of the bullpen and onto the mound against Nicholls in the sixth inning.

"We've been talking with Colby, and he moved into a starter role after he was an All-American as a back-end guy," Coach Oz told the media following Tuesday's win.

"He's done a great job for us, but we felt like it might be time for him to kinda look back at getting back to that role that he's been so accustomed to, used to. He's a great young man, a great teammate, and he understood that totally. He was up for it and excited about it. Moving forward, we're gonna look at some different things and see where that goes."

As amazing as Allen has been as a bullpen guy over the course of his career, it could be in the best interests of both him individually and the team if he continues in that role going forward. In one inning of work on Tuesday, Allen looked as confident as ever, registering two strikeouts and giving up just one hit and giving up no runs.

Next up, the Golden Eagles will welcome the Troy Trojans to Pete Taylor Park as they look to notch their first Sun Belt Conference series win. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI