University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Baseball Opens Season with Nicholls State at Home
2/16/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 16, 2012
USM Game Notes in PDF Format 
| Nicholls State Game Notes
The series starts with a 4 p.m., single game on Friday, followed by a 2 p.m., contest on Saturday and a 1 p.m., affair at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field on Sunday. The series starts a stretch for the Golden Eagles in which they will host eight of nine games at home in the month of February.
The promotions for the weekend include free baseball posters for the first 1,000 fans on Friday, 500 free gold Mardi Gras beads on Saturday and Sunday's game starts a season-long promotion that has Seymour Sidekick members will receive free admission when they present their member card and kids will be able to run the bases following that day's game.
The Golden Eagles will feature a young, but talented club as the squad's 2012 recruiting class was named third by Baseball America and No. 13 by Collegiate Baseball.
There are also high expectations for the season after third-year head coach Scott Berry led the team to a share of the 2011 regular-season Conference USA Championship and 2010 league tournament crowns.
Southern Miss and Nicholls State have met 40 times, with the Golden Eagles clutching to a 24-16 record. It is the first time since April of 2007 that both teams have faced off, the last being a 13-5 USM home and the Golden Eagles currently have won nine straight in the series.
The Golden Eagles will have five new position players in the lineup when the season starts Friday against the Colonels, a team which finished 28-29 a season ago.
Senior right-hander Chase Horn (2-0, 4.21 ERA in 2011) will face Nicholls State ace and righthander Seth Webster (7-3, 2.30) in the opener, while redshirt freshman Jake Drehoff is slated to make his debut for the Golden Eagles on Saturday against left-handed pitcher Patrick Shreve (4-2, 2.56). Sophomore Boomer Scarborough (1-1, 2.89) will take the mound in the finale against lefty Mike Wisecarver (4-6, 4.83) in the finale.
Following the Nicholls series, Southern Miss travels to Louisiana-Monroe for a Wednesday (Feb. 22) tilt. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
