2009 Southern Miss Baseball Preview

2/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Feb. 17, 2009

Southern Miss Baseball is no doubt one of the nation's most consistent programs, playing in six consecutive NCAA Regionals under Head Coach Corky Palmer, who has his team poised for another NCAA run in 2009.

The Golden Eagles streak of six consecutive NCAA Regionals is currently the 12th longest active streak in the nation. After 42-22 record in 2008, Palmer welcomes 16 new players to the 2009 team, many of which will be expected to contribute immediately to keep the NCAA Regional streak alive.

Palmer enters his 30th year coaching and 12th at the helm of the Golden Eagles so he has seen about anything possible involving the game of baseball. With that in mind he knows he has a trio of seniors that are close to the best players in the country to build a team around this season and as good of a middle of the diamond as just about anyone in the nation.

Though the three guys in the middle are about as good as it comes, it will be the new players who determine the fate of the 2009 team. Southern Miss has brought in some very successful junior college players and will have to depend on them to make an impact immediately. As a coach that spent 10 years coaching at the junior college level, Palmer knows what a difference it is to make the jump to Division I baseball.

"This is the most we have had to depend on junior college players in a long time," Palmer said. "They are all talented players but how quickly can they learn our program and contribute for us at this level is the real question heading into the season."

The Golden Eagles landed the nation's No. 23 ranked recruiting class last fall and many of those guys will get there chance this spring to prove what they can do at college baseball's highest level.

All of the returning players have one thing in common, they have all been to a NCAA Regional every season they have been on campus.

POSTION PLAYERS

On paper the Golden Eagles return five starters from last season. Shortstop Brian Dozier, second baseman James Ewing and center fielder Bo Davis are the players that Southern Miss will look toward to lead the 2009 team. All three are seniors and have been starters since they arrived on campus. Dozier and Ewing earned preseason All-Conference honors from the leagues' coaches and both earned All-Conference honors at the end of last season. "The key to our team are those three guys," Palmer said "Having that kind of senior leadership will not only help us on the field but in the clubhouse as well helping the new players learn the Southern Miss way of doing things."

The speedy Davis is slated to be the team's leadoff hitter after posting a .314 average last season with 16 doubles and five triples. Dozier should anchor the two spot in the lineup and will almost always put the ball in play, striking out only 17 times in 269 at bats last season while hitting .342 with 17 doubles and 46 RBI. Ewing led the team in 2008 with a .359 average including 13 doubles and 46 RBI.

Southern Miss also will have other experienced players who will need to contribute this season as well. Senior Michael Ewing, twin brother of James, hopes to return to his freshman All-American form this season after hitting .214 last season with 11 home runs. He could be the right fielder this season after starting 42 games in 2008.

Junior Kyle Maxie was the team's No. 2 catcher last season and also spent some time as the designated hitter posting a .259 average with nine home runs, eight doubles and 39 RBI. He should play a similar role this season as one of the two catchers and a DH.

Also returning is senior Corey Stevens who played very well last year at times before suffering a knee injury mid-way through the season. He hit .271 with five doubles and two home runs in 34 games. Stevens will fight for playing time in one of the corner outfield spots this season.

Senior Josh Fields played his first season as Golden Eagle last season at third base and hit .213 with three home runs, he could see time at third base this season.

Sophomores Anthony Doss (DH) and Adam Doleac (1B) saw their first career action a year ago and could both be used this season as a DH or pinch hitters as they continue to develop.

Among the new faces that are expected to help Southern Miss reach a seventh consecutive NCAA Regional berth are Joey Archer (junior transfer from Alabama Southern Community College) who should play first base this season and Travis Graves (junior transfer from Eastfield Community College), who will be one of two catchers used this season along with Maxie.

In the infield also look for B.A. Vollmuth (freshman out of Biloxi High) and Taylor Walker (junior transfer from Northwest Community College) to contribute, possibly at third base.

In the outfield junior transfer Nick Smith, sophomore transfer Tyler Koelling and true freshman Kameron Brunty could all be called upon to contribute at some point in 2009 or even start at one of the corner outfield spots.

Redshirt freshman outfielders Daniel Covert and Bret Shattles will add depth to the Southern Miss bench and could also see their first career playing time in 2009.

True freshman Travis Creel and Drake Zimmerman will likely redshirt this year.

PITCHERS

Southern Miss is forced to replace two of the better players in the country from last season in All-Americans Barry Bowden and Tyler Conn. Bowden was the Friday night starter with an 8-3 record and a 2.12 ERA while striking out 78. Conn led the nation in saves with 18 and had a 1-0 record with a 1.72 ERA.

"We lost two of the best pitchers in the country last year in Bowden and Conn," Palmer said. "We also lost two other starting pitchers to the draft so we have some holes to fill, we have some talent but again they have to make the adjustment to this level."

Looking to take the Friday night spot this season will be freshman All-American RHP Todd McInnis who has shown flashes of greatness in his first two years as a Golden Eagle, the key will be keeping him healthy an entire season. Last season Southern Miss was 12-3 in games that he pitched despite his record only being 6-3 with a 5.45 ERA. He struck out 75 batters in 71 innings while only walking 35.

The rest of the rotation will consist of junior college transfers. LHP Cody Schlagel looks to be in number two starter and RHP Scott Copeland or LHP Moses Munoz could be the final weekend starter for this season.

Newcomers such as junior Jeff Stanley, junior Derek Copley, redshirt freshman Matt Warren and true freshman Paxton King will add depth to the pitching staff.

One of the main strengths in the 2008 season was the bullpen, the Golden Eagles were 38-1 on the season when they were either tied or had the lead after six innings, while Conn will not be easy to replace the rest of the bullpen is in tact. Five players from last years bullpen return this season, most of which will be in a similar role. In all those five players were 17-2 with a 3.98 ERA in relief last season.

Senior LHP Wade Weathers worked as a setup man last season and led the team with 32 appearances while recording a 4-1 record with a 3.81 ERA and two saves. Senior RHP Jonathan Johnston worked 24 innings with a 3-0 record and a 2.47 ERA. Junior RHP JR Ballinger worked 30.1 innings and was 4-0 with a 5.04 ERA.

Two freshman made an impact last season in RHP Collin Cargill, who made 23 appearances with a 5-1 record and a 6.50 ERA, and RHP Seth Hester, who was 2-1 with a 4.94 working both out of the bull pen and starting four games.

Expected to join the Southern Miss bullpen this season will be junior college transfer Kyle Lindsey, who should be able to contribute immediately to the veteran staff.

SCHEDULE

The Golden Eagles are scheduled to play 34 home games at Pete Taylor Park this season where they have won 80 percent of their games over the last three seasons, accumulating a record of 75-19 over that span. Since Palmer took over the program in 1998 the Golden Eagles are an amazing 257-90 at home.

In addition the Golden Eagles are also hosting this year's Conference USA Tournament, May 20-24, which will feature the top eight teams in the C-USA regular season standings battling for conference supremacy.

"I am extremely excited about the home portion of our schedule, this is probably one of the better home schedules in school history," Palmer added. "Southern Miss players and fans have grown accustomed to us playing a tough schedule and this season will be no different."

The Southern Miss drive towards a seventh consecutive NCAA Regional will begin Feb. 20 against. Lehigh University out of Pennsylvania. After the opening three-game series with the Mountain Hawks, UNO and South Alabama will visit for midweek games and Louisiana-Lafayette will visit for a weekend series beginning on February 27th to complete the eight game homestand.

In fact 20 of the teams first 23 games will be at "The Pete." National power Cal-State Fullerton will make their first trip to Hattiesburg for a weekend series starting on March 6, returning the Golden Eagles trip from last season to Fullerton.

The Conference USA season opens on March 20 with a three-game set against Rice at "The Pete," a team just a year removed from a trip to the College World Series.

The Golden Eagles will host several fan favorite games this season in addition to the Cal-State Fullerton and Rice three-game series as they welcome in Ole Miss on Wed., March 25 and Tulane in for a three-game series beginning on May 1.

In other C-USA action the Southern Miss will host Marshall (April 3-5) and UAB (April 17-19).

The Golden Eagles will travel to Central Florida (March 27-29), Houston (April 10-12), East Carolina (April 24-26) and Memphis (May 8-10) for C-USA weekend contests.

The team will play two games at Trustmark Park, home of the Class AA Mississippi Braves, in Pearl, Miss. on Tues., March 17 versus Mississippi State and on Tues., April 28 against Ole Miss.

The schedule also includes a three-game home series with Louisiana Tech on the weekend of March 13 and Tennessee Tech closes out the regular season on the weekend of May 14.