What to Know About USM Baseball's Latest Infielder Transfer, Brady Waugh

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – There will be quite a bit of change for the Southern Miss infield heading into the 2027 season. First baseman Matthew Russo and second baseman Kyle Morrison have both graduated after stellar seasons with the Golden Eagles. Additionally, although he's expected to stay for his senior year, shortstop Seth Smith is a potential target to watch in the upcoming MLB Draft. Despite having several holes to fill in the infield, head coach Christian Ostrander and assistant coach Ladd Rhodes have put together a great transfer portal class to help fill those holes.

It usually takes new transfers a while to get to know their new team, but for talented infielder Brady Waugh, his recent commitment to the Golden Eagles is one that hits home. With both of his parents graduating from Southern Miss, along with other family connections to the university, growing up a Golden Eagle fan most definitely played a factor in his decision to don the Black and Gold next season. Waugh recently committed to Southern Miss after entering the transfer portal from UAB.

Waugh By The Numbers

Growing up in Hoover, Alabama, Waugh attended Briarwood Christian School, where he was a two-time Birmingham Top 20 Dual Athlete Award Winner and two-time All-Metro Baseball Selection. During his freshman and sophomore years, he played at Shelton State, where he posted a career .294 batting average and a .445 on-base percentage while helping the Buccaneers reach two NJCAA World Series appearances.

After his 2025 campaign, Waugh signed with UAB, where he posted a .322 batting average and a .431 on-base percentage, along with seven home runs, 12 doubles, and 49 runs batted in during his junior year. After entering the transfer portal earlier this summer, he instantly became one of the top players at his position available on the open market, and the Golden Eagles were able to close the deal.

Instant Impact

With the way the 2027 roster is shaping up, where does Coach Ostrander see Waugh fitting on the field and in the batting lineup? Depending on what happens with the draft, it seems like he'll play middle infield for the majority of games. We'd also expect Waugh to take on an everyday spot in the lineup. Based on his production at UAB, he'll go into the fall as one of the more experienced contact hitters on this Southern Miss team. After going through the entire 2026 season with inconsistencies at the bottom of the batting order, the Golden Eagles have gone out and made sure to add an ample amount of hitting with this year's transfer portal class, in addition to the talented freshmen class that's coming to Hattiesburg as well.

There is nothing sweeter in sports than a homecoming. Whether it's a player returning to play where their career began or playing for a childhood team they grew up watching, it's special to watch something like that unfold. It has only been a couple of weeks, but Waugh is already becoming a fan favorite due to his family's extensive history with Southern Miss.

Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more offseason coverage of USM baseball, basketball, and football in the coming weeks.

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