University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Seven Baseball Players Earn Honored with Sun Belt Conference Postseason Honors
5/19/2025 3:00:00 PM | Baseball
Nick Monistere Named Player of the Year; Carson Paetow Wins Tony Robichaux Leadership Award
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss Baseball saw seven players earn Sun Belt Conference honors in a vote taken by all 14 member schools, with Nick Monistere earning Player of the Year and Carson Paetow being selected with the Tony Robichaux Leadership Award in an announcement by the league office Monday afternoon.
The Golden Eagles placed four players on the first team including both Monistere at second base and Paetow in the outfield, along with starting pitcher JB Middleton and relief pitcher Colby Allen. Three Southern Miss players garnered second-team accolades, including Matthew Russo at first base, Ozzie Pratt at shortstop and Jake Cook in the outfield.
Monistere started all 54 games at second base and is hitting .332 with 12 doubles, a triple and a team-high 18 home runs with a team-best 66 RBI. He is tied for the lead league in homers and leads in RBI. His average is 10th in the league and his OPS (1.065) is fifth. He was a Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week (April 15) and NCBWA Player of the Month for April after hitting safely in 15 of 17 games, which included a career-best 12 game hitting streak to finish the month.
Monistere is the first Golden Eagle to win Player of the Year in the Sun Belt and fourth overall to capture the award, joining Tommy Davis (Metro Conference, 1994), Dylan Burdeaux (Conference USA, 2017) and Luke Reynolds (Conference USA, 2018).
Along with winning the Tony Robichaux Award, Paetow was awarded first-team on the virtue of finishing the regular season by starting in all 54 games in right field and producing a .288 average with 42 runs, a team-best 17 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 57 RBI. Paetow enjoyed belting five of the Golden Eagles nine two-homer games during the year. His numbers also included a grand slam at Texas State and a team-high 34 two-out RBI. For his career, Paetow ranks tied for ninth at the school in games played (232), tied for eighth in doubles (55), tied for fifth in home runs (46), No. 7 in RBI (187), and tied for No. 6 in walks (131).
As for the Tony Robichaux Leadership Award, it is meant for a baseball student-athlete who exemplifies the values and beliefs that the late University of Louisiana Coach Robichaux would instill on his players and his community. Paetow was named the ideal candidate after not only service as a team captain on and off the field, but by also using that leadership to help set an athletic and academic standard for his team.
As for the remainder of the first-team selections, Middleton finished the regular season with a 9-1 record and a 2.07 ERA with 104 strikeouts and only 23 walks and 53 hits in 91 1/3 innings, while opponents hit .169 against him. He led the Sun Belt in innings pitched and ranked second in both ERA and wins. The Golden Eagles top starting pitcher ranks No. 2 nationally in WHIP (0.83), No. 3 in hits allowed by nine innings (5.22), fifth in ERA, No. 12 in wins and No. 15 in strikeouts. During the year, he pitched at least five innings in 13 of 14 starts, while posting 10 or more strikeout games four times during the year including a career-high 12 against both South Alabama and Georgia State.
Allem the other first-team pick, leads the team in appearances with 25 including one start. The right-hander posted a 6-4 record with 11 saves, ranking him tied for eighth on the school single-season chart. His season numbers include a 3.72 ERA with 68 strikeouts and only 14 walks in 58 innings of work with his strikeout total tying for six highest in the league. He ranks No. 14 nationally in saves and had tallied a win or a save in each of his last seven outings and eight of his last nine. Allena also possesses 18 career saves puts him in seventh on the Golden Eagle career chart.
Russo starts the second-team Southern Miss selection after started all 54 games at first base with a .298 batting average, 10 doubles, a triple, 17 home runs and 49 RBI, to go along with a .991 fielding percentage. Russo collected two walk-off homers during the year against UNCW and Arkansas State and ranks second on the team and third in the Sun Belt in home runs. He helped the Golden Eagles' offense with 16 multi-hit games (10-2H, 5-3H, 1-4H) and 12 multi-RBI games (6-2RBI, 5-3RBI and 1-5RBI).
Pratt also started all 54 games at shortstop and registered a .316 batting average to go along with 33 runs, 11 doubles, seven home runs and 47 RBI. He also ranked in Top 10 nationally in sacrifice flies with eight and fielded .960 at second base on 198 fielding chances. Pratt hit ninth in the order over the last 18 games and the team went 17-1 during that span. He is the only player to start every game in his Golden Eagle career over the last two seasons.
Cook played in 51 games and started in 49, serving as the team's leadoff hitter over the final 38 games. He leads team in hitting at .350 with 13 doubles, three triples, a home run and 24 RBI, while adding 23 walks and five hit by pitches and only 17 strikeouts. Cook made just one error in 114 fielding chances and recorded 20 multi-hit contests (9-2H, 7-3H, 4-4H) during the year, ranking second-best on the squad.
The seven selections for the Golden Eagles were the most by any team in the league this postseason and marked the most for the program since getting seven picks in 2021 when they were members of Conference USA.
Southern Miss returns to action Wednesday, May 21, when they start their two-time title defense as Sun Belt Conference champions with their first tournament game at 12:30 p.m., against a yet undetermined opponent.
Here is a complete listing of the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Baseball postseason awards:
2025 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Postseason Awards
Player of the Year
Nick Monistere, Southern Miss
Pitcher of the Year
Jacob Morrison, Coastal Carolina
Newcomer of the Year
Kaleb Freeman, Georgia State
Freshman of the Year
Tyler Lichtenberger, App State
Tony Robichaux Leadership Award
Carson Paetow, Southern Miss
Ron Maestri Coach of the Year
Kevin Schnall, Coastal Carolina
All-Sun Belt First Team
P Cameron Flukey, Coastal Carolina
P Jacob Morrison, Coastal Carolina
P JB Middleton, Southern Miss
RP Colby Allen, Southern Miss
C Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina
1B Blake Cavill, Troy
2B Nick Monistere, Southern Miss
SS Tyler Lichtenberger, App State
3B Jesse Donohue, Georgia State
OF Josh Tate, Georgia Southern
OF Conor Higgs, Louisiana
OF Carson Paetow, Southern Miss
DH Kameron Miller, App State
UT Austin Eaton, Texas State
All-Sun Belt Second Team
P Griffin Miller, Marshall
P Mitchell Heer, South Alabama
P Garrett Gainous, Troy
RP Dominick Carbone, Coastal Carolina
C Brooks Bryan, Troy
1B Matthew Russo, Southern Miss
2B Kaleb Freeman, Georgia State
SS Ozzie Pratt, Southern Miss
3B Chase Mora, Texas State
OF Sean Smith, Georgia Southern
OF Isaiah Walker, ULM
OF Jake Cook, Southern Miss
DH Caleb Stelly, Louisiana
UT Tyler Figueroa, App State
The Golden Eagles placed four players on the first team including both Monistere at second base and Paetow in the outfield, along with starting pitcher JB Middleton and relief pitcher Colby Allen. Three Southern Miss players garnered second-team accolades, including Matthew Russo at first base, Ozzie Pratt at shortstop and Jake Cook in the outfield.
Monistere started all 54 games at second base and is hitting .332 with 12 doubles, a triple and a team-high 18 home runs with a team-best 66 RBI. He is tied for the lead league in homers and leads in RBI. His average is 10th in the league and his OPS (1.065) is fifth. He was a Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week (April 15) and NCBWA Player of the Month for April after hitting safely in 15 of 17 games, which included a career-best 12 game hitting streak to finish the month.
Monistere is the first Golden Eagle to win Player of the Year in the Sun Belt and fourth overall to capture the award, joining Tommy Davis (Metro Conference, 1994), Dylan Burdeaux (Conference USA, 2017) and Luke Reynolds (Conference USA, 2018).
Along with winning the Tony Robichaux Award, Paetow was awarded first-team on the virtue of finishing the regular season by starting in all 54 games in right field and producing a .288 average with 42 runs, a team-best 17 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 57 RBI. Paetow enjoyed belting five of the Golden Eagles nine two-homer games during the year. His numbers also included a grand slam at Texas State and a team-high 34 two-out RBI. For his career, Paetow ranks tied for ninth at the school in games played (232), tied for eighth in doubles (55), tied for fifth in home runs (46), No. 7 in RBI (187), and tied for No. 6 in walks (131).
As for the Tony Robichaux Leadership Award, it is meant for a baseball student-athlete who exemplifies the values and beliefs that the late University of Louisiana Coach Robichaux would instill on his players and his community. Paetow was named the ideal candidate after not only service as a team captain on and off the field, but by also using that leadership to help set an athletic and academic standard for his team.
As for the remainder of the first-team selections, Middleton finished the regular season with a 9-1 record and a 2.07 ERA with 104 strikeouts and only 23 walks and 53 hits in 91 1/3 innings, while opponents hit .169 against him. He led the Sun Belt in innings pitched and ranked second in both ERA and wins. The Golden Eagles top starting pitcher ranks No. 2 nationally in WHIP (0.83), No. 3 in hits allowed by nine innings (5.22), fifth in ERA, No. 12 in wins and No. 15 in strikeouts. During the year, he pitched at least five innings in 13 of 14 starts, while posting 10 or more strikeout games four times during the year including a career-high 12 against both South Alabama and Georgia State.
Allem the other first-team pick, leads the team in appearances with 25 including one start. The right-hander posted a 6-4 record with 11 saves, ranking him tied for eighth on the school single-season chart. His season numbers include a 3.72 ERA with 68 strikeouts and only 14 walks in 58 innings of work with his strikeout total tying for six highest in the league. He ranks No. 14 nationally in saves and had tallied a win or a save in each of his last seven outings and eight of his last nine. Allena also possesses 18 career saves puts him in seventh on the Golden Eagle career chart.
Russo starts the second-team Southern Miss selection after started all 54 games at first base with a .298 batting average, 10 doubles, a triple, 17 home runs and 49 RBI, to go along with a .991 fielding percentage. Russo collected two walk-off homers during the year against UNCW and Arkansas State and ranks second on the team and third in the Sun Belt in home runs. He helped the Golden Eagles' offense with 16 multi-hit games (10-2H, 5-3H, 1-4H) and 12 multi-RBI games (6-2RBI, 5-3RBI and 1-5RBI).
Pratt also started all 54 games at shortstop and registered a .316 batting average to go along with 33 runs, 11 doubles, seven home runs and 47 RBI. He also ranked in Top 10 nationally in sacrifice flies with eight and fielded .960 at second base on 198 fielding chances. Pratt hit ninth in the order over the last 18 games and the team went 17-1 during that span. He is the only player to start every game in his Golden Eagle career over the last two seasons.
Cook played in 51 games and started in 49, serving as the team's leadoff hitter over the final 38 games. He leads team in hitting at .350 with 13 doubles, three triples, a home run and 24 RBI, while adding 23 walks and five hit by pitches and only 17 strikeouts. Cook made just one error in 114 fielding chances and recorded 20 multi-hit contests (9-2H, 7-3H, 4-4H) during the year, ranking second-best on the squad.
The seven selections for the Golden Eagles were the most by any team in the league this postseason and marked the most for the program since getting seven picks in 2021 when they were members of Conference USA.
Southern Miss returns to action Wednesday, May 21, when they start their two-time title defense as Sun Belt Conference champions with their first tournament game at 12:30 p.m., against a yet undetermined opponent.
Here is a complete listing of the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Baseball postseason awards:
2025 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Postseason Awards
Player of the Year
Nick Monistere, Southern Miss
Pitcher of the Year
Jacob Morrison, Coastal Carolina
Newcomer of the Year
Kaleb Freeman, Georgia State
Freshman of the Year
Tyler Lichtenberger, App State
Tony Robichaux Leadership Award
Carson Paetow, Southern Miss
Ron Maestri Coach of the Year
Kevin Schnall, Coastal Carolina
All-Sun Belt First Team
P Cameron Flukey, Coastal Carolina
P Jacob Morrison, Coastal Carolina
P JB Middleton, Southern Miss
RP Colby Allen, Southern Miss
C Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina
1B Blake Cavill, Troy
2B Nick Monistere, Southern Miss
SS Tyler Lichtenberger, App State
3B Jesse Donohue, Georgia State
OF Josh Tate, Georgia Southern
OF Conor Higgs, Louisiana
OF Carson Paetow, Southern Miss
DH Kameron Miller, App State
UT Austin Eaton, Texas State
All-Sun Belt Second Team
P Griffin Miller, Marshall
P Mitchell Heer, South Alabama
P Garrett Gainous, Troy
RP Dominick Carbone, Coastal Carolina
C Brooks Bryan, Troy
1B Matthew Russo, Southern Miss
2B Kaleb Freeman, Georgia State
SS Ozzie Pratt, Southern Miss
3B Chase Mora, Texas State
OF Sean Smith, Georgia Southern
OF Isaiah Walker, ULM
OF Jake Cook, Southern Miss
DH Caleb Stelly, Louisiana
UT Tyler Figueroa, App State
Players Mentioned
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