Southern Miss Baseball Gets Major Infield Depth Confidence Boost Ahead of Postseason

While Drey Barrett continues to fully recover from a tweaked hamstring, he can afford to take his time with how well Ty Long is playing at third base.

Ty Long was electric filling in for Drey Barrett at third base during USM's sweep of ULM. | Russ Cloy

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Coming off a weekend sweep of UL Monroe, where elite pitching took most of the spotlight, there was another bright spot for No. 12 Southern Miss that should be paid attention to as the postseason nears: The play of sophomore Ty Long at third base.

Making the Most of An Opportunity

Josh House

A few weekends ago, sophomore third baseman Drey Barrett, who has started at the position all season, tweaked his hamstring at the end of the series finale against South Alabama in Mobile. Although Barrett was healthy enough to still be in the batting lineup as the designated hitter, Southern Miss didn't want to risk rushing him back onto the field too soon, potentially making the injury worse.

Because of that, Long, who started the season at shortstop before junior Seth Smith took over that role, was called on by head coach Christian Ostrander to step into that third base role to give Barrett more time to recover. The results couldn't have been much better, as Long flashed his electric athleticism all weekend, robbing the Warhawks of several hits and runs with his cat-like reflexes and strong throws to first base.

"Extremely athletic," Coach Oz said of Long's play against ULM during his postgame media availability on Sunday. "I think he probably took away some hits and runs this weekend. I really like what that looks like. I like what he's doing. We're obviously giving Drey time to let that hamstring fully heal. When a man goes out, you've gotta have a guy that's ready to step in, and Ty's done a good job with that for sure."

Ready to Make Impact Wherever He's Positioned

Ty Long was electric filling in for Drey Barrett at third base during USM's sweep of ULM. | Russ Cloy

Although Long hasn't gotten as many starting opportunities as we probably thought he would heading into this season, he stayed focused and was ready to make the most of his situation last weekend. When it comes to playing third base or shortstop, Long doesn't have a preference for either. He's simply a ball player who is ready to perform wherever he's asked to do so.

"The mindset stays the same every day, no matter the situation," Long tells Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI. "Always come to the field ready to attack whatever is ahead. The difference is mainly just the angles of the field. You also have to play much lower at third, so that’s a little different. ... I don’t have a preference (between third base or shortstop), I just enjoy being out there doing my thing."

Blessing in Disguise for Eags' Infield Depth?

@SouthernMissBSB

Obviously, you never want to see a player go down with an injury of any kind. However, sometimes those unfortunate situations can be blessings in disguise, especially if the injuries aren't long-term ones. Barrett's hamstring situation allowed Long to show out over the weekend, and now, Coach Oz should have even more confidence in his infield depth going forward.

The Golden Eagles certainly don't lack for talent on their current roster. At the catcher position, for example, Tucker Stockman is one of the best in the nation, but to keep him fresh, Southern Miss can rotate in Lawson Odom every now and then, and he gets the job done. We could see a similar dynamic happening between Barrett and Long.

Next Step: Consistent At-Bats

Ty Long hit a two-run bomb in Southern Miss' season-opening series against UC Santa Barbara. | Joe Harper/bgnphoto.com

Long, who is batting .167 with just 36 plate appearances this season, has the ability to do more at the plate than he's shown. He showed some flashes of that talent when he hit a home run against UC Santa Barbara in the first series of the season, and then again last week, when he went 2-for-4 at the plate at Tulane with two singles and a stolen base.

Long doesn't have to become a superstar at the plate to make a big difference for the Golden Eagles down the stretch of this season. If he can just be decent in that area, having him and Barrett rotating between third base and designated hitter could take Southern Miss to another level.

We'll find out soon if Long will have the opportunity to build on his momentum this weekend, as the Golden Eagles travel to Harrisonburg, VA, to take on James Madison in their final road series of the regular season. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more baseball coverage throughout the weekend.