Week In Review: Southern Miss Bounces Back as Matchup vs. Mississippi State Looms

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – As disappointed as Southern Miss was after losing its first Sun Belt series to Arkansas State on the weekend before last, winning fixes all.

The Golden Eagles bounced back with a 3-1 week, which started with a 4-0 win over Nicholls on Tuesday in Biloxi and ended with a dramatic comeback series win against Troy at Pete Taylor Park on Sunday.

Russo Breaks Out on Saturday

USM — Matthew Russo salutes The Roost and 16oz. Lounge at Pete Taylor Park after an RBI single. | Dalton Trigg

The comeback started on Saturday, as senior first baseman Matthew Russo broke out of a slump and had a three-hit day in an 11-5 win over the Trojans. "Bull" is now batting .261 on the season and has the second-most hits on the team with 24.

“It felt great!,” Russo told Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI of his big performance following the game. “Was very happy l was able to provide some run support for the guys in that big moment. Looking to take the moment we had in today's game and bring it into a massive series decider tomorrow.”

Gillespie Ignites Offense on Sunday

Then, after facing a 4-0 deficit in Sunday's rubber match, the Golden Eagles chipped away and scored five consecutive runs to win 5-4. Junior outfielder Davis Gillespie, who stayed hot all weekend, got the scoring started with a two-run bomb in the bottom of the third inning.

“We learned last week that there are going to be storms that will come our way this season,” Gillespie told Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI. “It’s how we respond to those storms that will make a difference, and that’s what we did this weekend.”

On the latest episode of the Nasty Bunch & Beyond podcast, I recap the Golden Eagles' successful week and look ahead to a big midweek matchup against No. 6 Mississippi State. You can listend to the entire episode below or directly from your favorite podcast platforms: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and more.