University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
1990 Baseball Team Reunion Set for Saturday
5/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss baseball program welcomes back its first NCAA baseball team - the 1990 Golden Eagle squad - for a 25-year reunion as part of the Golden Eagles' 2 p.m., Saturday contest against Marshall at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.
That 1990 team, which will be honored prior to Saturday's game, is remembered as one of the best in the school's history as Southern Miss received its first-ever invitation to the NCAA Regional Tournament in Baton Rouge, La., and finished 42-25. That team, which won its first eight games to start the season, earned the school's first-ever Top 25 that spring.
Sitting at 27-19 with 14 regular-season games left that year, an NCAA Tournament Invitation looked out of the team's grasp, but still achievable. The Golden Eagles reeled off 12 of their final 14 regular-season games to push the record to 39-21, heading into the Metro Conference Tournament and in strong contention for a regional bid.
With the new additions to Pete Taylor Park just prior to the season, USM was selected to host the conference tournament that year. Needing a couple of wins to assure itself of a regional bid, the Golden Eagles did so by defeating Louisville and Memphis, only to fall to Florida State in the semifinal game, 8-1.
Southern Miss received the much coveted invitation to play in the then 48-team NCAA Tournament Field, which consisted of eight separate regional sites with six teams in each regional bracket.
The team's debut in the 1990 regional in Baton Rouge was not a good one as Southern Cal defeated the Golden Eagles, 23-5, but the program rallied in game two as the squad rallied from behind in a 14-10 slugfest victory over Louisiana-Lafayette. The season, though, ended the following day as Houston collected a 15-3 decision in an elimination game.
Golden Eagle coach Hill Denson was voted the Metro Conference Coach of the Year that season, while pitcher Damon Pollard collected first-team All-Metro honors. Second baseman Scotty Jurich, third baseman Kevin Young, catcher Doug Benefiel and designated hitter Chris Robbins all garnered second-team All-Metro honors as well. Young also earned ABCA All-American honors that season in his only year with the program.
That summer, Pollard (14th round/Kansas City), Young (15th round/Pittsburgh), Kerry Valrie (19th round/Chicago White Sox), Tony Phillips (19th round/New York Mets) and John Gilligan (36th round/Toronto) were all taken in the Major League Baseball Draft with Young reaching the big leagues. He played for both the Pirates and Royals during his MLB career which lasted from 1992-2003.
Other members of that Golden Eagle squad also included Mike Anderson, Scotty Bonds, Stacy Cameron, Mark Carson, Tommy Castanedo, Greg Cole, Brent Covington, Dack Demourelle, Mickey Dutil, Mike Emmons, Bubba Hall, Chad Hebert, Marc Kubicki, Chris Logan, Frankie McLendon, Todd Nace, Jason Simmons, Brad Skeen, Randy Spring, Todd Thomas, Chad Van Kooten, Larry Wesson, Mitch Whittington, Andy Woodard, Barry Jefcoat, student manager Kevin Gilbert, student manager Amp Case, trainer Rusty Hinds, assistant coach Charlie Gray, assistant coach Brian Rhees and assistant coach Damon Iannelli.
