5. Southern Miss punches back at Louisiana in key Sun Belt series
If you’re a fan of pitchers’ duels, the first two games of the series between Sun Belt powers Southern Miss and No. 17 Louisiana have been your kind of party. After the Ragin’ Cajuns came away with a 3-2 win Friday thanks to an eighth-inning Kyle DeBarge three-run homer, the Golden Eagles got a 3-2 win of their own Saturday to even the series. With USM leading 2-0, DeBarge came through again for the Cajuns, this time with a two-run double in the eighth to tie it, but an RBI single for Southern Miss third baseman Gabe Broadus in the top of the ninth put his team back on top. Niko Mazza set the tone for USM with an excellent start. He threw seven shutout innings, giving up three hits and one walk along the way. The victory moved the Golden Eagles into sole possession of third place in the SBC standings and sets up a massive rubber game Sunday.
6. Troy enters the chat as a Sun Belt title contender with series win over Coastal Carolina
Troy, a mid-major darling going into the season based on last season’s regional run and what it returned this season, got off to a slow start to the 2024 campaign, but it’s finding its footing at the right time. After an 8-6 road win over No. 13 Coastal Carolina Friday, the Trojans got a comprehensive 11-4 win Saturday to clinch the series with the Chanticleers and announce their arrival as a real contender at the top of the Sun Belt. Troy jumped out to a 9-0 lead Saturday and never looked back. Aidan Gilroy and Ben Arnett both had three hits for the Trojans, and Gilroy, Arnett and Brooks Bryan homered. The win combined with the UL loss pushed Troy to three games back of the Cajuns for the top spot in the standings. The Trojans are clearly a regional-caliber team in terms of talent and experience, and with an RPI inside the top 50 as of Saturday night (down from the low 70s last weekend), they are finally in striking distance of being an at-large team.
If you’re a fan of pitchers’ duels, the first two games of the series between Sun Belt powers Southern Miss and No. 17 Louisiana have been your kind of party. After the Ragin’ Cajuns came away with a 3-2 win Friday thanks to an eighth-inning Kyle DeBarge three-run homer, the Golden Eagles got a 3-2 win of their own Saturday to even the series. With USM leading 2-0, DeBarge came through again for the Cajuns, this time with a two-run double in the eighth to tie it, but an RBI single for Southern Miss third baseman Gabe Broadus in the top of the ninth put his team back on top. Niko Mazza set the tone for USM with an excellent start. He threw seven shutout innings, giving up three hits and one walk along the way. The victory moved the Golden Eagles into sole possession of third place in the SBC standings and sets up a massive rubber game Sunday.
6. Troy enters the chat as a Sun Belt title contender with series win over Coastal Carolina
Troy, a mid-major darling going into the season based on last season’s regional run and what it returned this season, got off to a slow start to the 2024 campaign, but it’s finding its footing at the right time. After an 8-6 road win over No. 13 Coastal Carolina Friday, the Trojans got a comprehensive 11-4 win Saturday to clinch the series with the Chanticleers and announce their arrival as a real contender at the top of the Sun Belt. Troy jumped out to a 9-0 lead Saturday and never looked back. Aidan Gilroy and Ben Arnett both had three hits for the Trojans, and Gilroy, Arnett and Brooks Bryan homered. The win combined with the UL loss pushed Troy to three games back of the Cajuns for the top spot in the standings. The Trojans are clearly a regional-caliber team in terms of talent and experience, and with an RPI inside the top 50 as of Saturday night (down from the low 70s last weekend), they are finally in striking distance of being an at-large team.
