How Family Ties and a Childhood Dream Brought Brady Waugh Home to Southern Miss

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – When Brady Waugh’s parents built what was supposed to be their forever home in Hattiesburg, they planned to raise him and his older brother, Tyler, there. Hurricane Katrina changed those plans, as the family moved with his father’s company to Tennessee and eventually settled in Birmingham, Alabama. But trips back to see family and Southern Miss games always kept Hattiesburg close.

Now, baseball has brought Waugh home. After transferring from UAB over the summer, the talented infielder is preparing for his senior season at Southern Miss, bringing a proven bat and an enthusiasm that head coach Christian Ostrander noticed well before fall practice began.

"Huge," Ostrander told Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI when asked about Waugh's addition to the roster. "His personality reminds me of [Matthew] Russo. He's got that infectious personality. You can just feel it, see it, hear it. Just a really fine young man that is so excited to be here. That is evident, and he shares that."

Southern Miss Baseball, Brady Waugh — Southern Miss infielder Brady Waugh (27) gets a hit during a fall scrimmage at Pete Taylor Park. | Kendal Hedrick, USM Creative

For Waugh, there is plenty behind that excitement. He was born in Hattiesburg and spent the first few years of his life here before the family moved. Both his mother, Dana, and his father, Darrin, attended Southern Miss, and Dana also graduated from Oak Grove. The family held season tickets for Southern Miss sports and continued to return to visit relatives and catch some games to stay in touch.

The Southern Miss connection reaches back another generation. Dana’s parents, the late Dr. Marlin Gerald Lowrimore, an interventional cardiologist, and Sylvia Lowrimore, supported Southern Miss athletics and the university’s nursing program. Dana believes her father would be smiling down on Brady's Golden Eagle homecoming.

Brady's uncles, Shane and Neal Lowrimore, still live in Hattiesburg and have been part of The Roost at Pete Taylor Park. They have continued supporting Southern Miss baseball throughout the years the Waugh family has lived away, keeping a familiar family presence in the ballpark Brady always dreamed of calling home.

“When we had the chance, we’d always come back to Hattiesburg,” Waugh told Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI. “[My parents] built their dream house here, and when we came back, it was so special to me, because I saw where I began growing up and all the stuff around me.”

Trips to Pete Taylor Park added another layer to that connection. Waugh loved the crowds and the atmosphere, and he wanted to know what it would feel like to play in front of them. One visit in particular stayed with him: Southern Miss’ 2023 Super Regional against Tennessee.

“When I came back and saw the Tennessee [Super Regional] game [in 2023], that kind of hit me really hard,” Waugh said. “Like, ‘this is a true atmosphere,’ and I firmly believe that this is the best atmosphere in college baseball. I know people always say the Power 4 and everything, but man, this is something special here.”

Southern Miss Baseball — South Miss infielder Dustin Dickerson (10) celebrates a double play during game three of the NCAA baseball super regional between Tennessee and Southern Mississippi held at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Monday, June 12, 2023. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

When he entered the transfer portal this summer, the possibility of playing in front of those crowds at The Pete became much more real. A call from Southern Miss coach Ladd Rhodes, who was promoted from recruiting coordinator to hitting coach over the summer, brought back memories of the younger version of himself who had dreamed of playing at The Pete. It also gave him an opportunity to share something meaningful with the people who had helped him get there.

“It was very emotional for sure. Seeing my parents really happy,” Waugh said. “They’ve built me as a man, and they’ve established who I am. But seeing my parents be happy, that was a big part too. They were really excited when I told them Coach Rhodes called.”

Ostrander already had some familiarity with the family. Years earlier, Southern Miss had Brady's older brother Tyler, who also played college baseball, on its recruiting radar, developing a relationship along the way. When Brady arrived for his own visit, the significance of this opportunity was easy to see.

“When the visit happened, when he got in the portal, and we had him here on a visit, the emotion that was part of that visit, the excitement about it was really cool, really special,” Ostrander said.

For Dana, watching her son return with an opportunity he had worked toward for so long made the visit unforgettable.

“The day we visited Southern Miss, I will forever cherish that day as long as I live,” she told Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI.

Waugh found that the staff’s interest went beyond what he could do on a baseball field. In the conversations leading up to his visit, he felt the coaches wanted to know him as a person. Within a few days, those conversations had helped build a relationship that made the decision feel like even more of a no-brainer than it already was.

“When I came down here for the visit, it just felt like home,” Waugh said. “The coaches, they care about you as a person. Yeah, baseball is obviously the biggest thing, but they wanted to get to know me.”

By the time he visited, he was ready to get started. Waugh told Rhodes he saw little reason to spend the summer waiting in Birmingham when he could be in Hattiesburg getting acquainted with his new program.

“Ultimately, man, I want to go somewhere where I’m wanted, where I’m loved, and I felt that from all of them,” Waugh said. “So that was definitely a big part of the [recruiting] process.”

The homecoming gives fans a reason to connect with Waugh before his first season in black and gold. His production at UAB gives them plenty to look forward to once that season begins.

As a junior, Waugh batted .322 with 67 hits and 49 RBIs while playing in all 58 games. He recorded 12 doubles, a triple and seven home runs, finished with 21 multi-hit games and posted a .970 fielding percentage. That experience gives Southern Miss an established DI college hitter to add to its lineup, who is versatile enough to help in multiple defensive spots as well.

USM, Brady Waugh — Brady Waugh (27) celebrates a hit for UAB during the 2026 season. | UAB Athletics

Ostrander said Waugh is competing for the second-base job, though that versatility offers other options. Wherever he ends up, though, the head coach expects his bat to be a significant part of the offense.

“From a player standpoint... man, we couldn’t have struck any better,” Ostrander said. “I think the boy’s going to whack a baseball. I think he can hit. … He’s fighting for a second base job, but he can move around too. He can do other things. He’s got versatility. But if that bat’s not in the lineup, I’ll be absolutely shocked. So very glad he’s here.”

The comparison to former Southern Miss star first baseman Matthew Russo, who was affectionately called "Bull" by the fan base for four years, also resonated with Waugh. He had watched Russo play and appreciated the way he approached the game. When the two met at a home football game a few weeks ago, Waugh said they clicked quickly. And after I spoke with Waugh for the first time this week, it didn't take me long to see how Ostrander connected those dots.

USM, Matthew Russo — Southern Miss first baseman Matthew Russo (19) celebrates a hit during the 2026 Hattiesburg Regional. | Josh House

“First off, I love bringing great vibes and great energy, because I feel like, personally, that builds a team,” Waugh said. “Being a guy that somebody can just come up and talk to. Not even about baseball. I want to be one of those guys, and I feel like that plays into my game because, ultimately, yes, I work hard, but at the end of the day, I love having fun too. I mean, we’re playing baseball. So there’s nothing better than playing baseball and having fun.”

That approach has found a welcoming home in the Golden Eagles’ clubhouse. Although he has been around his new teammates for only a few months, Waugh said the relationships already feel much older.

“I’ve met some great dudes here, and it’s only been three, four months, but I feel like I’ve been here for four years,” Waugh said.

This year's Southern Miss baseball roster has an extra layer of excitement attached to it going into 2027. Not only did the Golden Eagles retain several key contributors from last year, including all three weekend starting pitchers and USA Baseball CNT Training Camp attendees, Grayden Harris, Camden Clark and Camden Sunstrom, among many others, but they also brought in a freshman class that Ostrander believes might be the best the program has ever had, as well as an impressive transfer portal class, including Waugh.

Despite the Golden Eagles having all that talent, Waugh described a group without inflated egos, where newcomers and returning players have connected quickly. For a senior arriving and learning the ropes inside the program, that sense of camaraderie matters. So does the daily push from teammates who share his ambitions.

“We all have one goal. We want to go to Omaha and win,” Waugh said. “And, you know, this group, especially, it’s pushed me every day to come in here and bring it 100 percent, because, if anybody has been around and seen us play this fall, it is a very special group.”

Waugh knows those expectations will have to be backed up between the lines. What encourages him now is the trust being built before the season begins, with all the transfers, freshmen and returning players finding common ground.

“It’s a brotherhood,” Waugh said. “We’ve been here not that long together, with all the transfers, all the new guys, all the freshmen, but we’re getting along like we’ve known each other for our entire lives. That’s something special to me, because ultimately, when I get between the lines, I want to know that I can trust my guys. That’s a big part of my game.”

USM, Baseball, Crowd — A view of Pete Taylor Park at a Southern Miss baseball game in 2026. | Josh House

For Ostrander, the excitement surrounding Waugh’s arrival comes with confidence in what he can contribute both on and off the field. For Waugh, the opportunity has already given him the feeling he hoped to find when Rhodes called: a place where he clearly belongs, with teammates who make him even more eager to come to the ballpark and push him to be an even better player.

“I love bringing the energy. I love bringing the passion,” Waugh said. “Like I said, the atmosphere. I don’t know how you can bring much more energy in this atmosphere [at The Pete]. There is something special building, and I’m very excited to see how it unfolds. I know the Lord has special plans for this group, and I’m very excited to get started.”

Waugh once came to The Pete as a kid dreaming of what it would be like to play there. This spring, he’ll have a chance to give the crowd, and the family who helped bring him home, something extra meaningful to cheer about as he wears a Golden Eagles baseball uniform for the first time.

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