Exclusive: Kyle Morrison 'Leaving It All On The Field' for Southern Miss

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – After losing star second baseman Nick Monistere to the MLB Draft last year, Southern Miss knew it had a big hole to fill in the middle of its infield. Monistere had a .323 batting average as a junior and led the Golden Eagles with 21 home runs in 2025.

It was a tall task to find a suitable replacement for Monistere, but head coach Christian Ostrander and his staff hit a home run by picking up senior infielder Kyle Morrison in the transfer portal over the offseason. Morrison spent his junior year playing at third base for South Alabama, but he moved to second base when he arrived at Southern Miss and has adapted nicely. Through 28 games, Morrison leads the Golden Eagles in both batting average (.347) and home runs (10), including two in Sunday's 13-4 rubber match with over Appalachian State.

In an exclusive interview with Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI, Morrison talks about transferring to Southern Miss, how the To The Top Collective helped him with his transition, his development throughout his collegiate career, and more.

Southern Miss 'Does It The Right Way'

Last summer, after a great junior campaign at South Alabama, Morrison generated a lot of interest around the country when he entered the transfer portal. However, when the dust settled, he chose to join the Golden Eagles. Morrison points to his experience playing at The Pete last season when South Alabama made the trip to Hattiesburg as a big reason for why he ended up in the Black and Gold.

“When I was at South Alabama last year and played at the Pete, the fans packed it out all three games, and that's not common in college baseball," Morrison said. "This fan base is awesome. They have a winning program history with nine consecutive 40-win years. With the fans, the guys on the team, along with the coaching staff, they do it the right way.”

Benefits of the To The Top Collective

There are still mixed opinions out there when it comes to NIL, but one thing is for certain: You can't run from the new realities of college athletics. As an athletic department, if you don't adapt, you will be left in the dust. With the help of Peter Boehme and his team at the To The Top Collective, Southern Miss has been able to continue competing at the highest level in baseball. While retaining players is important, bringing in new players to fill roster holes is crucial, as evidenced by Morrison's impact on the Golden Eagles this season.

“The Collective has benefited me in a big way," Morrison said. "Coming here as a new guy, you don't really know a lot of people, but, through The Collective, I’ve been able to meet a lot of really cool people, not just on the field, but off the field. I’ve been places in town, and people know who I am and stop me to create real relationships with me."

Interesting Start to Collegiate Career

Many people assume that Morrison only played at two other universities before Southern Miss: Shelton State and South Alabama. However, there's one other school that Morrison attended, and he's never really opened up about it to the public. After a great high school career, Morrison signed his national letter of intent with the University of Troy.

After many pitchers in the clubhouse became injured, the coaching staff approached Morrison to contribute in a different role: “I was able to hit for a little bit, but they tried to turn me strictly into a pitcher. I told the coaching staff that I was going to transfer because I believed that I could hit at this level. From there, I went to junior college, which was one of the best decisions of my life. I had a very successful two years at Shelton State, which was a big stepping stone for my future.”

Troy got a firsthand look at what they missed out on two weekends ago, as Morrison batted .400 and hit two homers as the Golden Eagles defeated the Trojans in the Sun Belt series, 2-1.

Transitioning From JUCO to D1 Ball

For Morrison, transferring from D1 to JUCO, then back to D1, he knows what it takes to hit at each level. “Talent is the biggest difference between JUCO and D1 baseball," said Morrison, who contributes a lot of his success to his time at the JUCO level.

While the best players play at the best programs, he made sure to make something clear: “It's still the same game of baseball. You can’t ever overpressure the situation just because it's D1 baseball. You just have to stay confident in what you bring to the table and lean on that every day.”

Morrison, no matter what situation he finds himself in at the plate, never lets the moment get too big for him. He's able to accomplish this by simply sticking to the basics.

“I’ve been able to stick to my plan by not trying to do too much," Morrison said. "No matter who we’re playing, I stick to what makes me a good player. Practice is the time to work on what you're struggling in. (I'm) just leaving it all on the field by staying within myself to give as much effort as I can.”

The Wizard of Oz

It goes without saying that Coach Ostrander is one of the best coaches in all of college baseball. Earlier this season, he became the fastest head coach in program history to reach 100 wins, doing so in just 137 games. Before becoming one of the best head coaches in the game, Ostrander was a renowned pitching coach. Morrison has already seen the benefits of having a head coach who knows how to build an elite pitching staff.

“Coach Oz does a really great job, especially with the pitching side of the game," Morrison said. "Throughout the fall, we had to face our bullpen, and by about week four of facing every arm over and over, it was getting pretty miserable. I'm just happy we don't have to face them again. Whether you like it or not, they would dice you up every single weekend, but it gets guys ready for the season."

Morrison also touched on how the coaching staff has had the younger guys prepared for this season. Freshman designated hitter Gray Eubanks, for example, doesn't look like a guy who is playing in his first season of college baseball, as he's batting .333 through 11 appearances, including a three-hit day in Sunday's win over App State.

"If you look around our clubhouse, Gray Eubanks and William Tonsmeire are starting to get in the lineup as true freshmen," Morrison said. "Especially for those guys, it’s important for them to face these elite arms, one of the best bullpens we, as a team, are gonna face all year.”

Motivation for Life

There's no better way to find out about a person than asking one question: What's your 'why?' Morrison took a minute to open up about what makes him motivated to do what he does on the baseball diamond.

“That's a really good question. This is what I wanted to do my whole life," Morrison said. "When I wake up in the morning, I imagine my six-year-old self being tickled to death at the situation I'm in. Why not go out there and have a great time doing it? My entire family supports me and works hard to help me be the best version of myself. They come to as many games as they can. That's a big why for me.”

In his own words, Morrison might not be the most vocal leader in the locker room, but he certainly leads by example, and he's always there for his teammates when they need him. Although the Golden Eagles are 21-7 and nationally ranked, it still seems as if their best baseball lies ahead of them. As this season progresses, Morrison will continue to play a huge part in helping Southern Miss reach its goals.