G.S. "Scotty" Byrne (1971) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

G.S. "Scotty" Byrne

Induction:
1971

Scotty Byrne was another of the outstanding two sport athletes that the University of Southern Miss has produced, and the first to be truly inducted for two sports. Bryne earned letters while playing golf and baseball and excelled in both.
   When you ask those that played with Byrne or competed against him, what it was that made him stand out and they will tell you it was his great desire to win. He was one of the toughest competitors to play at Southern Miss in any sport and that is one reason he was so successful.
   On the golf course he was on some of the early teams coached by Hall of Famer B.O. Van Hook and in the process became one of a handful of golfers at the school that helped to lay the strong foundation that exists today.
   It was Byrne's positive attitude and will to win that helped to make the 1951-52 golf squad so tough to beat that year. They would win three of five dual matches that season and just miss having a perfect season. They struggled in the Gulf States Conference tournament, finishing fourth out of six teams. Byrne was one of the top individual players in the tournament, finishing the 54 hole tournament with a 233 total. Throughout the year Byrne was one of the most consistent players on the team.
   Byrne once again led the 1952-53 squad and they were able to finish the year with a 2-2 mark in dual matches. The team finished the year by competing in the prestigious Southern Intercollegiate in Athens, Georgia.
   On the Southern Miss baseball team Byrne's primary role would be as a pitcher for Coach Clyde (Heifer) Stuart. He would be used as both a starting pitcher and a reliever and would finish the 1951 season with a 2-0 record, with the wins coming over Southeastern Louisiana and Spring Hill. That 1951 Southern Miss team would finish the year with a 7-6-1 record.
   In 1952 Byrne would once again see quite a bit of action on the mound for Southern Miss, again both as a starter and reliever. Although his record would be just 0-1 that season, many times he would come out of the bullpen and hold the opposition and put the team in a position to win. The 1952 team would finish the year with a 6-5 mark.
       He is remembered not only for his talents as an athlete at Southern Miss, but for his leadership skills as well. The positive attitude that he displayed was instrumental in the success that the school had in the postwar era and he will always be remembered for his never say die attitude and desire to fight right to the very end.
   It was those traits that made Byrne one of the school's most popular athletes and the reason he is enshrined in the Southern Miss Hall of Fame