How 'Invaluable' Experience Fuels Southern Miss High-Powered Offense

After setting a program record for home runs last year, the Golden Eagles aren't planning on slowing down their bats anytime soon.

Southern Miss senior Joey Urban hits a two-run homer against UC Santa Barbara on opening weekend at Pete Taylor Park. / Joe Harper/bgnphoto.com

HATTIESBURG – Anyone who pays close attention to college baseball could've probably told you that Southern Miss was going to be in for another fun season this year, following a 47-16 record in 2025 that ended in the Hattiesburg regional. So far, as expected, the Golden Eagles are off to another fast start, posting a 3-1 record through four games as they prepare for the Round Rock Classic this weekend.

As much potential as this year's ballclub has, though, one question was whether or not Southern Miss would be able to reach the same record-breaking level of home-run hitting in 2026 after losing guys like Nick Monistere, Carson Paetow, and Ozzie Pratt, who combined for 45 of the Golden Eagles' program record 106 homers last year.

Golden Eagles Expected to Keep Slugging, But Remain Versatile

Third baseman Drey Barrett salutes The 16oz Lounge and The Roost after hitting a home run. / Joe Harper/bgnphoto.com

According to Southern Miss head coach Christian Ostrander, this year's team could potentially keep up with last year's when it comes to home runs while staying versatile on offense.

"I think we have a chance to slug just as good again," Coach Oz told Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI in a one-on-one interview before opening weekend."Time will tell. You don't ever know how it goes, how it shakes out, but I definitely feel like that's something this offensive unit's gonna have the capability of doing. I'm not saying we're gonna be one-dimensional. We're still gonna try to be able to do some of the finer things, the smaller things, the execution-type things, when it calls for it too."

Keeping Up With Last Year's Early Slugging Pace

Southern Miss players Matthew Russon and Ben Higdon celebrate. / Joe Harper/bgnphoto.com

Through four games, six of the nine Golden Eagle batters have registered a home run. Through the first four games of last season, Southern Miss had four home runs as a team. So, it's obviously still very early, but the team's slugging is off to a promising start, and Coach Oz believes much of that is due to the roster's 'invaluable' experience, including players like senior DH/OF Joey Urban, who has started the season with a scorching .538 batting average.

"You gotta know what you are, you gotta know what you have," Coach Oz said. "We've got a lot of age and experience and a-b's on the offensive side of it. That accounts for a lot. Experience is a real thing. Division I baseball, high level baseball. You've got several guys that have a lot of at-bats and have been there, done that. That's huge. That's invaluable."

Home Runs Are Great, But Not The Ultimate Goal

The Southern Miss "Tradition of Excellence" billboard in left field at Pete Taylor Park. / Dalton Trigg

The Golden Eagles hope that invaluable experience will help lead them to success during this weekend's Round Rock Classic, as they'll face three power-conference programs: Purdue, Oregon State, and Baylor. Who knows if Southern Miss will keep pace with last year's home run record as this season progresses, but even if it doesn't, that's not what the program is truly after anyway. As long as Coach Oz and his guys can find a way to get the Black and Gold back to Omaha for the first time since 2009, that's all that really matters to them.

"It's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be a long haul," Coach Oz said. "But there's nothing more that any of us associated with this program wants than to get Southern Miss back to Omaha."

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