2024 Fall Report: Southern Miss
2024 Fall Report: Southern Miss • D1Baseball
As a developmental program, Southern Miss is working to retain the identity that made it successful. With a strong crop of returnees and some youngsters on the rise, USM has the look of a contender once again.
Fall Report Mark Etheridge - October 30, 2024
HATTIESBURG, Miss – Walking into Pete Taylor Park for the Black and Gold Series opener, there was a table in the concourse with printed rosters. This is the new reality in college baseball, where even the most ardent supporters don’t know their own players from season to season. Everyone needs a roster because there are often more newcomers than returning ones.
And while Southern Miss still has 17 newcomers, the other 23 are returnees. And among the newcomers, 13 of the 17 are freshmen. News of the transfer portal candy shop apparently hasn’t reached Hattiesburg.
I kid. That isn’t the case at all—Southern Miss has four D1 transfers, including a pair from the SEC. Head coach Christian Ostrander is perfectly fine playing out the cards in his hand. He wants to take some chances on emerging prep players and turn them into his next crop of stars.
“It takes time to develop,” said Ostrander. “You need the ability to fail. What if they don’t get that time? We brought in 11 arms and 10 were freshmen. Getting the arms I want in the portal, that price tag is pretty high. Through the years, we’ve done a good job of developing. I think we’ve shown we can compete at a high level, and hopefully we can stay there as the sport is changing.”
This is a program that finished second in its conference and won the Sun Belt Tournament last season. USM earned a 2-seed, losing to eventual national champion Tennessee in the Knoxville Regional. The year prior, the Golden Eagles won the Auburn Regional as a 2-seed and lost to the Vols in a home super regional. The year prior, USM hosted, knocking off LSU in the regional before hosting and losing to eventual national champion Ole Miss in the supers. The program hosted in 2017 and has been to a regional each season since it missed in 2015, earning the 23rd spot overall in our Top 100 Programs rankings.
Ostrander, like predecessors Scott Berry and Corky Palmer, is affable, ultra-competitive, and self-aware.
“We got here by being blue collar and developmental,” Ostrander said. “Sometimes, when the rules change, you have to be careful not to lose the identity that made you successful. I think we have a strong culture here. It’s been because we bring in good young men, and they bleed it, love it, and they grow.”
The Golden Eagles are going to be a problem for hitters this season. With a mixture of experienced vets and talented newcomers, this club has tons of potential. The pitching staff has a chance to be the best in the Sun Belt, and if the offense progresses as they hope, this club could be in the hunt for postseason home games yet again.
Pitching
Southern Miss has a chance to be strong again on the mound with plenty of experience back from prior seasons. It starts with junior righthander J.B. Middleton. At 6 feet tall and 178 pounds, he isn’t imposing on the mound. Instead of playing summer baseball, Middleton worked on his body and tweaked his delivery. In my look Friday, he was the headliner.Middleton thumped a fastball into the mitt at 97 mph to the first batter and hurled three scoreless frames, ranging from 94-97, with good command. He only walked one batter, allowed one hit, and struck out six. In addition to the encouraging command – last season, he walked 25 in 37.1 innings – he showed an improved slider as an out pitch. Frankly, if he pitches this spring the way he did last week, USM has an ace to match up with anyone.
“He’s made some growth,” said Ostrander. “His strike percentage has gone up this fall, which is what was next for him. If he can pound the zone, he’s got enough stuff to be successful. Last year, he was pretty much velocity and changeup. The slider is getting better.”
Colby Allen drew the start opposite Middleton on Friday, working three innings with only a solo home run against him. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound righthander went 10-2 last season, pitching primarily in relief. He could return to the pen or start. In either role, he has his coach’s confidence.
“Colby is a strike-thrower,” Ostrander said. “He’s had a good fall. His fastball/slider command is pretty good. He’s worked on a third pitch (changeup). It’s not overly sexy, but he’s got action on the fastball, and the slider can be swing-and-miss. He’s one of those guys that you know what you are going to get. I like that because we others where they have big-time stuff, but I don’t know exactly what I’ll get.”
One pitcher Southern Miss fans know a ton about is Matt Adams. The righthander missed all of last season with an injury. He’s been on the team since 2020 with a COVID year and medical redshirt. The 5-11, 190-pound righty started 14 games in 2023 and should be in the mix to start again in 2025. Adams has enjoyed a good fall and started game two of the fall series, striking out seven over three innings. He has 25 strikeouts in 15 innings this fall. He’s got a four-pitch mix, with 90-92 fastball velo, and is a strike-thrower.
Another sixth-year pitcher, Chandler Best, also has been a Golden Eagle since the 2020 season, as he missed all of the 2023 season. He projects as a key multiple-inning reliever to team with Josh Och at the end of the game. Och has been shut down this fall to give him a break but could be ready for the backend role in the spring.
Kros Sivley has pitched 130 innings in multiple roles over his USM career. He could start or work in various roles. McCarty English had a procedure last year and will be back throwing to hitters soon. Tulane transfer Michael Fowler is 92-93 in the zone and should be in the mix after sitting out last season with an injury.
Grayden Harris had a strong three-inning start in an intrasquad last weekend. The advanced freshman lefty is another strike-thrower (90-93) who will get a chance to log some key innings. Teague Broadhead is another hard-throwing freshman, up to 96 mph this fall with a breaking ball in the 2700 spin range. He may not be polished enough at the moment but has a huge upside. Cole Richardson is a lower-slot righty that Ostrander feels can pitch impactful innings. He’ll pitch 91-93 with a good changeup. Micah Wascom is a freshman Ostrander described as a bulldog. He’s pounding the zone with a 92/93 mph heater and has some spin, a change, and is a strike thrower. Camden Sunstrom is another freshman with 92/93 mph with sink and spinning the breaker at 2800. Lefty Chase Adams threw 2.2 scoreless in game two of the Black and Gold with three strikeouts. Landen Payne is another arm to watch along with lefty Ben Riley Flowers.
With a deep pitching staff, there’s time for some talented but raw arms to develop. One of those from last season is beginning to turn heads. Drake Meeks is a fascinating prospect. Up to 98 mph this fall with an 87 mph slider with tight spin in the 2700s, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound sophomore righthander has improved. If he can harness his electric stuff, he’s a true wild card for the Golden Eagles. He started game two Sunday and was 94-97 mph with a 93 mph cutter. He worked three innings and allowed just one run.
“It’s real stuff,” said Ostrander. “All of his outings this fall have been good, except one where he was not in the zone. When he’s in the zone, it’s powerful stuff.”
Don’t be surprised if you have Middleton, Allen, and Adams in the early weekend rotation with Meeks and Harris getting views in the midweek. That would be a formidable rotation, assuming all pitch to their potential.
Southern Miss has 22 pitchers heading into the spring and all are getting a look. “I’m a pitching dude and I felt like we were out of whack with depth,” Ostrander said. “We addressed that with young arms that can grow. I feel like the pieces are there, we just need to figure out the roles.”
