What to Watch For: No. 8 Southern Miss Faces Troy in SBC Tourney Semifinals Rematch

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Golden Eagles sophomore third baseman Drey Barrett delivered the goods on Friday night, as he accounted for six of No. 8 Southern Miss' seven runs, including an unbelievable walk-off grand slam, en route to a 7-6 win over Troy.

One more time for @DreyBarrett’s unbelievable walk-off grand slam as the Eags defeated Troy 7-6 on Friday night in Montgomery! #SMTTT

Read the full story here 🔗: https://t.co/5JuPiJAiS0 pic.twitter.com/WKhfjbpQ2r
— Nasty Bunch & Beyond (@NastyBunchPod) May 23, 2026

Barrett's late-game heroics led to late-night euphoria for the Golden Eagles in Montgomery, as they are now just one win away from reaching their fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference tournament championship game. They'll be facing a familiar foe in the semifinals on Saturday.

Rematch with Troy

After leading 11-4 over South Alabama in Saturday morning's elimination game, Troy started seeing ghosts from Friday night's loss to Southern Miss. The Jaguars plated six runs in the ninth inning to cut the deficit to 11-10 and had the tying run in scoring position before a strikeout clinched the win for the Trojans.

Now, the Golden Eagles will face the Trojans in a semifinals rematch at 2:15 p.m. CT on Saturday at DABOS Park. Southern Miss will be riding a major high from Friday's remarkable comeback win, while Troy will be looking for revenge, despite facing adversity with a thin bullpen and fatigue from playing a third game in less than 24 hours.

The Trojans will be facing elimination for the second time, while the Golden Eagles would have to drop two games to Troy on Saturday in order to be eliminated. The odds are certainly on Southern Miss' side, but that doesn't mean it can afford to take Troy lightly. It would be beneficial to the Golden Eagles' championship chances if they take care of business against Troy in today's first semifinal game at 2:15 p.m. CT.

'Sunny' Saturday

Rain delays were a major problem on Friday, but it should be a "Sunny" Saturday in Montgomery in more ways than one today. Although there is a 60-percent chance of rain in Montgomery on Saturday, that rain shouldn't be rolling in until later this evening.

Also, the Golden Eagles will be starting sophomore RHP Camden Sunstrom, who finished the regular season with a 6-3 record and a 2.50 ERA. "Sunny" has registered 72 strikeouts and given up just 13 walks this season, and the Golden Eagles couldn't have asked for a better setup with a chance to reach the Sun Belt Championship Game. Which Troy starting pitcher Sunstrom will face is TBD.

How to Watch

You can catch today's semifinals game between Southern Miss and Troy on ESPN+, or you can listen to the game on FM 97.7 or the Varsity App.

As always, stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more USM baseball coverage from Montgomery as the weekend rolls on. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more Southern Miss baseball content.

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