Why Southern Miss Sophomore Could Have Breakout Season in 2026

Ty Long showed flashes of his potential during his freshman year, and now he's looking to take the next step in his Southern Miss career.

Ty Long looks to take a leap in his second season with Southern Miss. / SouthernMiss.com

There is no shortage of reasons for Southern Miss fans to be excited about the 2026 season, which officially gets underway at Pete Taylor Park on Friday at 4 p.m. as the Golden Eagles take on UC Santa Barbara. USM begins the season ranked in the Top 20, and although the program lost a lot of talent from last year, potential breakout stars are eager to have their shot at filling those shoes.

Sophomore infielder Ty Long figures to be one of those players destined for a bigger role this season. The 6-0 Ripley, Mississippi, product only appeared in 13 games for Southern Miss last year, but he showed flashes of his potential. Although he is capable of playing multiple positions, including being a right-handed pitcher, Long is expected to start for the Golden Eagles at shortstop.

Don't take our word for it, though, as former Southern Miss star Carson Paetow, who knows a thing or two about having breakout seasons, sees Long having a great year ahead of him.

Fans watch the action during a 2025 NCAA Hattiesburg Regional game between the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and the Columbia Lions at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on May 30, 2025. / Matt Bush/Special to USA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I'm excited this year to see Ty Long," Paetow tells Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI. "I think he'll have a breakout year. Regardless of what those numbers look like, he's just a good teammate. He's a great guy. ... He's actually one of the leaders on the team this year. I think he's gonna do some big stuff."

With more playing time coming his way, Long is ready take a big leap, but he's already made that leap off the field by officially being named to the Southern Miss baseball leadership council, as Paetow mentioned. He is the only sophomore on the leadership council, joining seniors Matthew Russo, Colby Allen, and Ben Higdon, and junior Tucker Stockman, which speaks to his maturity for his age.

Long was one of the best baseball recruits in Mississippi in 2024, as he was named MHSAA Mr. Baseball for Class 4A during his senior year at Ripley High School, and now he'll get his first real chance to fully show off all that talent while wearing the Black and Gold.