2025 Sun Belt Season Preview • D1Baseball
Troy and Southern Miss headline the Sun Belt, while Coastal Carolina and others look to knock off the favorites.
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SOUTHERN MISS
Head Coach: Christian Ostrander
2024 Record: 43-20 (20-10)
Strengths: I’m a big fan of the balance with this team. There are plenty of aspects of the offensive lineup to like — there’s athleticism and power. Meanwhile, the pitching staff has potential in the weekend rotation and the bullpen looks rock solid entering the spring. It would surprise me if the Golden Eagles aren’t an easy postseason team and aren’t in the Regional hosting mix at the end of the season. The ceiling is very high.
Question Marks: As is the case with most of the teams atop the Sun Belt, I don’t really see many question marks with this team. I feel very good about the backend of the bullpen with Josh Och and Kros Sivley, among others, while the rotation has unbridled potential. The one thing I will say about the rotation is that you have one guy in Allen who is making a full-time transition to the rotation, while Middleton has yet to put all the pieces together. If those two aspects don’t materialize, it could put USM in a pickle. But still, I think this offense has a chance to blanket any deficiencies that could arise on the bump.
Star Power: Projected Friday night starter Colby Allen and JB Middleton, on the mound, have definite star power. Allen has a transition to make to full-time starter, but is a guy who can get into the mid-90s with his fastball along with solid secondary stuff. From an offensive standpoint, we dive a bunch into guys like Monistere, Paetow, etc., below, but I’d keep an eye on someone like Davis Gillespie as well. Gillespie hit .318 with eight homers and 44 RBIs last season, but continues to get even stronger. He, along with several other hitters, is expected to have a strong spring.
Glue Guys: There are several glue guys on this team to watch. Kros Sivley is a fantastic piece at the backend of the bullpen, while Carson Paetow, Matthew Russo, Nick Monistere and Ozzie Pratt are key production and veteran pieces. Paetow finished last season with a .285 average, 11 homers and 46 RBIs, and has a penchant for the big hit, while Pratt is a doubles machine who gives the Golden Eagles stability at the shortstop position as well. As for Russo, his power continues to improve — this after hitting six jacks last season.
Pick to Click: JD Middleton as a consistent weekend starter is my pick to click, but I’d also love to give one of my favorite players in the country — Nick Monistere — some love. Monistere was fantastic two seasons ago before hitting just .247 last season. The great news for the Golden Eagles? Monistere might have hit under .250 last season, but he still managed to hit 13 doubles, 11 homers and knocked in 53 runs. A) Monistere won’t hit for that low of an average again, and B) history would indicate he will again hit for power. That’s great news for Oz’s club this spring.
Top Newcomer: I will go with two players here — outfielder Joey Urban and freshman lefty Grayden Harris. Urban heads to Hattiesburg by way of Butler and finished last season with a .332 average, 15 doubles, six homers and 41 RBIs, while Harris was up to 92-93 mph with his fastball in the fall. He’s expected to be in the weekend rotation, and has premium potential. Fellow freshman Drey Barrett is another key piece to watch. Barrett has a pretty swing and a mature offensive approach.
Outlook: Southern Miss put together a solid 2024 campaign, and the outlook for the upcoming season is fantastic as well. The Golden Eagles should be in solid shape from an offensive standpoint, while the pitching staff is rich with talent. Colby Allen is an excellent ace option, Matt Adams is back for a fifth season, freshman lefty Grayden Harris oozes potential and the best arm of all is righty JB Middleton, who has a mighty arm but who just needs to put all the pieces together. Hosting a regional should be the expectation for this year’s USM club.
SEE ALSO: Check out our Southern Miss Fall Report
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