Chances of Southern Miss hosting a regional are looking better by the week
Southern Miss has been a mainstay in the postseason for the last half-decade, earning a spot in the NCAA Regionals round in each of the past five full seasons.
In that stretch, the Golden Eagles have hosted a regional only once and just twice ever in the program’s history. All signs are pointing to Hattiesburg playing host in 2022, though, as USM continues to tear through its schedule with electric pitching and gradually improving hitting.
There are 16 regionals and hosting one provides a significant advantage. Last year, 12 host teams made it to Super Regionals, including Ole Miss and eventual national champion Mississippi State.
The Golden Eagles battled to the final day in the Oxford region but came fell just short of pulling off the upset.
Now, USM is in position to bring the tournament back to Hattiesburg.
Best in the ‘Sip
Traditional powers Ole Miss and Mississippi State have long had their hopes of hosting dashed. The last time either team hosted a regional was in 2017, the last year USM hosted.
Both the Rebels and Bulldogs are both gasping for air in the SEC this season and are both on the outside looking in on D1 Baseball’s latest projected bracket.
The last thing the two schools have in common? Both have a loss to USM. The Golden Eagles handled Mississippi State in March before taking care of Ole Miss in April.
Those were resume-boosting wins at the time, but both have fallen into the “quadrant two” category for USM as the programs continue their skids down the RPI poll.
Can’t be stopped
Scott Berry’s team is currently ranked sixth in the nation in D1 Baseball’s poll, the highest in program history. Southern Miss is sitting at No. 11 in the RPI rankings, as well, with quad one wins over Alabama, Louisiana Tech twice and Tulane twice.
Southern Miss has won 11 consecutive road games and 16 of its past 17 contests. The meteoric rise of the team has caught the attention of pollsters and bracketologists.
The Golden Eagles are projected to host a regional in D1 Baseball’s bracket with the four-team field including Alabama, Florida State and Alabama State.
With 16 teams getting to play host at the end of the season, sitting at No. 6 in late April is a comfortable spot for USM.
Hosting would have a major impact on the team’s potential postseason success. Southern Miss has not advanced beyond the first round since 2009. In 2022, it’s boasting a 4-1 home record against teams in the top 50 of the RPI rankings, a good sign for USM and an ominous one for all that may travel to Hattiesburg.
This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 1:00 AM.
