University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Baseball Adds Eight for the 2024 Season
11/9/2022 7:38:00 PM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss baseball coach Scott Berry announced Wednesday the addition of eight players for the 2024 season, including right-hander pitcher/infielder Cal Culpepper (Clarkdale, Miss.), infielder T.J. Dunsford (Grand Bay, Ala.), catcher Jacob Keys (Brandon, Miss.), right-handed pitcher Drake Meeks (Birmingham, Ala.), catcher/infielder Lawson Odom (Laurel, Miss.), infielder Seth Smith (Mobile, Ala.), Josh Och (Victorian, Minn.) and infielder Will Verdung (Corinth, Miss.).
Culpepper, a two-time 3A All-State selection, the District Player of the Year, the Premier Preps Player of the Year, and a member of the District Five State Games Team, helped Clarkdale High School reach the Class 3A South State championship last spring. Culpepper was first-team All-State and All-Region 5-3A after hitting .420 with a .615 on-base average seven home runs, 25 walks and 21 stolen bases. As a pitcher, Culpepper struck out 112 batters in 71 innings, finishing the season with a 0.79 ERA during his junior season.
Dunsford, the reigning 5A Mississippi Player of the Year at East Central High School, helped lead his team to the state championship last spring. Dunsford had 41 hits and 30 RBI at the plate while also striking out 107 batters as a pitcher. He also earned first team all-state honors by SBLive and was one of three non-seniors to earn first-team all-state by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.
Keys, from Brandon High School, helped his team reach the Class 6A state semifinals on his way to registering Clarion-Ledger first-team all-state honors by batting .412 over 33 games with nine homers and 42 runs driven in. Along with Dunsford, he was one of three non-seniors to record first-team All-State honors by the publication. He also earned Mississippi Scoreboard All-Metro first-team honors.
Meeks, who plays at Briarwood Christian, was a member of the All-Over the Mountain Team as a pitcher selection by the Over the Mountain Journal. He also was second team All-South Metro by the Hoover Sun on the strength of picking up four wins and posting a 1.96 ERA. He also picked all-county honors last spring.
Odom, from West Jones High School, earned second-team all-state accolades from the Mississippi Association of Coaches at Class 5A. He hit .307 with eight doubles and 12 RBI, fanning only seven times and walking eight in 92 plate appearances. Odom hit .320 with 11 doubles, a homer and 23 RBI during his sophomore campaign. On the mound, he posted a 4-1 record with two saves and a 1.40 ERA over the last two seasons.
Smith, from Mobile Christian High School, helped his team win their second-straight Class 4A state title last spring. He was named second-team all-state by the Alabama Sports Writers Association in Class 4A as well as earning a spot on the Best of the Rest by AL.com Coastal Alabama Terrific Team.
Och, the younger brother of former Golden Eagle pitcher Ryan Och, plays his prep baseball at Chanhassen High School and helped lead his team to the 2022 Minnesota Class AAAA state tournament, in which he threw a no-hitter in the opening round, while also hitting .364 in the event to earn state all-tournament honors for that classification. He also threw a one-hitter in the section championship contest.
Verdung, who played the last season at Itawamba CC, achieved All-MACCC first-team honors as he led the school in numerous offensive categories at third baseman with a team-high .416 batting average, to go along with 18 doubles, 10 home runs and 42 RBI. He also added a .512 on base percentage and a .781 slugging percentage. In nine pitching appearances, Verdung picked up one win and two saves while striking out 19 in 16 2/3 innings of work. He was named MACCC Player of the Week once during the season.
Culpepper, a two-time 3A All-State selection, the District Player of the Year, the Premier Preps Player of the Year, and a member of the District Five State Games Team, helped Clarkdale High School reach the Class 3A South State championship last spring. Culpepper was first-team All-State and All-Region 5-3A after hitting .420 with a .615 on-base average seven home runs, 25 walks and 21 stolen bases. As a pitcher, Culpepper struck out 112 batters in 71 innings, finishing the season with a 0.79 ERA during his junior season.
Dunsford, the reigning 5A Mississippi Player of the Year at East Central High School, helped lead his team to the state championship last spring. Dunsford had 41 hits and 30 RBI at the plate while also striking out 107 batters as a pitcher. He also earned first team all-state honors by SBLive and was one of three non-seniors to earn first-team all-state by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.
Keys, from Brandon High School, helped his team reach the Class 6A state semifinals on his way to registering Clarion-Ledger first-team all-state honors by batting .412 over 33 games with nine homers and 42 runs driven in. Along with Dunsford, he was one of three non-seniors to record first-team All-State honors by the publication. He also earned Mississippi Scoreboard All-Metro first-team honors.
Meeks, who plays at Briarwood Christian, was a member of the All-Over the Mountain Team as a pitcher selection by the Over the Mountain Journal. He also was second team All-South Metro by the Hoover Sun on the strength of picking up four wins and posting a 1.96 ERA. He also picked all-county honors last spring.
Odom, from West Jones High School, earned second-team all-state accolades from the Mississippi Association of Coaches at Class 5A. He hit .307 with eight doubles and 12 RBI, fanning only seven times and walking eight in 92 plate appearances. Odom hit .320 with 11 doubles, a homer and 23 RBI during his sophomore campaign. On the mound, he posted a 4-1 record with two saves and a 1.40 ERA over the last two seasons.
Smith, from Mobile Christian High School, helped his team win their second-straight Class 4A state title last spring. He was named second-team all-state by the Alabama Sports Writers Association in Class 4A as well as earning a spot on the Best of the Rest by AL.com Coastal Alabama Terrific Team.
Och, the younger brother of former Golden Eagle pitcher Ryan Och, plays his prep baseball at Chanhassen High School and helped lead his team to the 2022 Minnesota Class AAAA state tournament, in which he threw a no-hitter in the opening round, while also hitting .364 in the event to earn state all-tournament honors for that classification. He also threw a one-hitter in the section championship contest.
Verdung, who played the last season at Itawamba CC, achieved All-MACCC first-team honors as he led the school in numerous offensive categories at third baseman with a team-high .416 batting average, to go along with 18 doubles, 10 home runs and 42 RBI. He also added a .512 on base percentage and a .781 slugging percentage. In nine pitching appearances, Verdung picked up one win and two saves while striking out 19 in 16 2/3 innings of work. He was named MACCC Player of the Week once during the season.
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