The University of Southern Mississippi baseball team comes into the 2018 season with big goals. The Golden Eagles, who open their season Friday by hosting Mississippi State, are picked by the Conference USA coaches to win the league – by a large margin.
They got 11 of 12 votes, showing just how much is expected of the team this spring after it won 50 games and the Conference USA regular season title in 2017. That earned the school its second-ever NCAA regional hosting appointment, where it ended up losing to its intra-state rivals from Starkville.
Junior Nick Sandlin has been named the preseason Pitcher of the Year based on his successful 2017 campaign. He struck out 80 in just 56 2/3 innings and posted a 2.38 earned run average. That’s some serious stuff, and how about this on top of it: Sandlin has a 4.0 GPA in construction engineering technology, putting him on the Conference USA All-Academic Team. What’s happened from when I was in college, when all the jocks majored in physical education, communications or “general studies?” But color me impressed with what Sandlin’s been able to accomplish in the classroom while meeting the heavy time demands of major collegiate athletics.
Other members of the preseason all-league team include outfielders Mason Irby (a senior who hit .338 and was second on the team in hits, doubles and runs scored) and slugging sophomore Matt Wallner.
One interesting part of USM’s success is its mix of local and regional talent. The 36-man roster includes 19 Mississippians, including 17 from South Mississippi. There’s an almost equal mix of 17 out-of-state players. Most of those come from within the region, places like Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas and Texas. But they go as far north as Forest Lake, Minn., home of Wallner, who set USM freshman records with 19 home runs and 63 RBI last year, and as far south as Guatemala City, Guatemala, home of redshirt freshman outfielder Gabe Montenegro.
The recruiting diversity shows why Southern Miss is a powerhouse in Conference USA. Head Coach Scott Berry and his staff are able to keep much of the local talent in this baseball-crazy part of the state, while also picking up key parts from elsewhere. College baseball is as popular as it has ever been, and the competition for talent heats up with that. Kudos to the Golden Eagles for rising to the occasion and consistently maintaining a successful program.
Many fans from Marion County will be making the trip to Pete Taylor Park this season, and they can look forward to witnessing some elite play.
