Southern Miss vs. Ole Miss Preview: Coach Oz Calls on 'Alphas' to Step Up

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – One good thing about college baseball is that the schedule leaves little time for self-pity. Just two days after being upset in its disappointing weekend series against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in Lafayette, Southern Miss (25-11) is looking to get back on track and into the win column against a streaking Ole Miss (26-11) ballclub at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss, on Tuesday night.

It will be a Top-25 showdown, as the Golden Eagles came in at No. 22 in this week's D1Baseball rankings, and the Rebels came in at No. 25. Southern Miss won a 2-1 pitcher's duel when these teams met at Pete Taylor Park on March 10. The Golden Eagles improved to 15-2 following that game, but they've gone just 10-9 since then. The Rebels, however, are riding a five-game win streak, including their latest weekend sweep of LSU. Here are some things to know about Tuesday's game.

Pitching Matchup

Freshman LHP Bruce Littleton (1-0), who has shown major flashes all season in limited time on the mound, will get his first collegiate start on Tuesday. The talented Verstavia Hills, Ala., product has a 1.04 ERA and 0.81 WHIP through 8.2 innings pitched in 10 appearances this season. Littleton has already become an early fan favorite this season, and if he can put together a good performance against the Rebels, the hype around him will only continue to grow.

The Rebels will start redshirt-sophomore RHP JP Robertson (2-1), who has a 3.71 ERA and 1.53 WHIP through 17 innings pitched in 11 appearances this season. It will be Robertson's first start of the season for Ole Miss. In their last matchup against the Golden Eagles, the Rebels started Taylor Rabe, who pitched a shutout through the first three innings before being taken out of the game. Rabe pitched six innings in Ole Miss' Sunday win over LSU, so he likely won't be making an appearance in this one.

Coach Oz Looking for "Alphas" to Combat Adversity

Davis Gillespie, Joey Urban, USM outfielders — @SouthernMissBSB

"Oh, it's terrible," Southern Miss head coach Christian Ostrander said during his Monday interview with SuperTalk Eagle Hour when asked about the team's inability to find a full-time designated hitter so far this season.

"You've got a seven-man lineup up there sometimes. We've got two spots that aren't producing a whole lot. Just calling a spade a spade, it's true. Guys have had opportunities, and multiple. It's unfortunate. We didn't forecast this. ... (We) just need some guys to step up and perform," Coach Oz said.

"When adversity hits, it takes toughness and resiliency, and it takes alphas to get out of it. And unfortunately, right now, we haven't seen enough of that to pull it out all the way. We've seen glimpses of it, but there's still more work to go."

Weather Forecast / How to Watch

Current forecasts call for clear skies and temperatures in the mid-to-low 80s around game time at 6 p.m. There's currently a zero-percent chance of rain. As of right now, it looks like it's going to be a pretty night for some in-state rivalry baseball.

If you aren't attending the game in person, you can watch the Golden Eagles and Rebels play on the ESPN+ broadcast. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for coverage immediately following the game.