'Swagger Back': No. 8 USM Playing at High Level Ahead of Finale vs. Georgia Southern

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Although there's a very good chance that there will be Southern Miss postseason baseball at Pete Taylor Park two weeks from now, the team is officially giving its seniors an emotional sendoff in this weekend's regular-season finale against Georgia Southern.

Playing baseball at Southern Miss is more than just hitting or throwing a ball; it's about carrying yourself with integrity and immersing yourself in the community, and this year's group of seniors exemplifies those traits. Matthew Russo, Ben Higdon, Kyle Morrison, Joey Urban, Colby Allen, Kros Sivley, JW Armistead and Caleb Stelly will all be honored before at 5:20 p.m. on Friday at The Pete, which will be 40 minutes before the second game of the series begins at 6 p.m.

It's been an honor to follow along and cover the journeys of these seniors, and we wish them nothing but the best in whatever their futures hold. With that being said, though, we have a feeling this "final ride" is still far from being over.

Coach Oz on Eags 'Weathering the Storm'

The Golden Eagles started the season on a scortcher, posting a 15-2 record and rising as high as No. 7 in the nation. However, a midseason slump followed, as the team hovered around .500 baseball for more than a month. That lull didn't last, though, and now, this Southern Miss team looks like it's peaking at the right time. Head coach Christian Ostrander credits the team with rediscovering its confidence.

"I just think it's confidence," Coach Oz said during his weekly SuperTalk Eagle Hour segment earlier this week. "They've gotten their confidence back, they're swagger back. Not arrogant swagger, but just a belief in each other. Belief in themselves of getting off a bus or walking out of a locker room and truly expecting to win.

"In a sport like we play, that's long, you play a lot of games, every team's gonna have some stretches where you kinda lose your way a little bit, and it's hard to get back on that track. ... You always try to prepare these young men for the storms that come. We were in one a little longer than we wanted to, but they weathered it, and I think have come out on the other side."

Just as the Golden Eagles started the season on fire with a 15-2 record, they can end it on fire with a 15-2 record with a sweep over GASO this weekend before heading to Montgomery, AL, for the Sun Belt tournament.

Weekend Pitching Matchups

Pitching is very much in favor of the Black and Gold this weekend. The Golden Eagles have the best overall pitching staff in the Sun Belt, with a league-leading 3.70 ERA. GASO, on the other hand, is dead last in the conference in that category with an 8.49 ERA. James Madison, the team swept last weekend, had the second-best team ERA at 6.95. Here's how this weekend's starting matchups on the mound will look.

Thursday, May 14 at 7 p.m.: USM sophomore LHP Grayden Harris (7-1, 3.31 ERA) vs. GASO freshman RHP Will Holder (2-5, 5.96 ERA).

Friday, May 15 at 6 p.m. (SENIOR DAY): USM sophomore RHP Camden Clark (7-0, 2.41 ERA) vs. GASO sophomore RHP Alex Mason (3-4, 7.84 ERA).

Saturday, May 16 at 1 p.m.: USM sophomore RHP Camden Sunstrom (5-3, 2.69 ERA) vs. GASO TBA.

After running into some trouble during last weekend's series-opener against JMU, look for Grayden Harris to have a bounce-back performance against GASO on Thursday. Southern Miss comes into this weekend with a 37-14 (19-8) record. GASO comes in at 16-37 (7-20).

You can stream all of this weekend's games on ESPN+ or listen to them on FM 97.7.

Eags Looking to Extend Offensive Momentum

The Golden Eagles' offense is on a roll after racking up 29 runs in last weekend's sweep of JMU while having at least 10 hits in each of the three games. For a team that has had some inconsistency at the plate at times this season, Coach Oz is proud of how far his guys have come in that department.

"I'm very proud," Coach Oz said during his SuperTalk Eagle Hour segment when asked about his team's offensive performance from last weekend.

"I think our offense did a great job. They're kinda built more for those crooked-number innings vs. the manufacturing. We'd like to be able to do both, don't get me wrong, we try. So when you get a chance to cash in on a crooked number, big 3-4-5 run inning, and you do that, that can be devastating to the other team, and I think that's what we saw this weekend."

Anything can happen in college baseball, but given GASO's pitching struggles, and the Golden Eagles' playing at The Pete, there's a good chance that offensive uptick can continue throughout the weekend. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for full-game recaps following every game.

Add us as a preferred source on Google