Christian Ostrander Has Omaha Goals For Southern Miss Baseball: 'You Gotta Believe'

The Southern Miss baseball team is looking for a major breakthrough in 2026.

Southern Miss Golden Eagles head coach Christian Ostrander looks at the scoreboard during a 2025 NCAA Hattiesburg Regional game against the Columbia Lions at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on May 30, 2025. / Matt Bush/Special to USA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

HATTIESBURG – When cold temperatures arrive in the Hub City in February, that's how you know "Baseburg" is right around the corner. With another NCAA baseball season set to begin two weeks from now, hype continues to build for a Southern Miss baseball program that has become a powerhouse and a true model of consistency over the last several years.

Earlier this week, I went to the USM clubhouse to talk with third-year head coach Christian Ostrander about his excitement for the upcoming season, what fans should expect from this year's ballclub, what it's going to take to get to Omaha, and much more for Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI.

 "It's exciting," Coach Oz said of opening a new season after a long layoff. "It's kind of why we do what we do as coaches, as players ... the fun part. It's all fun, don't get me wrong, but from August till Christmas break, it's kind of the offseason fall, and you're working, and you're trying to grow, and you get back from the break. It gets very real, so we're all excited about that."

USM will face an extremely talented UC Santa Barbara ballclub that has had five NCAA tournament appearances over the last decade. Although that season-opening series will be at Pete Taylor Park, Coach Oz knows his team can't take any of these regular-season games lightly.

"We got work to do," Coach Oz said. "We got two and a half weeks left to kind of get the rust off. And we know we got a great opponent coming in. It's gonna be a really, really good series. I believe that. They got a lot of experience back, kinda like we do. They got some really good arms back, kinda like we do. I think it's gonna be a fun matchup to get (the season) cranked up. And then, truthfully, every game... every game's a dog fight, it feels like. So we look forward to opening it up here in two and a half weeks."

Southern Miss Golden Eagles and the Columbia Lions go head-to-head during a 2025 NCAA Hattiesburg Regional game at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on May 30, 2025. / Matt Bush/Special to USA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

 "It's special," Coach Oz said of the atmosphere at Pete Taylor Park, especially on Opening Weekend. "Every game's special, but just the buzz, the aura around it, and the excitement. We look forward to it, and we can't wait for it to get here."

Over the last decade, Southern Miss has accumulated nine 40+ win seasons, five conference tournament championships, nine NCAA tournament appearances, and two regional championships. That kind of consistency means you have a real shot at competing for not only conference championships and regional championships year-in and year-out, but you also put yourself in a position to compete for national championships. Coach Oz would love nothing more than to deliver a national championship to Hattiesburg in the near future.

 "That's the chase," Coach Oz said of potentially getting Southern Miss back to Omaha for the first time since 2009. "That's the pinnacle of what we do. ... That pinnacle is tough. We've been close. Man, we've been real close... And this program has done it before. If you've done something once, you can do it again. It would mean everything because number one, I'm a competitor, and that's why we do what we do, right? But I want it for these players. I want it for these fans. I want it for this community. I want it for all those who've done it before us. To just be a small part of helping reach something that would mean so much to so many. But ultimately, you wanna win a national championship, right? You gotta believe that possibility's there, and it certainly is."

Southern Miss Golden Eagles players react during the game against the Columbia Lions during a 2025 NCAA Hattiesburg Regional game at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on May 30, 2025. / Matt Bush/Special to USA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

All of the Golden Eagles' success over the last several years has led to them receiving more national media attention. For example, D1Baseball has USM at No. 20 in its preseason rankings. However, Coach Oz doesn't believe preseason rankings mean anything beyond showing some respect for the program.

"We know what the blueprint looks like to get (to Omaha)," Coach Oz said. "Doesn't mean it's easy, doesn't mean it's a given. Doesn't mean just 'cause you're ranked in preseason... none of that stuff matters. There's not one thing that matters right now except these young men coming together, finding their pulse and their identity, going out there competing really hard, and in a game built around failures, taking it one day at a time. And, you know, we have a schedule built to where if you go out and win some games with it, you're gonna have a shot.

"So that's all you can ask for. But it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be a long haul. But there's nothing more that any of us associated with this program wants than to get Southern Miss back to Omaha."

The offseason work is complete, and the goals for the 2026 season have officially been set. Soon enough, the familiar blast of the train horn will cut through the crisp air at The Pete, signaling that another season of "Pete Taylor Magic" has arrived right on cue.