Get to Know the 2019 Southern Miss Baseball Roster

Get to know the 2019 Southern Miss Golden Eagles baseball team
This year’s roster is loaded with talent and we can’t wait to see what they can do on the diamond!

2019 Roster

The 2019 Southern Miss Golden Eagles Baseball Team will represent the University of Southern Mississippi in the 2019 NCAA Division I baseball season The Golden Eagles will play their home games at Pete Taylor Park on campus in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Coaching Staff

Head Coach Rodney Hennon enters his tenth season at the helm of the Southern Miss baseball program He has led the Golden Eagles to nine consecutive 40-win seasons, six NCAA regional appearances and four Conference USA championships. Hennon has been named Conference USA Coach of the Year three times and was named the Louisville Slugger National Coach of the Year in 2013.

Associate head coach Mike Federico is entering his sixth season with the Golden Eagles Federico is responsible for pitching and also serves as the team’s recruiting coordinator. He has helped develop 17 pitchers who have gone on to play professional baseball including four who have reached the Major Leagues

Assistant coach Brent Swanson is in his fourth season with Southern Miss and serves as the team’s hitting coach. Under Swanson’s tutelage, the Golden Eagles have consistently been one of the top offensive teams in Conference USA In 2018, Southern Miss ranked second in the league in batting average (.277), third in runs scored (415), third in hits (701) and fifth in home runs (64).

Key Players

The Golden Eagles will look to rebound from a disappointing 28-29 record in 2018 and return to the postseason for the first time since 2016. Here are some Key Players that will help them make a run at the Conference USA title.

Redshirt senior right-hander Nick Sandlin is the team’s ace and was named a preseason first-team All-American by perfect game He went 10-2 with a 1.06 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 103 innings last season and was named Conference USA’s Pitcher of the Year.

Senior first baseman Tyler Kramer is the team’s top power hitter. He hit .291 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs last season and was named second-team All-Conference USA

Junior catcher Daniel Keating is another player to watch. He batted .313 with four home runs and 32 RBIs last season and was named honorable mention All-Conference USA.

Newcomers

The 2019 Southern Miss Baseball roster is made up of several new faces, as well as some familiar ones. Here’s a quick rundown of the team:

Pitchers:

Dillon Cooper is a transfer from Otero Junior College He’s a left-handed pitcher who is expected to make an immediate impact in the bullpen.

Luke Lowery is a transfer from North Carolina Greensboro. He’s a right-handed pitcher who will add depth to the bullpen.

Catchers:

Nick Johnson is a transfer from Northwest Florida State College. He’s expected to be the starting catcher this season.

Infielders:

Hunter Slater is a transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College He’s an infielder who can play both first and third base. He’s expected to compete for a starting job at third base.

Matt Wallner is a freshman from Forest Lake, Minnesota. He’s an outfielder who was named Mr. Baseball in Minnesota last year. He’s expected to compete for a starting job in center field.

Schedule

The Golden Eagles will play their first game on February 15th at 6pm against the University of Illinois Chicago. The game will be held at the on-campus Pete Taylor Park. The following is the complete schedule for the 2019 Southern Miss baseball season.

Game Notes

The Golden Eagles are set to open the 2019 campaign on Feb. 15 at University Field against Wright State First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. The game can be seen live on CUSA.tv, and fans can also listen to the contest on 96.5 FM (HF) or 610 AM (WFMM).

It will be the first of a three-game weekend series between the two schools, as they are also slated to meet on Feb. 16 (1 p.m.) andFeb. 17 (12 p.m.).

Prospects

The 2019 Southern Miss baseball roster is filled with talented prospects that will be looking to make an impact this season. Here is a look at some of the Top Players on the roster:

Pitchers:

-Dalton Dulin: A left-handed pitcher from Meridian, Mississippi, Dulin was named a Freshman All-American by perfect game and Collegiate Baseball News last season. He posted a 6-2 record with a 3.65 ERA in 17 starts as a freshman.

-Nick Johnston: A right-handed pitcher from Crestview, Florida, Johnston was named Conference USA Freshman of the Year last season after going 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA in 16 starts. He was also named a Freshman All-American by perfect game and Collegiate Baseball News.

Infielders:

-Cody Weiss: A shortstop from Laplace, Louisiana, Weiss was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team last season after hitting .270 with four Home Runs and 32 RBIs.

--Brady Allen A second baseman from Brandon, Mississippi, Allen hit .275 with two home runs and 29 RBIs as a freshman last season. He was also named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team.

Outfielders:

-Matt Wallner: A right fielder from Forrest City, Arkansas, Wallner was named Conference USA Player of the Year and a First Team All-American last season after hitting .325 with 23 home runs and 61 RBIs. He also led the conference in Slugging percentage (.632) and OPS (1.023).

Record

The 2019 Southern Miss baseball team represents the University of Southern Mississippi in the 2019 NCAA Division I baseball season The Golden Eagles play their home games at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

In 2018, the Golden Eagles finished the season 31–27 overall, 15–15 in Conference USA play to finish in seventh place. They qualified for the 2018 Conference USA Baseball Tournament where they lost to Florida Atlantic in the first round.

Analysis

The 2019 Southern Miss baseball roster is loaded with talent and experience. The Golden Eagles have 21 returning players, including 14 position starters and six pitchers. They also have eight new faces, including five freshmen and three transfers. Southern Miss will be looking to make a run at the Conference USA title this season and they have the personnel to do it.

The pitching staff is anchored by senior right-hander Nick Johnson who was named C-USA Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Johnson went 10-4 with a 2.72 ERA last season and was named first-team All-C-USA. He will be joined in the rotation by junior right-handers Gabe Spiral and Walter Wallaert, who both had solid seasons in 2018. The bullpen will be anchored by senior closer Mason Strickland, who had 12 saves last season.

The Golden Eagles should be potent offensively as well. They return their top four hitters from last season, led by senior second baseman Daniel Keating (.326 batting average 9 home runs 43 RBI). Keating will be joined in the infield by seniors Storme Cooper (.333 batting average 7 home runs) at first base and Matt Wallner (.310 batting average 8 home runs) at third base. The outfield will feature seniors Dylan Burdeaux (.325 batting average 9 home runs) in left field and Breck Kline (.331 batting average) in center field. Rounding out the lineup will be junior catcher Jake bought Diaz (.287 batting average).

The Golden Eagles have a pretty good mix of veterans and newcomers on their roster and they should be one of the top teams in C-USA this season.

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The 2019 Southern Miss Golden Eagles baseball team will represent the University of Southern Mississippi in the NCAA Division I baseball season The Golden Eagles will play their home games at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.