Baseball Travels to San Antonio for C-USA Road Series with UTSA
3/31/2021
Southern Miss (14-9, 1-3 C-USA) at UTSA (11-8, 3-1 C-USA)
Games 23-25 | April 1-3, 2021 | Roadrunner Field | San Antonio, Texas
| Upcoming Games | Time (CT) | Live Stats | Radio & Webstream |
| Thu., April 1 | 6 p.m. | Live Stats | Southern Miss Network/C-USA.TV |
| Fri., April 2 | 2 p.m. | Live Stats | Southern Miss Network/C-USA.TV |
| Fri., April 2 | Game 2 | Live Stats | Southern Miss Network/C-USA.TV |
| Sun., March 28 | 10 a.m. | Live Stats | Southern Miss Network/C-USA.TV |
Last Weekend: The Southern Miss baseball team opened play in Conference USA action, playing host to No. 21 Louisiana Tech. Despite outscoring the Bulldogs 23-21 in the four-game series, the Golden Eagles dropped three of four games in the set. Southern Miss lost its first two one-run games of the year, after winning their first five to start the season. The weekend capped a week in which the Golden Eagles went 2-3, all against nationally ranked opponents.
Last Time Against UTSA: The Golden Eagles will be making their second-straight trip to San Antonio after last year’s series was canceled due to COVID-19. After dropping the first two games of the series 12-2 and 6-5, Scott Berry’s squad had Hunter LeBlanc and Will McGillis combine to score five times and drive in seven runs from the bottom of the Southern Miss batting order as the Golden Eagles overpowered UTSA 14-6 in the last meeting between the two teams. LeBlanc and McGillis, who combined for five hits and three walks, each came through with a two-run, two-out hit in the top of the eighth inning. The four-run rally helped Southern Miss regain the momentum after the Roadrunners had scored four times in the bottom of the seventh inning. Southern Miss scored 10 runs over the game’s final four innings, including four runs in each of the seventh and eighth innings.
The Roadrunners: UTSA opened league play last weekend as well, defeating Rice on the road three of four games. The Roadrunners have enjoyed an outstanding offense, posting a .297 team batting average and bringing an 11-8 record overall into the weekend. They are Pat Hallmark, who has posted a 21-15 record overall in his two seasons in San Antonio.
| Series (2014-2019) | |
| All-Time | 15-7 |
| In Hattiesburg | 8-2 |
| In San Antonio | 5-4 |
| Neutral | 2-1 |
| Since Joining C-USA (2014) | 15-7 |
| C-USA Series records | 4-2-0 |
| Streak | Won 1 |
| Last 10 | 7-3 |
Ending March: The Golden Eagles recorded a 10-6 record during the month of March that included winning streaks of five and four games during that portion of the schedule. Over the 16-game period, Southern Miss collected a .232 batting average with 25 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs and 63 RBI. The squad also collected 11 of its 12 stolen bases this season during the month. On the mound, Southern Miss put together a team ERA of 2.72 while enjoying 160 strikeouts from their pitching staff and only 35 walks for a 4.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The pitching staff also registered three shutouts during the month.
Opening Conference Play: Southern Miss began its 25th season of Conference USA play this weekend - last year’s schedule was canceled due to COVID-19 - and the Golden Eagles have posted a 409-241 (.629) and are 138-77-3 in league series over that time. The Golden Eagles have won 20 league games seven times, including in each of the last four years played.
In April Under Berry: The Golden Eagles have posted a 114-59 record (.659) under Scott Berry in the month of March. The program enjoyed a 10-game winning streak during the month in 2013 and a nine-game streak in 2019. Southern Miss also start streaks in the month of April that carried over into May of 10-or-more victories in a row three times in the Berry era, including in 2010, 2015 and 2017.
Montenegro Getting Hot: Gabe Montenegro hit safely in all five games last week – all against ranked teams - including three, three-hit games. His two-run, two-out double in the seventh at Alabama lifted the Golden Eagles to their first win in Tuscaloosa since 2014. Montenegro added three hits, including his second homer of the year, and 3 RBI in a 14-6 win over nationally ranked Louisiana Tech last Saturday in the opening game of a twinbill. He leads the team with 20 runs scored this season from the leadoff spot. He was 7-for-11 against the Bulldogs. Over his seven-game hitting streak, he is .519 (14x27, 3 2B, 3B, HR, 5 RBI) and has raised his average from .182 to 293.
Double-Digit Strikeouts: Southern Miss has posted 15 double-digit strikeout games over its first 23 contests with four more games of nine strikeouts.
National Statistics: The Golden Eagles pitching staff is listed among the nation’s leaders both as a team and its individuals. Here is a look at the team’s Top 20 leaders for all categories (through March 29 games):
Pitching
Team
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio: 1st (5.34)
Walks per 9 Inns.: 2nd (2.13)
Shutouts: 4th (4)
WHIP: 8th (1.12)
Strikeouts per 9 Inns.: 13th (11.4)
ERA: 16th (2.91)
Individual
Saves: Garrett Ramsey, 1st (7)
Walks Taken: Charlie Fischer, 1st (25)
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio: Ben Ethridge, 2nd (20.50)
Strikeouts: Hunter Stanley, 5th (53)
Walks Taken Per Game: Charlie Fischer, 9th (1.14)
Pitching Wins: Walker Powell, 11th (4)
Walks per 9 Inns.: Ben Ethridge, 13th (0.61)
Doubles: Christopher Sargent, 19th (9)
Back to the NCAAs in 2019: Southern Miss appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth-straight year and the 16th time overall, playing in the Baton Rouge Regional to complete its 2019 season. The Golden Eagles made their first-ever appearance in the postseason in 1990, with a trip to Baton Rouge, and at one point, reached regional play nine-straight seasons, from 2003-11.
Golden Eagles Take C-USA Title: Southern Miss captured the last Conference USA tournament title in 2019 and have won three of the last four events - making the championship game in all four seasons. The Golden Eagles also captured the 2018 C-USA regular season and tournament titles, marking the second time Southern Miss had won both C-USA championships in the same season with the other time coming in 2003. Four of the school’s five C-USA regular season titles have come under current head coach Scott Berry, while he has also led Southern Miss to four of their five tournament titles.
The Schedule
