Golden Eagles Use Late-Season Run to Reach its School-Record Fifth-Straight NCAA Regional
It took a late hot streak for Southern Miss to propel them to
its school-record fifth consecutive
postseason appearance, finishing the
2007 campaign with a 39-23 overall record and a trip to the NCAA
Regional in Oxford. The Golden
Eagles also ended the year with a
14-10 mark in Conference USA play
which was good for third place.
With a 27-19 record heading
into the final month of the regular
season, the Golden Eagles captured the final 10
games of the regular season, as well as their C-USA
tournament opener over UAB to secure their
position in the postseason. That final hot streak
included three-game sweeps over Marshall, Dallas
Baptist and Houston, as well as a mid-week win
over Sun Belt tournament champion New Orleans.
The Golden Eagles’ run utilized both their
bats and pitching prowess down the stretch as
they scored 37 runs in a three-game sweep of the
Thundering Herd, while allowing just two runs in
three games, which included a pair of shutouts, on
the road at Houston. Against Dallas Baptist, they
captured two extra-inning decisions including their
longest game of the season – a 13-inning affair.
The season also started well for Southern Miss
as they captured their first seven games, including a three-game sweep in the Coca-Cola Baseball
Classic that included wins over Southern Illinois,
College World Series participant Louisville and
Northwestern State.
The record improved to 17-6 after a series-opening victory over No. 7 Rice, 9-3, but the
Golden Eagles lost their next six, which included
two straight losses to the Owls, a mid-week setback to No. 13 Ole Miss and being swept three
games at Memphis.
Southern Miss then went 10-7 over the next
17 games before their late-season explosion. In
their victory over UAB in the C-USA Tournament,
the Golden Eagles lost Trey Sutton for the rest of
the season with a knee injury. The team was then
eliminated in the league tournament over the
next two games, but the surge late got the Golden
Eagles an at-large bid in the NCAA Regionals.
The team was sent to Oxford for the second
time in the last three years and started the event in
fine fashion with a 14-1 win over Troy, avenging
an earlier season loss to the Trojans. Southern Miss
then played host Ole Miss and were shutout 4-0
by the No. 19 Rebels, before playing in an exciting
11-inning contest against Sam Houston State.
The Golden Eagles did everything to separate
themselves from SHSU, but the
Bearkats answered each Southern
Miss charge over the final five
innings. It looked as if USM would
win the game with a solo homer
from Chris Matesich in the top of
the 11th on his lone round-tripper of
the season, but SHSU rallied for two
runs in the bottom of the final frame
to end the Eagles’ season.
Front Row: Kelly Martin (Student Athletic Trainer), Chris Kirtland (Student Manager), Scott Berry (Associate Head Coach),
Corky Palmer (Head Coach ), Lane Burroughs (Assistant Coach), Graham Martin (Assistant Coach), Justin Russell (Student
Manager), Molly Cannell (Certified Athletic Trainer); Second Row: Eric Stanford (Student Athletic Trainer), Todd McInnis,
Luke Adkins, Jeremy Davis, Jordan King, Mike Ewing, Tyler Conn, Houston Brown, Chance Harst, Brian Dozier,
Ryan Belanger, Trainer Jenny Ladner (Student Athletic Trainer); Third Row: Mike Cashion, J.R. Ballinger, James Ewing,
Trey Cuevas, Drew Carson, Bailey Hartel, Chris Matesich; Fourth Row: Eddie Burger, Jared Cavenaugh, Trey Sutton,
Bo Davis, Leighton Davis, Bryan Adams, Colin Cargill; Top Row: Barry Bowden, Jonathon Johnston, Adam Doleac,
Keith Winstead, Jody Blount, Ben Wade, David Clark, Patrick Ezell.
