USM has 2 lefties battling for a rotation spot. Can they overcome past struggles?
Southern Miss pitching coach Christian Ostrander likes to balance out his weekend rotation with one left-handed pitcher, and he’s weighing a pair of options on who might fill that role as the Golden Eagles draw closer to the Feb. 19 season opener.
One is freshman and Mobile native Chandler Best, who found the going tough in a 2020 season shortened by COVID-19.
The other, Drew Boyd, is a redshirt sophomore who is in his fourth season with the program, but he’s accounted for only nine innings pitched — all in 2020.
Both pitchers have faced adversity at USM, but it’s hard to imagine any member of the team overcoming more hardship on the field than Boyd.
The Oak Grove product underwent Tommy John surgery following a standout career at Oak Grove High School. While most pitchers face a 12- to 15-month recovery period after having the procedure on their throwing elbow, Boyd’s was much longer.
“Some people come back and there are no issues,” Ostrander said. “With some, there are issues. It’s taken some time. He is still dealing with things here and there.”
After Boyd pitched in the playoffs as a senior at Oak Grove in 2017, he didn’t take the mound in a game again until he joined the Acadiana Cane Cutters in the Texas Collegiate League in the summer following the 2019 USM season.
Boyd was still trying to gain some confidence in his left elbow at the time, starting the process of finding his way to the mound at USM.
In 2020, Boyd saw mixed results in four games, including two mid-week starts. He had an 8.00 ERA in nine innings, striking out 10 and walking one.
When the 2020 campaign ended after 16 games, Boyd never got his chance to find his stride.
“Me and Drew butted heads a little bit on this the first year or two,” said Ostrander, who is in his fourth season at USM. “He wanted to change arm slots a lot. I felt like he was being too crafty. I think he was trying to find out what would work.”
Drew Boyd builds confidence for Southern Miss
During practice this fall, it appeared that Boyd finally found the confidence and the velocity that had been lagging ever since his left elbow first went under the knife.
“Now, he’s really settled in,” Ostrander said. “He’s very unique. I trust him. I tell him, ‘Do what you’re comfortable with.’ ”
Throughout the fall, Boyd threw all three of his pitches for strikes — fastball, slider and a change-up.
“I think he has a foundation and a base with his delivery,” Ostrander said. “Now three pitches come out of that delivery and they all look the same coming out of his hand. But all three do something different. It’s establishing an identity.”
Boyd struck out 39 and walked three over over about 26 innings during fall practice — numbers that any ace would love to claim.
“His slider has really tightened up and he’s throwing harder,” Ostrander said. “Righties and lefties had a hard time seeing the slider. Drew led all our metrics categories that we deem important. He was what we call ‘the king of the hill’ this fall. He did some really good things.”
Boyd’s fastball has stayed 85 to 87 mph, but Ostrander says he can hit 90 on the radar gun when necessary.
In a three-inning outing in Sunday’s practice, Boyd looked as good he did during the fall.
“Drew is mature, stronger. He’s in a good place,” Ostrander said. “He’s figured out how to manage his arm because, unfortunately for him, it just never feels just perfect. I think he has found some balance and a routine. I like where he’s at. He knows who he is. He’s got an identity and it’s really strong.”
Chandler Best looks to bounce back for USM
Best joined the USM baseball program for the 2020 season with as much buzz as any freshman pitcher has received in recent years. Perfect Game ranked the Mobile native as the No. 1 pitcher in Alabama as a senior, and he was named the Class 7A Player of the Year.
After going 35-2 with 333 strikeouts and a 1.08 ERA during his prep career, the start to Best’s college career didn’t go as planned.
Best was placed in the starting rotation to start the season, making four starts. He had an 0-2 mark with an 11.12 ERA in 11 1/3 innings.
After a rough first season, Ostrander believes Best has found his footing.
“I think Chandler has definitely made strides,” the former Jones College coach said. “He had a good fall, a great fall. He really finished strong. None of us are where we want to be. We’re not midseason form, but I like where Chandler is.”
The goal for Best is to find consistency after giving up 20 hits and seven walks in 11 1/3 innings last season.
“He has made adjustments mechanically,” Ostrander said. “He has worked really hard at that and he needed to. We knew that.
“The break with COVID allowed him to do some things and it’s really carried over.”
With sophomore right-hander Gabe Shepard and a pair of senior right-handers, Walker Powell and Hunter Stanley, certain to factor into the weekend rotation, the best chance for a left-handed pitcher to receive weekend starts may be in Conference USA competition when all series will move from three to four games.
After stubbing his toe as a freshman, Ostrander doesn’t expect Best to miss out on his next opportunity as a starter.
“Chandler is a competitor, a warrior,” he said. “He didn’t like getting popped in the mouth last year, but I think he learned some things, too. I think he’s ready and poised to put himself in a position to go out there and have a good year.”
USM opens the season on Feb. 19 with a three-game series against Northwestern State in Hattiesburg.
This story was originally published February 4, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
