Photo by: Joe Harper/bgnphoto.com
Fall Baseball Practice Opens Friday
10/6/2022 10:15:00 AM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Southern Miss baseball team opens its six-week fall practice schedule Friday afternoon at Pete Taylor Park.
Fans can get their first glimpse of the 2023 Golden Eagles this weekend when they hold free open scrimmages Friday, Oct. 7, at 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, at 12 noon, and Sunday, Oct. 9, at 2 p.m.
The Golden Eagles return 15 letterwinners from last year's squad as well as welcome 18 newcomers to a roster that compiled a 47-19 record a year ago and hosted both the NCAA Hattiesburg Regional and Super Regional.
The NCAA Tournament appearance marked the 18th overall for the program as well as the sixth-straight trip to the postseason. Southern Miss played host to its second regional in six seasons last spring – third overall – and held its first ever home Super Regional.
The six-straight 40-win seasons mark the longest streak currently by any program in Division I baseball as the team also earned the distinction of being No. 26 in the current listing of the Top 100 schools by D1Baseball.com.
The Golden Eagles also finished 23-7 in Conference USA last spring to collect their sixth regular season title in their final season with the league. Southern Miss begins a new era this spring when they join the Sun Belt Conference.
Seven starters return off last year's roster, including junior shortstop Dustin Dickerson, who posted a team-best .320 batting average with 32 RBI a season ago. Also back is junior outfielder/designated hitter Slade Wilks, who tallied a .288 average to go along with 10 home runs and 37 RBI.
Senior third baseman Danny Lynch, who enjoyed a 12-game hitting streak late in the year, comes back after finishing at .286 with five homers and 30 RBI, along with sophomore rightfielder Carson Paetow, who added a .271 average with 16 home runs and 48 RBI, and senior first baseman Christopher Sargent, who batted .269 to go along with team highs of 21 home runs and 58 RBI.
Senior leftfielder Reece Ewing returns after hitting .260 with 10 homers and 34 RBI as well as a pair of catchers in senior Blake Johnson, who put together a .269 average with three homers and 23 RBI a season ago, and junior Rodrigo Montenegro, who collected a .307 average with 16 RBI.
The Golden Eagles will have to replace 10 pitchers on the mound this spring, but back for his junior year is 2022 Ferriss Trophy winner and USA Collegiate Baseball National Team selection Tanner Hall, who posted a 9-3 record last spring with 146 strikeouts, 14 walks and an ERA of 2.81.
Also back on the mound is Matt Adams, who posted a 2-2 record as a starter/reliever in 2022, along with relievers Isaiah Rhodes and Justin Storm, who were each 3-0 last season, along with Chandler Best and Niko Mazza.
A sampling of the newcomers for this year's team include Matthew Etzel and Tate Parker, outfielders from Panola College and Pearl River CC, respectively, two-way freshman Nick Monistere from Northwest Rankin High School and transfer pitchers Tyler Martin (Nebraska), Billy Oldham (Eastern Connecticut State) and Luke Trahan (Dallas Baptist).
The 2023 college baseball season opens Friday, Feb. 17.
Fans can get their first glimpse of the 2023 Golden Eagles this weekend when they hold free open scrimmages Friday, Oct. 7, at 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, at 12 noon, and Sunday, Oct. 9, at 2 p.m.
The Golden Eagles return 15 letterwinners from last year's squad as well as welcome 18 newcomers to a roster that compiled a 47-19 record a year ago and hosted both the NCAA Hattiesburg Regional and Super Regional.
The NCAA Tournament appearance marked the 18th overall for the program as well as the sixth-straight trip to the postseason. Southern Miss played host to its second regional in six seasons last spring – third overall – and held its first ever home Super Regional.
The six-straight 40-win seasons mark the longest streak currently by any program in Division I baseball as the team also earned the distinction of being No. 26 in the current listing of the Top 100 schools by D1Baseball.com.
The Golden Eagles also finished 23-7 in Conference USA last spring to collect their sixth regular season title in their final season with the league. Southern Miss begins a new era this spring when they join the Sun Belt Conference.
Seven starters return off last year's roster, including junior shortstop Dustin Dickerson, who posted a team-best .320 batting average with 32 RBI a season ago. Also back is junior outfielder/designated hitter Slade Wilks, who tallied a .288 average to go along with 10 home runs and 37 RBI.
Senior third baseman Danny Lynch, who enjoyed a 12-game hitting streak late in the year, comes back after finishing at .286 with five homers and 30 RBI, along with sophomore rightfielder Carson Paetow, who added a .271 average with 16 home runs and 48 RBI, and senior first baseman Christopher Sargent, who batted .269 to go along with team highs of 21 home runs and 58 RBI.
Senior leftfielder Reece Ewing returns after hitting .260 with 10 homers and 34 RBI as well as a pair of catchers in senior Blake Johnson, who put together a .269 average with three homers and 23 RBI a season ago, and junior Rodrigo Montenegro, who collected a .307 average with 16 RBI.
The Golden Eagles will have to replace 10 pitchers on the mound this spring, but back for his junior year is 2022 Ferriss Trophy winner and USA Collegiate Baseball National Team selection Tanner Hall, who posted a 9-3 record last spring with 146 strikeouts, 14 walks and an ERA of 2.81.
Also back on the mound is Matt Adams, who posted a 2-2 record as a starter/reliever in 2022, along with relievers Isaiah Rhodes and Justin Storm, who were each 3-0 last season, along with Chandler Best and Niko Mazza.
A sampling of the newcomers for this year's team include Matthew Etzel and Tate Parker, outfielders from Panola College and Pearl River CC, respectively, two-way freshman Nick Monistere from Northwest Rankin High School and transfer pitchers Tyler Martin (Nebraska), Billy Oldham (Eastern Connecticut State) and Luke Trahan (Dallas Baptist).
The 2023 college baseball season opens Friday, Feb. 17.
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