Southern Miss Hosts Mississippi State in Non-Conference Baseball Game

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Mississippi baseball returns home Tuesday for a non-conference matchup against Mississippi State, fresh off a three-game sweep at Louisiana Tech. The Golden Eagles (10-1) aim to extend their 10-game winning streak in the contest scheduled for 6 p.m. at Pete Taylor Park.

The Bulldogs (11-1), ranked as high as No. 3 nationally in several polls, suffered their first loss Sunday in extra innings to UCLA, 7-6. Under first-year coach Brian O’Connor, Mississippi State has started strong, while Southern Miss, led by third-year coach Christian Ostrander, boasts a top-10 ranking and recently celebrated Ostrander’s 100th victory as head coach.

Sunday’s game marked a significant milestone for Ostrander, who achieved his 100th win faster than any previous coach in program history. The upcoming game is the first top-10 matchup between the two programs since the 2023 NCAA Super Regional, when Southern Miss was ranked No. 9 and Tennessee No. 8.

Southern Miss features several key hitters, including Joey Urban, who leads the team with a .463 batting average and four home runs. Kyle Morrison has a seven-game hitting streak and hit a grand slam last week. Seth Smith is batting .478 in six starts, and Davis Gillespie maintains a .405 average.

Freshman Dylan Causey (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will start for the Golden Eagles, making his second career start against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs will counter with senior right-hander Brendan Sweeney (0-0, 1.23 ERA). The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on select radio affiliates of the Southern Miss Sports Network.

Southern Miss continues its homestand Wednesday against Nicholls at 6 p.m. at Pete Taylor Park.

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