Golden Eagles Post 40-Win Season For Second-Straight Year;
Make Second NCAA Tournament Appearance ( 42-24)
Coming off its most successful season to date in which the
Southern Miss baseball program
reached new heights by earning the
first-ever invitation to the NCAA
Regional Tournament, Head Coach
Hill Denson knew returning to the
regional tournament would not be
easy. The 1991 USM baseball team
would have to replace starting third
baseman and major league draftee,
Kevin Young, who hit .379 with
13 home runs and 75 RBI’s the previous season.
The Golden Eagles also would have to replace
their top two pitchers in Damon Pollard and John
Gilligan. Pollard recorded a 13-5 record in ’ 90,
while Gilligan went 11-3.
The Golden Eagles did return eight starters. The
infield remained intact with Doug Benefiel behind
the plate, Andy Woodard at first, Scotty Jurich at
second, Brent Covington at shortstop and Chris
Robbins as the designated hitter.
In the outfield, the second-leading hitter,
Todd Nace (.376), would return along with Chad
Hebert and Larry
Wesson.
Pitching also would
be a strong point, as
returnees Mark Carson,
Marc Kubicki and
Frankie McLendon
would anchor the
staff. Newcomers Tony
Phillips and Mike
Emmons were valuable
members of the staff
as well.
The start of the
1991 season would
get off on the right
foot, as far as Southern
Miss was concerned,
as it swept a three
game series at home
against Miss. Valley
State, but just like
the previous year in
which the Golden
Eagles struggled in
midseason, it did so
again this season as
Southern Miss won
only 13 more times
in the next 32 games.
Through its first 32 games of the
year, Denson’s squad stood at
16-16. During that stretch, the
Golden Eagles traveled to NCAA
powers Tennessee and Florida
State, each for a three-game
series. Southern Miss would drop
all six of those games, but gained
experience playing tough opponents on the road.
At 16-16, the Golden Eagles
badly need to get hot. That is
exactly what they did as the Golden Eagles won
17 of its next 19 games to push their record to
33-18. Those 17 wins included wins at Ohio
State, Mississippi State, three-game sweeps against
Louisville, Memphis and Cincinnati.
The Golden Eagles would then drop a pair of
midweek games at home against Mississippi State
and split two games in New Orleans against the
Privateers, before winning their last five games
heading into the Metro Conference Tournament
in Salem, Va. Those five wins included two
against UAB, and three against Virginia Tech.
Heading into the Metro Conference
Tournament, the Golden Eagles record stood at
39-21, and just like the previous season, they
needed a couple of wins to assure themselves
a spot in the NCAA Regional Tournament. Hill
Denson’s team performed well, winning its first
three games of the tournament, before losing to
South Carolina to bring the Golden Eagles’ record
to 42-22.
Southern Miss again was selected as one of
48 teams to participate in the NCAA Regional
Tournament, at the University of Texas. The
Eagles had tough times, though, as they
dropped both contests. The first was to Long
Beach St. ( 6-5), and the second was an 18-2
loss to the host team, Texas.
The 1991 season again was a successful one
for the Golden Eagles, as they finished with
40-plus wins for the second-straight season
with 42. It also was the second-straight year in
which Southern Miss participated in the NCAA
Regional Tournament proving that this year’s
team was truly one of the best in Southern Miss
baseball history.
Front Row (from left): Kevin Gilbert, manager, Chris King, trainer, Randy Spring, Chad Hebert, Mike Wright, Kevin Johnson, Derek Qualls,
Craig Crockett, trainer, Steve Ellzey. Second Row: David Christenberry, Scotty Jurich, Jason Simmons, Damon Iannelli, assistant coach, Charlie Gray,
assistant coach, Hill Denson, head coach, Doug Lambeth, assistant coach, Bill Selby, Larry Wesson, Brent Covington. Third Row: Jeff Pickich,
Dack Demoruelle, Marc Kubicki, Frankie McLendon, Lee Williams, Mike Emmons, Chris Robbins, Chris Logan, Rusty Jenkins, Todd Nace.
Fourth Row: Brad Skeen, Mark Carson, Kory Johnson, Kris Walters, Tony Phillips, Mickey Dutil, Kevin Fayard, Doug Benefiel, Chris Richie, Andy Woodard.
