No. 12 Southern Miss Quietly Confident Ahead of Weekend Series at Louisiana Tech

The Golden Eagles are hot, having won seven games in a row, but a tough road series at "The Love Shack" awaits them this weekend.

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

HATTIESBURG, Miss – It's only two weeks into the season, and yet, No. 12 Southern Miss is one of the hottest teams in the nation while also playing a challenging opening schedule. The Golden Eagles, who have opened many eyes across the college baseball landscape with their torrid start, are 7-1 and coming off a midweek stomping of Alabama at Pete Taylor Park on Tuesday.

As Southern Miss prepares for a tough road series in Ruston, La., against Louisiana Tech this weekend, third-year head coach Christian Ostrander isn't taking the challenge lightly. However, the team is quietly confident in its abilities.

Respect for Louisiana Tech's Program and the Challenge Ahead

J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park – aka, "The Love Shack" / latechsports.com

Coach Oz respects the challenge at hand this weekend, and he knows his guys must be on their game at "The Love Shack" if the team is going to continue the momentum it has built.

“They’ve got a great environment,” Coach Oz said of Louisiana Tech. “The times that we've played there, it certainly feels electric … good crowds, and just a good, good matchup, good competition. I think it goes back to our Conference USA days, competing there. So, a lot of respect for that program and Coach (Lane) Burroughs. We know we have our hands full this weekend.”

USM Looking for Continued Growth From Starting Pitchers

Colby Allen is still learning and growing into his new role as a starting pitcher. / Aaron Fitt / D1Baseball

As good as Southern Miss has been in the win column early on, Coach Oz and his players would be the first people to tell you this team still has areas to improve on. The Golden Eagles' starting pitching rotation has been good by most programs' standards so far, but to reach the high standards set by USM's tradition of excellence, there's still work to do.

For example, senior RHP Colby Allen is still going through a "learning curve" after transitioning from being mainly a bullpen guy over the last three years to a full-time starting pitcher this year. However, Coach Oz has no doubts that his Friday-night ace will continue to get more comfortable with his new role as the season progresses.

“I think he will,” Coach Oz said when asked about Allen continuing to improve as a starter. “I think it's a learning curve. Anytime a bullpen piece moves to the starting role, it takes a little time to figure out the pace, to figure out how to use and control your adrenaline. That's really easy when you're coming out of the pen, because it's all adrenaline. So Colby’s got a tremendous amount of feel. He's intelligent. He gets it. And I thought last week was a couple steps forward again. Hopefully, this weekend, he'll continue to grow into that role.”

Golden Eagles' Hitting Confidence is High

Southern Miss swept the Round Rock Classic by finishing off Baylor last weekend. / Dalton Trigg

When it comes to hitting, the Golden Eagles are as confident as ever, given that they've hit well against some high-quality arms so far. Although it's early, Southern Miss is currently out-pacing last year's record-breaking ballclub when it comes to home runs hit through eight games (11).

“I feel like we've played good competition and been tested against some really good arms,” Coach Oz said. “You just gotta take it one at a time, though. It doesn't matter if it's a velocity guy, or spin guy, or lefty, or righty. Every pitcher is different, and everybody has capabilities of being effective against your offense if you let it. So, you just kind of take it, whatever we're preparing for, for that moment, that day, that pitcher, and just pour into that. Then, when the next (pitcher) comes in, you worry about that one.

"But I definitely think our guys should feel this way, too. There is a confidence level that they know they've answered a few challenges. So that's building confidence, and that's a very powerful thing in this sport.”

Southern Miss has the talent and the depth to win its first true road series of the year at Louisiana Tech in convincing fashion if everyone involved stays focused and minimizes errors. But that is easier said than done when you're playing at someone else's ballpark. We'll see whether the Golden Eagles, who are confident yet also respectful of their upcoming opponent, can pass yet another tough early-season test.