University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
.jpg&height=300&type=webp)
Baseball Adds Seven More Players for 2027 Season
7/10/2026 1:58:00 PM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss Baseball announced Friday the addition of seven players for the 2027 season, including outfielder Cade Baker (Whitney, Texas), catcher Brock Clayton (Gulf Breeze, Fla.), right-handed pitcher Drew Harrison (Madison, Miss.), first baseman Cannon Peery (Peoria, Ariz.), left-handed pitcher/infielder London Stewart (Conway, Ark.), infielder Brady Waugh (Hoover, Ala.) and infielder/pitcher Luke Williams (Meridian, Miss.).
Baker, at 6-foot, 200 lbs., started and played 57 games in his only season last spring at Toledo. He batted .308 and tallied 53 runs to go along with 23 doubles, seven home runs and 45 RBI to go along with 18 stolen bases. He also played two seasons at Alvin Community College in Texas and was a two-sport athlete, along with playing basketball, at Whitney High School.
Clayton, at 6-foot-3, 210 lbs., comes to the Golden Eagles after one season at Northwest Florida State College. He appeared in 49 games and hit .353 with 10 doubles, nine home runs and 42 RBI. He also walked 35 times and stole eight bases. He was also a two-sport standout at Pensacola Catholic High School, also playing football. He was the 2024 Pensacola News Journal's All-Area Hitter of the Year, a FACA State All-Star, and a 2024 Prep Baseball Florida First Team All-State. Clayton spent his senior campaign at Pensacola Catholic, hitting .466 in 29 games with four homers, two triples, seven doubles, 28 RBI, 13 runs and four steals in 88 at bats. He drew 21 walks while striking out 22 times his senior year and posted a .991 fielding percentage on 216 total chances. Clayton played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Gulf Breeze High School where he batted .389 with two homers, seven doubles, 14 RBI and 20 runs in 72 at bats.
Harrison, at 6-foot-2, 185 lbs., helped lead Pearl River to a third consecutive MACCC Championship and an NJCAA Division II National Championship. He finished with an 11-1 record, tying for the second most wins in a season in program history. Harrison posted a 3.53 ERA and 96 strikeouts across 81 2/3 innings with two complete games. He was named first team All-MACCC and a was a member of the NJCAA World Series All-Tournament team. Spent the fall at Tulane before transferring to Pearl River before the start of the season. During his freshman campaign, Harrison held a 3-0 record with a save to go along with a 1.76 ERA across 30 2/3 innings with 43 strikeouts and only seven walks. Pearl River recorded an MACCC Championship, a Region 23 Title and was the NJCAA World Series runner-up as he was named second team All-MACCC. Harrison played at Germantown High School during his prep days.
Peery, at 6-foot-3, 230 lbs., played three seasons at Grand Canyon University. He started all 51 games and was the only player to appear in every game last spring for the Lopes. He led the squad in runs (34), total bases (95), stolen bases (8) and putouts (398) as he hit .287 with a .402 on-base percentage, .505 slugging percentage, 12 doubles, one triple, nine home runs and 32 RBIs. He also ranked second on the team in home runs, tied for second in RBIs and ranked third in hits (54) during his junior season. Started 42 games as a sophomore, where he hit .317 with 16 doubles and included 13 multi-hit games including six three-hit games and a four-hit game. He played his prep baseball at Mountain Ridge High School.
Stewart, at 6-foot-1, 197 lbs., finished his prep career at Conway High School, where he collected school career records including tying for lowest ERA 1.36, batting average against at .139, strikeout percentage at 40.1 percentage and hits allowed per seven innings at 3.3. In a doubleheader during his senior campaign, he collected his first high school homer in the opening game and then threw a complete game no-hitter in the nightcap.
Waugh, at 6-foot-2, 190 lbs., started all 58 games for UAB in his only season with the program with 55 starts coming at second base. He totaled the second-most RBI (49), third-highest batting average (.322), third-most runs scored (67), and third-most doubles (12) on the team, while tying for team-best 21 multi-hit games, including four 3-hit games. He added a season-high 11-game hit streak and posted a .970 fielding percentage on 236 total chances. Waugh transferred from Shelton State, where he played two seasons and reached the World Series in both years. In high school, Waugh attended Briarwood Christian School and was a two-time Birmingham Top 20 Dual Athlete Award, a three-time Briarwood Student Ambassador and a two-time All-Metro baseball choice.
Williams, at 6-foot-1, 185 lbs., helped East Central Community College reach the NJCAA Division II World Series this past spring during his freshman season. On the mound, Williams appeared in 19 games with five starts and registered a 4-1 record with two saves. In 56 2/3 innings, Williams fanned 90 and walked 32 for a 3.49 ERA. He also batted .313, going 10-for-32 with 11 runs, two doubles, a home run and eight RBI. He attended Clarkdale High School where he was a Class 2A first-team All-State selection by Mississippi Association of Coaches his junior and senior seasons.
The Golden Eagles finished 44-17 during the 2026 season and captured both the regular season and tournament Sun Belt championships. They also hosted an NCAA Regional for the second-straight year, third time in the last four seasons and fifth overall.
Baker, at 6-foot, 200 lbs., started and played 57 games in his only season last spring at Toledo. He batted .308 and tallied 53 runs to go along with 23 doubles, seven home runs and 45 RBI to go along with 18 stolen bases. He also played two seasons at Alvin Community College in Texas and was a two-sport athlete, along with playing basketball, at Whitney High School.
Clayton, at 6-foot-3, 210 lbs., comes to the Golden Eagles after one season at Northwest Florida State College. He appeared in 49 games and hit .353 with 10 doubles, nine home runs and 42 RBI. He also walked 35 times and stole eight bases. He was also a two-sport standout at Pensacola Catholic High School, also playing football. He was the 2024 Pensacola News Journal's All-Area Hitter of the Year, a FACA State All-Star, and a 2024 Prep Baseball Florida First Team All-State. Clayton spent his senior campaign at Pensacola Catholic, hitting .466 in 29 games with four homers, two triples, seven doubles, 28 RBI, 13 runs and four steals in 88 at bats. He drew 21 walks while striking out 22 times his senior year and posted a .991 fielding percentage on 216 total chances. Clayton played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Gulf Breeze High School where he batted .389 with two homers, seven doubles, 14 RBI and 20 runs in 72 at bats.
Harrison, at 6-foot-2, 185 lbs., helped lead Pearl River to a third consecutive MACCC Championship and an NJCAA Division II National Championship. He finished with an 11-1 record, tying for the second most wins in a season in program history. Harrison posted a 3.53 ERA and 96 strikeouts across 81 2/3 innings with two complete games. He was named first team All-MACCC and a was a member of the NJCAA World Series All-Tournament team. Spent the fall at Tulane before transferring to Pearl River before the start of the season. During his freshman campaign, Harrison held a 3-0 record with a save to go along with a 1.76 ERA across 30 2/3 innings with 43 strikeouts and only seven walks. Pearl River recorded an MACCC Championship, a Region 23 Title and was the NJCAA World Series runner-up as he was named second team All-MACCC. Harrison played at Germantown High School during his prep days.
Peery, at 6-foot-3, 230 lbs., played three seasons at Grand Canyon University. He started all 51 games and was the only player to appear in every game last spring for the Lopes. He led the squad in runs (34), total bases (95), stolen bases (8) and putouts (398) as he hit .287 with a .402 on-base percentage, .505 slugging percentage, 12 doubles, one triple, nine home runs and 32 RBIs. He also ranked second on the team in home runs, tied for second in RBIs and ranked third in hits (54) during his junior season. Started 42 games as a sophomore, where he hit .317 with 16 doubles and included 13 multi-hit games including six three-hit games and a four-hit game. He played his prep baseball at Mountain Ridge High School.
Stewart, at 6-foot-1, 197 lbs., finished his prep career at Conway High School, where he collected school career records including tying for lowest ERA 1.36, batting average against at .139, strikeout percentage at 40.1 percentage and hits allowed per seven innings at 3.3. In a doubleheader during his senior campaign, he collected his first high school homer in the opening game and then threw a complete game no-hitter in the nightcap.
Waugh, at 6-foot-2, 190 lbs., started all 58 games for UAB in his only season with the program with 55 starts coming at second base. He totaled the second-most RBI (49), third-highest batting average (.322), third-most runs scored (67), and third-most doubles (12) on the team, while tying for team-best 21 multi-hit games, including four 3-hit games. He added a season-high 11-game hit streak and posted a .970 fielding percentage on 236 total chances. Waugh transferred from Shelton State, where he played two seasons and reached the World Series in both years. In high school, Waugh attended Briarwood Christian School and was a two-time Birmingham Top 20 Dual Athlete Award, a three-time Briarwood Student Ambassador and a two-time All-Metro baseball choice.
Williams, at 6-foot-1, 185 lbs., helped East Central Community College reach the NJCAA Division II World Series this past spring during his freshman season. On the mound, Williams appeared in 19 games with five starts and registered a 4-1 record with two saves. In 56 2/3 innings, Williams fanned 90 and walked 32 for a 3.49 ERA. He also batted .313, going 10-for-32 with 11 runs, two doubles, a home run and eight RBI. He attended Clarkdale High School where he was a Class 2A first-team All-State selection by Mississippi Association of Coaches his junior and senior seasons.
The Golden Eagles finished 44-17 during the 2026 season and captured both the regular season and tournament Sun Belt championships. They also hosted an NCAA Regional for the second-straight year, third time in the last four seasons and fifth overall.
Friday, October 20
Tuesday, August 22
Thursday, August 17
Saturday, August 12