5 reasons why Southern Miss baseball can win big in ’21, and 5 hurdles it must overcome
With a loaded pitching staff and proven talent in the lineup, the Southern Miss baseball team again appears ready to compete for a Conference USA title in 2021.
After hashing out agreements on COVID-19 protocols slowed the release of the schedule, USM finally put out the new slate on Thursday. It’s a tough schedule that features four-game weekend series during the C-USA portion.
Following Thursday’s USM baseball media day, now’s a good time to break down why the 2021 team is prepared for a successful season. I’ll also point out some challenges the Golden Eagles will have to overcome.
Five reasons Southern Miss can win big
USM has the starting pitching
It’s hard to imagine a starting rotation being much better for a non-power conference program than what Southern Miss has to offer.
Coach Scott Berry listed five players Thursday who have the potential to start on weekends — sophomore right-hander Gabe Shepard, redshirt senior right-hander Walker Powell, senior right-hander Hunter Stanley, sophomore lefty Drew Boyd and freshman left-hander Chandler Best.
Shepard, Powell and Stanley all have the potential to be among the five best pitchers in Conference USA. Boyd and Best are lefties who can provide balance on the weekend.
Berry is so confident in that group that he has decided it’s best to put 2020 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American Ben Etheridge back in the bullpen after inserting him into the rotation last season.
There should be more pop in the USM lineup
After hitting 10 homers during a shortened 16-game season in 2020, Southern Miss should have a little more power this year.
Berry believes his team will be more inclined to play small ball, but the arrival of sophomore junior college transfer Christopher Sargent should provide a boost. The first baseman hit about five homers during fall practice after hitting 11 as a freshman at Coastal Alabama.
Also, the left-handed hitting Slade Wilks was regarded as one of the better prep power hitters in the nation as a senior at Columbia Academy last season. He has a good shot at being the primary right fielder as a freshman.
More depth, versatility on the USM bench
Freshman Cade Crosby and sophomore Michael Wein, who transferred in from Pearl River Community College, have the potential to play three different positions in the infield.
Berry played up the prospect of Crosby, a Gulfport product, seeing significant playing time this season at either second, shortstop or third. Wein is competing at third base, but could also see action at second and first.
Walker Powell is at his best
The 6-foot-8, 210-pound Powell is confident that he’s ready to finish off his USM career with his best season yet.
Powell has twice had Tommy John surgery, once in high school and another in college, and he has often taken a break during fall practice to take it easy on it his right elbow.
This past fall, Powell was on the mound and looking strong with a fastball that is consistent at 90-92 mph.
“If I’m 90-92 in the fall, you can add a couple of miles an hour for the season,” Powell said. “My change-up has come a long way, as well as my two-seem fastball.”
Powell is 20-8 with a 3.02 ERA in 54 career appearances, including 40 starts.
The bullpen offers quality options
With much of the buzz surrounding the starting rotation, Berry also feels good about his depth in the bullpen.
Berry believe he’s unlikely to label one player as his closer, but Etheridge seems to be a good candidate because he was a standout in the bullpen after putting up a 2.29 ERA in 19.2 innings a year ago.
Senior Sean Tweedy and sophomore Ryan Och are two lefties who Berry believes are ready to make big contributions after dealing with injuries a year ago.
Freshman Justin Storm, a 6-6 lefty, was described as one of the more deceptive arms out of the USM bullpen this fall.
Freshman Tyler Stuart, a 6-8 right-hander, is someone that pitching coach Christian Ostrander relies on heavily in crucial situations. He has been at USM two seasons, but has yet to take the mound due to Tommy John surgery.
Another freshman, right-hander Tanner Hall, appears due significant innings. Junior Tyler Lantz, freshman Isaiah Rhodes and Cody Carroll, who sat out last season after elbow surgery, and sophomore Aubrey Gillentine are all right-handers in the hunt for outings.
Five hurdles to overcome for Southern Miss
Charlie Fischer’s health is uncertain for USM
Sophomore infielder Charlie Fischer led USM in hitting last season with a .326 average, but it’s unclear if he’ll be ready to go for the Feb. 19 season-opening series against Northwestern State in Hattiesburg.
He suffered a back injury just before Christmas.
“We’re going at this pace right now,” Berry said. “We’re going to let him heal the best he can. He’s a guy who knows how to swing a bat. We’ve just got to keep him healthy.”
Gabe Shepard has to stay healthy
When healthy, Shepard is one of the best right-handers in all of college baseball.
However, he has yet to put together more than two or three games at a time where he appears to be at full health.
Shepard sat out the fall to rest after a sore arm proved problematic during the 2020 season, but he suffered another setback when he pulled a muscle while doing some work on a farm during the offseason.
On Thursday, Berry said that Shepard has recently thrown five bullpen sessions and looked strong.
If he can bring his 97-mph fastball to the mound each weekend, USM has a shot to put together a special season.
Replacing Matthew Guidry’s production
Sophomore Will McGillis will be playing his third position in as many years after starting at shortstop as a freshman and first as a sophomore.
This year, he will be expected to replace Matthew Guidry at second. While McGillis is likely to be a strong glove at second, it’ll be tough for him to replicate Guidry’s .321 batting average, 19 homers and 130 RBI over four seasons.
McGillis will provide a critical right-handed bat for a lineup that hasn’t been good enough against left-handed pitching over the past couple of seasons.
Get consistent production at catcher
Arkansas transfer Andrew Stanley was productive at the plate last season with a .310 batting average in nine games played, but he’ll receive competition from sophomore Blake Johnson of Gulfport.
Johnson transferred in from Jones College after signing with Tulane out of high school. He has hit the ball well at all levels and should push Stanley for playing time.
Berry said that both players complement each other defensively and offensively, but both have much to prove.
Southern Miss has to manage COVID-19
Twenty-three of USM’s 39 players tested positive for COVID-19 last year, and the coronavirus will remain a challenge as the team navigates the 2020 season.
Berry said he and his staff will take numerous precautions to make sure he can field a healthy team each week.
“We’ve got to be very vigilant as a program,” Berry said. “We’ve got to stay healthy and away from COVID.
“We have to be strategic on how we seat people on the bus. You don’t want two catchers sitting together and both contact traced and lose them for 10 days. We have to spread them out. That’s stuff we’ve never had to worry about.”
This story was originally published January 28, 2021 at 6:10 PM.
