February 6,2019 Baseball Edition

PETE TAYLOR PARK MAGIC -Pg. 5: Rice’s new head coach debut -Pg. 6: Breakdown of the pitching rotation

‘19 SEASON

-Pg. 9: Opening weekend depth chart

“I want this team to win.

If it helps my team win, then I want to pitch.”

-Matt Wallner

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INTRODUCTION FEBRUARY 6, 2019

ANDREW ABADIE

MAGGIE MATTESON

GRANT CHIGHIZOLA

OLIVIA SALDANA

Executive Editor andrew.abadie@usm.edu

Managing/Sports Editor grant.chighizola@usm.edu

ALYSSA BASS

Photo Editor margaret.matteson@usm.edu

Copy Editor olivia.saldana@usm.edu

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News/Features Editor alyssa.bass@usm.edu

Multimedia Editor madison.collins@usm.edu

CARLTON MCGRONE

CALEB MCCLUSKEY

Entertainment Editor carlton.mcgrone@usm.edu

Assistant News Editor caleb.mccluskey@usm.edu

EMILY BRINKMAN

BRIAN WINTERS

UMER ASHAD

CHUCK COOK

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Welcome to the 2019 baseball special edition of the Student Printz. This is the first time that the Printz has put together an edition dedicated solely to previewing and highlighting the Southern Miss baseball program. Baseball, especially Southern Miss baseball, is a popular attraction in the Pine Belt, and we hope that this edition serves as an informative guide and preview for Southern Miss fans as the 2019 season approaches. The Golden Eagles are represented by alumni at many levels of professional baseball, including Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball, and there are players on this 2019 squad who could make it to “The Show” one day.

Indeed, expectations are high for the Golden Eagles as well this season, and with the team picked to finish in first place in Conference USA once again by a majority of the conference’s head coaches, it is an exciting time for fans of Southern Miss to follow the baseball program. Once again, we hope you find this special edition of the Printz to be informative and helpful as you gear up for the baseball season.

-Managing/Sports Editor Grant Chighizola

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Wallner brings versatility to Golden Eagles in 2019 GRANT CHIGHIZOLA

MANAGING/SPORTS EDITOR ow heading into his third season with the Southern Miss baseball team, outfielder/pitcher Matt Wallner has made quite a name for himself in Hattiesburg.

The junior has racked up accolades in his time with the Golden Eagles. In fact, just this offseason, Wallner was listed as a first-team preseason All-American by collegiate baseball outlets Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball.com, Perfect Game and Baseball America. Additionally, he was named as a team captain alongside junior infielder Matthew Guidry and was one of four Golden Eagles named to the Conference USA preseason allconference team. Additionally, Wallner was a first-team all-conference selection for Conference USA following the 2018 season.

With the new season comes change for Wallner, however. According to Southern Miss head coach Scott Berry, Wallner will be a regular feature in the pitching rotation this season and will also have a normal workload in the outfield and at the plate when not on the mound.

“We’re going to use him as a starter,” Berry said. “I don’t know if it’s going to be weekend or if it’s going to be midweek, but certainly if you look at our team and moving into the 2019 season, that starting rotation is a question mark.

Devon Dollar | Student Printz

We’re certainly going to utilize his arm [and] his abilities on the mound, but he’s certainly going to be as a starter.”

Wallner’s workload on the mound will increase drastically with the move to a starting position on the mound. During his first two seasons with the team in 2017 and 2018, Wallner logged 14.2 innings of work. In nine appearances as a freshman in 2017, Wallner had a 2-0 win-loss record, 1.84 ERA and allowed just eight hits.

As a sophomore last season, his stats on the mound took a step back as he dealt with a hip injury. Though Wallner pitched the same amount of innings, those innings were spread out over 12 appearances, including one start. Wallner finished 2018 with a 7.98 ERA, 21 hits allowed and 16 strikeouts.

Wallner said that he worked on improving pitch location in the offseason.

“Definitely location and just kind of spotting up pitches,” Wallner said. “I’ve kind of worked on splitters, changeup. I think that’ll be a big step for me going forward.”

Despite just having one start and limited experiences on the mound in his time at Southern Miss so far, Berry believes that he will fill a role similar to former Golden Eagle Taylor Braley. Braley logged 230 at-bats with a .313 batting average along with a 3.40 ERA in 14 appearances on the mound (13 starts) in 2017.

“He kind of follows a similar path to Taylor Braley,” Berry said. “Taylor

pitched more his freshman year than his sophomore year, then he pitched a whole lot for us his junior year, so that’s kind of what I see in Matt and the role that he’s going to play.”

Of course, Wallner has primarily made a name for himself while at Southern Miss due to his prowess at the plate and in the field, and that is not expected to change in 2019. Wallner logged 50 starts in centerfield and 11 in right field in 2018. Berry expects Wallner to primarily play in right field this year.

At the plate, Wallner started 56 games in his primary role as the cleanup hitter and six games in the third spot in the batting order. As the team’s primary center fielder last year, Wallner committed only two errors in the field and had a .984 fielding percentage.

In addition to working on pitch location this offseason, Wallner has also worked on techniques at the plate, such as his swing.

“I’ve worked on my swing a lot going forward, this whole offseason, just trying to keep my bat in the zone as long as possible to hit any and every pitch that I can and drive it more consistently,” Wallner said. “So that’s something that I feel good about heading into this year and have confidence in.”

Experience has also been a big factor in the program, especially this season with 10 seniors and 14 juniors on the roster right now, along with a mix of freshmen and sophomores that will make an early impact this season. Despite losing key

2018 contributors like Nick Sandlin on the mound and Luke Reynolds, LeeMarcus Boyd and Mason Irby in the field and at the plate, Wallner touted the experience the 2019 squad brings to the season.

“We’ve got a little bit of a younger team this year, but we definitely bring back a lot of experience and a lot of guys,” Wallner said. “Just knowing that we’ve been there before and what we’ve accomplished is just a good feeling going forward and certainly can’t hurt us.”

Senior pitcher Stevie Powers also talked about how Wallner’s presence on the pitching staff will have a big impact on the team and pitching staff.

“He can do it all. He can hit, he can pitch, he can make plays in the outfield,” Powers said. “He’s going to be a huge factor for us, and I think with him starting is a lot easier for him, kind of mindset wise. I think it will help him health-wise; it will keep him healthy for the duration of the year, which is a huge thing as a starter. I think he’ll really help us.”

With all the hype surrounding Wallner and the Golden Eagles as the season nears, the potential to be an early draft pick in June’s MLB Draft also looms. Still, Wallner says he is focused on the season at hand right now.

“I try and just focus on us as a team, myself, helping us win as a team,” Wallner said. “[There is] nothing I can do about it right now, but I just go out and play the way I know how to play.”

Matt Wallner hitting at the plate.

SPORTS FEBRUARY 6, 2019

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Another Lynch joins the Southern Miss program ANDREW ABADIE EXECUTIVE EDITOR o more than just two years ago, Tim Lynch was on the diamond for the Golden Eagles, dog piling at home plate after the game-winning throw out at home plate. That season he graduated and was drafted in the ninth round in the MLB draft by the Yankees, where he left his mark for Southern Miss fans in recent memory.

Now his brother Danny has stepped on campus and looks to do the same. Danny currently looks to be the starting third baseman as a true freshman, and to the pleasure of Southern Miss fans, looks to have the same productive bat his brother Tim had. “[At] third base, Danny Lynch, Timmy Lynch’s younger brother, a true freshman, was very impressive over there both defensively and offensively,” Berry said. “A lot of the same that Timmy brought with us. I think [Danny is] a little bit ahead of where Timmy was as a true freshman.

Still the same high baseball I.Q. [Danny] knows how to play the game, very competitive [and] focused on what he does. [Danny] comes out and practices like he’s going to play. The young man has been really impressive in the fall camp and moving into the spring.”

Danny is expected to have an immediate impact with the Golden Eagles, even being picked to be Conference USA’s Freshman of the Year by D1baseball.com.

For Danny, being a part of the Southern Miss culture was something he dreamed of, and as soon as the program offered him a scholarship, he committed no more than two weeks later.

“This was my dream school,” Danny said. “The fans are so into it, and it kind of always just felt like home.”

Like Danny, Tim agrees that being able to experience the program from the stands was a huge part of garnering Danny’s interest.

“All those factors kind of just made him really enjoy the school, enjoy the atmosphere and want

to be a part of it,” Tim said. “I don’t think that there was that much of a decision and they offered him a scholarship. He saw the experience I had, and he wanted to be a part of it as well.”

Both Danny and Tim are not worried about if Danny will have to deal with having to play in his brother’s shadow. In fact, both the brothers agree that they are almost the same player, but that Danny is more athletic than Tim. “We both know the game pretty well,” Danny said. “I learned that from [Tim] a lot just kind of baseball I.Q. Our game is more pretty similar [but] I’m more athletic.”

“He’s more athletic, but there’s definitely a lot of similarities,” Tim said. “The one thing is that we both don’t run well. He’s slow too but when it comes to moving around and making plays over at third base, he’s got a much better arm than I did.

He’s definitely got more on me on the defensive side I’m sure.”

Danny will not only look to duplicate Tim’s bat who led the team with a .365 batting average in 2016 but in some fashion match the bat of previous third baseman Taylor Braley and most recently, Luke Reynolds. Braley hit 17 home runs with a .313 average, and Reynolds was one of the nation’s leading hitters who led Conference USA in almost every hitting category. Danny has some credential as he was named hitter of the year in Florida’s 7A classification and in his junior year was named player of the year for his district.

However, Danny has not felt any sort of pressure about having to match Braley and Reynolds.

“I don’t think [Danny] is worried about that, and I don’t think he should be worried about that,” Tim said. “Obviously you are not going to replace Braley. You are not going to replace Reynolds.

They are different players in themselves. He shouldn’t be worried about being the next Braley or Reynolds. He’s just trying to be the first Danny.

He has different skill sets than those guys did, but I don’t see that there is any pressure to contribute like those guys did.”

“We have such a great lineup,” Danny said.

Brad Crowe | Printz

“We have guys like [Matthew] Guidry, [Matt] Wallner, [Hunter] Slater [and Gabe] Montenegro.

We really just have this great lineup. It’s easy, I just have to go out and play my role.”

For Tim, the biggest advice he has to pass to his brother was to not worry or question if he belongs there and to be more focused on being his own person and have his own experience.

“Trust yourself. You worked your whole life to get to this point, and don’t think that you got

Danny Lynch goes to make throw to first base.

lucky to be there,” Tim said. “You earned your spot to be there. There’s no luck involved. It’s strictly work and the talent he was given. He deserves to be there. That was the toughest thing for myself was showing myself that I belonged there and trust that you can be with these guys.

There’s definitely going to come a time when he’s no longer my younger brother. I’ll probably be his brother.”

Who will take over on the left side of the infield?

BRAD CROWE PRINTZ REPORTER

Through just a few months of working with him, Berry is really optimistic about his potential with the team as a big time contributor both offensively and defensively right out of the gate lthough the Southern Miss’ as a freshman. baseball team will be bringing Taking over Reynolds’ spot at third base back a fairly large amount of currently looks to be true freshman Danny experience with five returning Lynch, younger brother of the ever-sostarters in fielding positions, there still remain memorable Golden Eagles first baseman, Tim questions to be answered about who will take Lynch, who was drafted in the ninth round over the shortstop and third base duties. by the Yankees in 2016. The 6 foot, 2 inch Former Golden Eagle Luke Reynolds and 225-pound newcomer has shown early signs of LeeMarcus Boyd performed at a tremendously poise beyond his years and the potential to make high level as defenders over the course of their great contributions early in his career, just as his collegiate careers, and the battle has now begun older brother did. to determine who will fill their shoes on the left “[Lynch] knows how to play the game,” said side of the infield as the team approaches the Berry. “[He is] very competitive, focused on opening of a brand new season. what he does. Comes out and practices like he’s As of late, senior Storme Cooper looks to be going to play. The young man has been really the leading option to start at shortstop entering impressive in the fall camp and moving into the the start of the season. Cooper brings a vast amount of experience back to the infield, having Brad Crowe | Printz Storme Cooper competes for starting job. spring.”

Though replacing such talented players in played in 141 games and making 72 starts a lineup is always challenging, Berry and his through his first three years on the Southern Miss roster. Cooper started at second base make for a smooth transition into the post- Southern Miss athletic director Bill McGillis. staff feel confident their players will step up during his freshman and sophomore campaigns. Boyd era. “Storme played a very good shortstop The Presbyterian Christian School graduate put to the task and play admirably. Whether it is As a junior he saw playing time in 35 games and this fall,” said Berry. “He’s very versatile. We together a rather impressive list of high school the experienced glove of Cooper or the clear earned a .978 fielding percentage, committing can move him from short to third and other baseball accolades, including three consecutive potential of Lynch and McGillis, the Golden only one error in 45 fielding opportunities. positions.” years of being voted onto the all-district team Eagles will have a wealthy bed of options to fill Southern Miss head coach Scott Berry feels Another viable option at shortstop will be and a spot on the Clarion Ledger’s Top 40 the left infield gap and shore up a solid defensive lineup for Southern Miss in 2019. confident that Cooper’s experience will help true freshman Will McGillis, son of former Seniors list in 2018.

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Southern Miss-Rice rivalry to enter new chapter ANDREW ABADIE EXECUTIVE EDITOR

outhern Miss and Rice have been the two powerhouses in Conference USA. Out of the last 12 years, 10 of the C-USA tournament titles have gone between Southern Miss and Rice.

The one difference this season is that for the first time in 29 years, Rice will no longer have legendary head coach Wayne Graham leading the program.

In June 2018, Rice decided to part ways with its coach and hired Matt Bragga from Tennessee Tech.

In Graham’s tenure, he turned Rice into a college baseball powerhouse, guiding the team to 27 NCAA regional appearances, 11 super regionals, seven College World Series trips and one national championship, just to name a few of his remarkable accolades. For Bragga or any coach for that matter, Graham’s is a giant shadow to be stepping into.

However, Graham and Bragga share some similarities. Bragga recently guided Tennessee Tech to a 52-10 record and the NCAA Austin Super Regional in 2018, where his Golden Eagles were one win away from a trip to the College World Series before being knocked out by Texas. Like Graham, Bragga built and turned Tennessee Tech into a respectable baseball program for 15 seasons. He took the school to its first-ever NCAA regional and brought the school to its first ever 40-plus win season, where he had four in total. The team’s super regional appearance last season was also the first ever for the Ohio Valley Conference.

For the context of his program’s turn around, in his first season with the program, the team won just 15 games and then 13 the next year.

Unlike most coaches today, Bragga took the more traditional route of moving up, compared to most coaches and players who typically leave in two or three years. An example would be Texas, where coach David Pierce used Tulane as the quick stepping stone for two seasons before he landed his job at Texas.

Without question, Bragga’s ability to turn a small and historically unsuccessful program into a winning program is a remarkable feat. Just last season, Bragga had eight of his Tennessee Tech players drafted with two more signing as undrafted free agents.

The key to Bragga’s success is his ability as a motivator. Bragga developed a culture that had always expected to win as described by former third baseman Trevor Putzig.

“The mental part of the game was pretty awesome,” Putzig, who was drafted in the 17th round by the Baltimore Orioles, said. “I don’t think anybody has a real important understanding, especially at a school like Tennessee Tech, you have to have the approach that you aren’t scared to play anybody. It’s what he ingrained in us and pushed through us. He was a really good motivator. We showed up to every game, and we expected to win.”

That mentality eventually proved to be critical for Putzig and Tennessee Tech in the Oxford Regional. Putzig was dealing with a hamstring injury after going 0-for-2 and then 2-for-5 in the first two games of the regional. In the upcoming doubleheader against Ole Miss, Putzig worried if trying to

Pictured: New Rice Headcoach Matt Bragga

Courtesy Photo

play through his injury would cause more harm to his team than him not playing.

“The first time against Ole Miss in the regional, we lost 9-8, and if I wasn’t hurt, we would’ve won because I couldn’t run around the bases,” Putzig said. “Long story short, I wouldn’t have been able to gain an extra base and score and stuff like that. The next day, I talked to Coach and said, ‘Coach I don’t know if I should be playing. I don’t want to hurt the team.’

He said, ‘I could care less if you have a broken leg. If you can play, you’ll be playing. That’s how much I trust you and believe in you. Take your head up.

We’re going to win two games today.’”

Putzig hit a pair of RBIs in Tennessee Tech’s 15-5 rout against Ole Miss, and in the second game, Putzig hit the game-tying two-run home run that staged the Golden Eagles’ 3-2 comeback win.

Another similar instance occurred with pitcher Travis Moths, who was drafted in the seventh round by the Arizona Diamondbacks, but like Putzig, the team’s culture of competitiveness and mental toughness showed.

“If you threw a bullpen, you are always up against somebody. There was always a winner and loser,” Moths said. “Every day he built that mentality into you that you wanted to win. He established the importance of getting better every day.”

Moths had been the Friday starter for the team and started the first game of the regional against Missouri State, where he threw 5.2 innings and struck out eight batters. However, the team’s culture glared in him.

“I started that first game against Missouri State,” Moths said. “I came back after a day’s rest and threw in both games against Ole Miss in relief.

I told him I wanted to pitch and that I wanted the ball.”

In his two situational appearances, he threw a strikeout in the first game and came in another situation, where he threw two more strikeouts that got Tennessee Tech out of critical situations.

Despite bringing that energy to Rice, Bragga and Southern Miss head coach Scott Berry faced off against each other in 2009.

“I think the last time we played one of his teams was in 2009, which was

the last regular season series of the year we went to Omaha,” Berry said.

“It was our bye week, and he was at Tennessee Tech at the time, and they came down and played us.”

In that series, Southern Miss took two of those three games against Tennessee Tech, winning 10-2 on Friday and 7-2 on Sunday but losing the Saturday game 7-1.

“He’ll bring a new energy to Rice no doubt. I think those guys will be responding to his energy and his staff, so look for Rice to really move back up,” Berry said. “You know for years and years, they’ve been very consistent.

The last couple years they kind of dropped off. Matt’s going to bring a whole new energy to that program.”

Overall, Bragga’s ability to motivate and place a large amount of trust in his players is what drove his players to want to play for him.

“The best thing I can say about Bragga is he is one of those coaches you would run through a brick wall for because know he always will have your back and be there for you when you need him,” Moths said.

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The starting weekend rotation ANDREW ABADIE

EXECUTIVE EDITOR outhern Miss’ pitching staff looks to be the most promising part of the Golden Eagle squad. Of the total 550.1 innings pitched, Southern Miss returns

FRIDAY: STEVIE POWERS

Andrew Abadie | Printz

The presumptive Friday night starter had a breakout season that may have been slightly overshadowed

by Nick Sandlin’s historical season

378 innings. The most imperative part of that is the return of Walker Powell and Stevie Powers, who combine for 156 of those returned innings.

“That’s the most we ever returned in a long long time,” head coach Scott Berry said.

that brought him some national headlines. However, some may forget that Powers took over Sandlin’s Friday night role in back-to-back weeks against Florida International and Middle Tennessee. Against FIU, Powers threw a complete game shutout where he struck out 10 on the road, and against Middle Tennessee, he threw eight innings and struck out 12. Those two weekends proved Powers could handle the job of Friday starter and possibly be the future ace of the pitching staff.

Despite his 4.07 ERA, Powers struck out 73, walked just 14 and posted a 5-2 record. “[With Stevie] I know what I’m going to get,” pitching coach Chris Ostrander said. “He is going to compete. It’s going to be different.

He’s going to get to the finish line different than Nick [Sandlin] did.”

“With that, you have guys who have real starting experience. You have Walker Powell and you have Stevie Powers. You have Jarod Wright, who made some weekday starts a little bit in there. I think if you look at some possibilities of who might be starters outside of

SATURDAY: WALKER POWELL

Devon Dollar | Printz

Powell finally made his return to the mound after having to redshirt his sophomore year due to his second Tommy John surgery. Powell had to be eased in early in the season, being limited to just three

Powell, Powers and Wallner, Alex Nelms has been really impressive.

He and [Coach Ostrander] have complimented each other in their work. He’s really moving in his development. You also have Mason Strickland who is that swing guy obviously.”

innings in the midweek role last year, but he progressed as expected and made his way as the Sunday start in the weekend rotation last season. Powell became the solid No. 3 starter that most teams look for, but now with Sandlin gone, the coaches as well as the fans will look for him to be a reliable factor. The biggest issue for Powell was having to slowly rebuild and bring himself back to where he was prior to his second surgery. Overall, Powell posted a 3.80 ERA and a 7-3 record where he struck out 62 and walked 14.

“I said [recovery] is a process,” Ostrander said. “I said it’s like learning to walk again. You got to go out there and get your feet wet and do all of that. I thought he did a great job of that last year. Now he’s got that part done. Now he’s focusing on the strength games and stuff. I see his velocity is creeping up a bit more.

It’s affecting his action on his pitches better. Knock on wood, very excited to see where he is at. He had a great year for us last year. He threw 80-something innings. I’m not asking him to do any more than that.

You know, just go out there and give us a chance to win. But he’s feeling good. Been throwing the ball well, as is Stevie.”

SUNDAY/MIDWEEK: MATT WALLNER The surprise role change for this season was Wallner being moved to the starter role rather than his relief role the last two seasons.

In 14.2 innings, Wallner struck out 16 and walked four but posted a 7.95 ERA. Wallner’s best pitch may be his fastball, where he has 95 mph, but now he has added several pitches to his arsenal with a slider and splitter. The hidden factor is how Ostrander has been successful with turning bullpen pitchers into pristine pitchers dating back to his days at Louisiana Tech and most recent Sandlin and Powers’ success. Wallner’s hip injury kept him from throwing bullpen sessions last

year and kept him off the mound. However, he has looked healthy and has been molded for a starter job. The biggest trick for the coaching staff is the timeliness of his pitching.

For Berry, it’s a much similar situation that he had with third baseman Taylor Braley in the 2017 season.

“Taylor pitched more his freshman year than he did his sophomore year, and then he pitched a whole lot for his junior year. That’s kind of what I see in Matt in the role that he’s going to play, but certainly utilize his arm and his abilities on the mound,” Berry said. “Last year we were afraid to throw him

in bullpens because of the hip he injured in the fall. We didn’t want to take away from his abilities in the outfield with the bat so were a little skeptical and hesitant to use him last year and really work with him in the pins like he needed.”

Wallner will see his debut as a starter this season in the midweek, which leaves the Sunday slot open for at least the first few weeks of the season. If things do not play out as planned, then the team will have to search for its third starts. Of this listed by Berry were Alex Nelms, Jarod Wright, Cody Carroll and Mason Strickland.

Andrew Abadie | Printz

OTHER POSSIBLE STARTERS CODY CARROLL & JAROD WRIGHT “Wright and Carroll both sat out in the fall to let their arms rest off of summer work,” Berry said.

“Their bullpen sessions, I watched them yesterday, looked very strong. Hopefully, them sitting out just like Nick Sandlin did the fall prior. We sat him out and he proved to be healthy, strong and refreshed in the coming spring.”

“You have to give them time,” pitching coach Christian Ostrander said. “There’s got to be a period in there to really recover and stuff, and I try to mix those in. We took the month of November off from throwing after our fall practice with I’d say 90 percent of the guys and pick it back up in December and build it up to where we are now. For Cody and Jarod, they both pitched significant innings in the summer.

On top of that, they pitched all of last fall, last spring and then the whole summer, so it was time. They felt like they needed time to let that arm recover, and I agree 100 percent. They feel great right now. They feel strong, look good, so hopefully it paid off.”

MASON STRICKLAND “Mason Strickland is that swing guy obviously,” Berry said. “You hang your hat on him for what he did at 9 o’clock championship day to get us to that 1 o’clock game on Sunday against Florida Atlantic. You know how he just really carved that Charlotte team up, it sort of gives you options as a starter.”

Brad Crowe | Printz

Devon Dollar | Printz

Brad Crowe | Printz

ALEX NELMS “Alex Nelms has been really impressive. He and [Coach Ostrander] have complimented each other in their work. He’s really moving in his development,” Berry said. “I feel that he has really grown from those experiences last year, both positive and negative, good or bad, success or failure. He’s a very, very sharp young man. Very intelligent young man. One that studies the game, and you can see that his game has really moved this year from last year and years prior.”

Brad Crowe | Printz

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Breaking down the Southern Miss bullpen BRAD CROWE PRINTZ REPORTER he Southern Miss pitching staff boasts a level of depth it has not possessed in quite some time. The returning pitchers from last year’s lineup combined for just under 380 innings pitched in 2018. Although there are still questions as to which guys will man the starting positions, there is little to no question concerning the ability and experience that will be leaned on out of the bullpen.

Still lingering in the minds of many Southern Miss fans is the memorable play of reliever Mason Strickland during the 2018 postseason. Strickland returns this spring for his senior year with the team and will be looked to as a reliable veteran presence in the bullpen. “[Strickland is] that swing guy obviously,” Southern Miss head coach Scott Berry said. “You hang your hat on him for what he did in that nine o’clock championship game to get us to the one o’clock game on Sunday against Florida Atlantic.”

As a junior, Strickland pitched 49.1 innings for the Golden Eagles with 29 strikeouts, two registered wins and an ERA of 2.74.

Junior Alex Nelms is another seasoned member of the staff with potential to make an impact both as a starter and as a reliever. Nelms pitched 29 innings through his freshman and sophomore seasons, allowing 26 hits while racking up 24 strikeouts with a career 6.52 ERA. Despite a decline in production last spring, his coaches are confident in the work he put in over the offseason to bounce back.

“I feel that he [Nelms] has really grown from those experiences last year,” Berry said. “Both positive and negative, good or bad, success or failure. He’s a very, very sharp young man, very intelligent. ” In addition to the returning experience from last season comes redshirt junior transfer Brant Blaylock, who has an impressive resume both at the plate and on the mound and will see playing time as a reliever this spring.

Andrew Abadie | Printz

“I’m hoping to be a back end guy, someone who can step in and help late in games,” Blaylock said.

The DeSoto Central graduate has experience pitching for Mississippi State as a redshirt freshman as well as a season at Northwest Mississippi Community College, where he appeared in eight games as a pitcher. Blaylock’s strength and versatility make him a Swiss Army knife of a player who can contribute to the team in multiple ways.

J.C. Keys goes to throw pitch.

Near the end of games, fans can expect to see senior J.C. Keys handle a majority of closing duties on the mound. With extensive experience as a reliever and a starter under his belt, Keys’ coaches feel confident in his ability to come through in tight spots through the back end of the bullpen.

“We all know that he can touch 94 [miles per hour] with a power breaking ball,” Berry said. “A changeup that can offset some hitters at time, disrupt

some timing. He certainly has got a smooth, electric arm. With that being in place, looking at the history of him, we’re looking at moving him to the back end of the game and just letting him come in and blow it for three outs and hopefully getting us the win.”

With such experience coming out of the bullpen to support the starting rotation, Berry and his staff hope for pitching depth to be a strong point for Southern Miss baseball in 2019.

Powers leads veteran pitching rotation GRANT CHIGHIZOLA MANAGING/SPORTS EDITOR

enior pitcher Stevie Powers is one of a few Southern Miss players who are in line for an increased role in 2019.

This is even more apparent following the Cleveland Indians selecting 2018 Nick Sandlin in the second round of the MLB Draft last June.

Compared to his first two seasons as a Golden Eagle, Powers took a big step forward as a junior in 2018, becoming a steady member of the weekend rotation.

The left-hander started a career high 14 games, had a career high 73 innings pitched and finished the 2018 campaign with a 5-2 win-loss record. As a junior, Powers also lowered his ERA to 4.07, compared to his 5.13 ERA mark in 2017. Prior to 2018, Powers had started just seven games in 48 appearances over the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

At baseball media day on Jan. 23, Powers shared his thoughts on how last season turned out for him as a player.

“I felt really good,” Powers said. “I was really excited about the task at hand at the beginning of last year and excited for a new opportunity to kind of move up into that starter role. I felt like it fits me a lot

better, kind of something that I’ve always been used to, coming from high school and stuff. I was ready to move up and ready to take that on, obviously having Coach [Ostrander] as a new component of our team, so he helped me a lot along the way, and obviously our offense did a great job scoring runs behind me as well.”

Despite the overall success Powers and the Golden Eagles enjoyed last season, the season did not end on a high note. In game two against Arkansas in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional on June 2, 2018, Powers allowed seven runs on five hits in 1.2 innings of work. The Golden Eagles were eliminated from the postseason in a 9-4 loss against Dallas Baptist the following day.

Powers’ overall performance from last season has not gone unnoticed. Along with fellow Southern Miss starting pitcher Walker Powell, Powers was named to the 2019 Conference USA Preseason AllConference team.

Powers talked about stepping up into a leadership role this season.

“I would definitely see myself as one of the leaders,” Powers said. “You know, I definitely think that Nick [Sandlin] last year, it was his staff, he did a great job at leading us and establishing that game one win basically every single Friday night, and

Andrew Abadie | Printz

Stevie Powers pitches in USA Conference Tournament.

now I look this year to do the same thing, whatever night it is, whatever my role is, whatever they call upon me. I’m going to look to do the same thing.”

Despite the loss of Sandlin from the rotation, two key components of the 2018 weekend rotation return. Powers and Powell combined to start 30 games and 156 innings over the course of the season.

Potentially joining them in the weekend rotation this season is junior outfielder/ pitcher Matt Wallner, who made 21

appearances as a pitcher over the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

Still, with a fresh new season approaching, Powers’ main goal is to ensure that the team has a chance to win when he is out on the mound.

“As long as I’m not giving away free stuff, and that’s hit batters, walks, stuff like that, I’m not really worried about the stats,” Powers said. “As long as I can go out there and give our team a chance to win week by week, then I feel like I’m doing my job.”

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New faces for Southern Miss baseball in ‘19 BRAD CROWE

Comes out and practices like he’s going to play.

The young man has been really impressive in the fall camp and moving into the spring.”

A native of Jupiter, Fla., Danny hit .333 at the plate during his senior campaign and was named Hitter of the Year by PalmBeachHighSchoolBaseball.com. All signs indicate another great impact from the Lynch family on Southern Miss baseball.

PRINTZ REPORTER outhern Miss enters the 2019 baseball season with a pretty sharp contrast in experience from returning starters, veterans stepping up to fill bigger roles and talented newcomers who are anxious to make their own marks. With just five returning starters from last spring’s defensive lineup, coach Scott Berry and his staff plan to give some of those newcomers the opportunity to make a big impact on the team with early playing time. Here are a few names fans should expect to hear early and often at Pete Taylor Park: Brant Blaylock: Perhaps the most championed new addition to the dugout is junior transfer Brant Blaylock.

The Southaven standout began his collegiate career in 2016 with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, during which time he was named No. 47 in Perfect Game’s top 100 college sophomores and the No. 12 SEC prospect for the 2018 MLB Draft. As a redshirt freshman, Blaylock made 26 starts in left field before being moved into the pitching rotation midway through the season. Feeling he had more to offer as an offensive player, he transferred to Northwest Mississippi Community College where he turned even more heads with his work at the plate. Through one season with the Rangers, Blaylock had a .385 batting average with 18 home runs and 62 runs batted in. He also earned a 6-2 record on the mound with an earned runs average of 6.43. “[Brant is] a very gifted, strong young man,” Berry said on Media Day. “We talk about twoway players and how physical you have to be; Brant is certainly one of those. So he will see some action both on the mound and as a position player.”

Through his experience with the Bulldogs and Rangers, Blaylock believes he learned invaluable lessons that have prepared him to

Brad Crowe | Printz

seize this opportunity with the Golden Eagles.

“My first trip around Division I was pretty spedup, and it took me a while to really get going,” said Blaylock. “Going to junior college gave me the opportunity to build my confidence and figure some things out that maybe I didn’t have figured out the first time around. I’m grateful for the opportunity to come here to Southern Miss with a chance to perform well.”

Danny Lynch: Fans might very well see a true freshman starter at third base, filling a void left by Luke Reynolds, who is now a member of the Chicago

Pictured: Will McGillis

Cubs organization. If the name sounds familiar, that would be because it is—Danny is the younger brother of former Golden Eagle standout first baseman Tim Lynch, who was drafted by the Yankees in 2016. Berry says he sees many of the same qualities in Tim’s younger brother, who is perhaps playing at an even higher level as a freshman than his older brother did when he first arrived in Hattiesburg.

“I think a little bit ahead of where Timmy was as a true freshman, but still the same high baseball I.Q. Knows how to play the game, very competitive, focused on what he does.

Will McGillis: Lynch is not the only member of Southern Miss sports royalty being added to the playing field. Competing for playing time at the shortstop position is redshirt freshman Will McGillis, the son of former USM athletic director Bill McGillis. McGillis received numerous accolades as a high school player at Presbyterian Christian School, including MAIS Player of the Year after batting .500 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs as a senior. McGillis’ two older brothers both played college baseball ahead of him, and he is now ready for his turn to create his own legacy on the NCAA level.

“The thing with Will that’s been surprising honestly, has been his bat and his power,” said Berry. “I didn’t really realize that he had that much power, but he does. What [Will] lacks in ability is offset by his baseball I.Q. and his ability to understand as to how to play the game, to anticipate the game and be ahead of the game just because of his intelligence and understanding.”

Despite the loss of elite playmakers such as Nick Sandlin and Reynolds, the addition of skilled and touted newcomers like Blaylock, Lynch and McGillis—along with the returning pieces from 2018—make the approaching season seem more like a reload than a rebuild.

Southern Miss’ ability to reel in and develop new talent factors largely into why the Golden Eagles are projected by many to bring home a third consecutive Conference USA title.

Analyzing the opening series against Purdue ANDREW ABADIE EXECUTIVE EDITOR urdue had one of its most successful seasons in school history in 2018. The Boilermakers were at a stagnant 1616 record but went on a 21-2 streak, which brought them to the Big Ten title game in the conference tournament and a trip to the program’s third-ever NCAA regional.

Although coming off a significant year of success, Purdue will have almost a completely different team.

As a team, the Boilermakers lost six members of its lineup, two of its weekend starters and its closer.

Purdue’s roster last season featured 10 true freshman and two redshirt freshmen. Much like last year, the Boilermakers will have a large amount of youth again as the team currently has 12 true freshmen and three redshirt freshmen.

The departed members of Purdue’s pitching rotation accounted for 252.1 innings last year, but at the same time, the squad returns 272.1 innings.

Ryan Beard is a guaranteed member of Purdue’s weekend rotation and the likely Friday starter. Beard will attempt to replace last year’s ace and Friday starter Tanner Andrews, who posted a 2.94 ERA. Beard made 11 starts last year, which is the most the team returns. The 6 foot, 4-inch left-handed pitcher threw 45 strikeouts, 25 walks and posted a 4.26 ERA with a 5-3 record.

Trent Johnson looks to be another viable option as a weekend starter with nine starts under his belt.

Johnson returns with the team’s best ERA of 1.76

Courtesy Photo

in 41 innings of work but posted a 39-30 strikeoutto-walk ratio.

Two other potential starters or likely go-to

Ryan Beard pitching at Purdue.

bullpen guys that will be thrown on opening weekend are Trevor Cheaney and Bo Hofstra, as the two combined for 57 appearances and six starts

last season. Hofstra threw a 3.61 ERA in 52.1 innings of work, struck out 49 and walked 15 while Cheaney threw a 4.50 ERA in 40 innings, struck out 44 and walked 23.

Another notable bullpen option could be Hayden Wynja, who redshirted last season as a freshman.

The 6 foot, 8-inch left-hander was selected in the MLB draft in the 30th round out of high school.

In Purdue’s lineup, the team has to replace six members that contributed to its .280 batting average. Defensively, the team will have to replace its entire infield.

The biggest bat returning is Ben Nisle after being named as a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American and a member of the Big Ten AllFreshman team. Nisle hit .304 on the season with seven home runs. Senior Skyler Hunter returns with the highest batting average of .333 along with 13 doubles and a home run.

Despite the significant turnover, Purdue’s head coach Mark Wasikowski’s talent and experience cannot be ignored. Leading up to becoming head coach of Purdue in 2016, Wasikowski was an assistant coach who was part of Arizona’s 2004 College World Series team and was a part of 14 NCAA tournament appearances as an assistant coach. Wasikowski turned the program around as the team went 10-44 overall and 2-22 in conference play in 2016 and in just his second season, he led the Boilermakers to one of the most successful seasons in program history.

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Projected opening day starting line-up FRED FRANKLIN CF

GABE MONTENEGRO LF STORME COOPER SS

DANNY LYNCH 3B

MATT WALLNER RF MATTHEW GUIDRY 2B

STEVIE POWERS P

HUNTER SLATER 1B

COLE DONALDSON C ERICK HOARD DH

2019 ROSTER:

ADAM JACKSON LHP BRANT BLAYLOCK RHP J.C. KEYS RHP BRYANT BOWEN C HUNTER LEBLANC OF DREW BOYD LHP JOSH LEWIS LHP CODY CARROLL RHP MATTHEW MANLEY RHP JACOB EDWARDS INF WILL MCGILLIS INF/OF CHARLIE FISCHER INF LOGAN MCGREW C AUBREY GILLENTINE RHP ALEX NELMS RHP AARON GINN RHP FISHER NORRIS INF

RYAN OCH LHP WALKER POWELL RHP GABE SHEPARD RHP HUNTER STANLEY IF/P MASON STRICKLAND RHP TYLER STUART RHP SEAN TWEEDY LHP BROOKS WARREN LHP JAROD WRIGHT RHP

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Predictions: How will Southern Miss fare in 2019?

GRANT CHIGHIZOLA MANAGING/SPORTS EDITOR

BRAD CROWE PRINTZ REPORTER

DARRELL REESE JR. PRINTZ REPORTER

ANDREW ABADIE EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Southern Miss finished the 2018 season with a 44-18 overall record, including an impressive three-game sweep of in-state rival Mississippi State on opening weekend. The team also finished with a Conference USA leading 23-6 record in conference play. This season, the Golden Eagles will play many of the marquee opponents they faced in non-conference play in 2018, including a three-game series at Mississippi State, two games against Ole Miss and a game at South Alabama. Additionally, the team has two home series against Purdue and Gonzaga, two programs that appeared in NCAA Regionals last year.

I think Southern Miss will finish with a similar overall and conference record than they did last year, probably 42 wins overall and 22 conference wins over the course of the season. The departures of Luke Reynolds and LeeMarcus Boyd hurt in terms of offensive production and the infield dynamic, but the talent that returns on this squad should be able to adapt and adjust. With a mix of seniors like Fred Franklin, Hunter Slater, Storme Cooper and Stevie Powers returning to join forces with the likes of junior Matt Wallner, redshirt sophomore Gabe Montenegro, freshman Danny Lynch, junior Matthew Guidry and Walker Powell, this team is poised to make another NCAA regional appearance at the very least.

Southern Miss is coming off its best record in conference play (23-6) in program history along with its highest overall winning percentage in nearly six decades. Due to what seems to be a more rigorous regular season schedule ahead of them, I do not expect the Golden Eagles to duplicate their 44-18 record from a year ago.

However, given the team’s recent success and added depth to both the offense and defense, I do expect them to win 20 or more Conference USA games and bring home a third consecutive C-USA championship.

Just for the fun of it, I predict that the team will pull out 38 regular season wins in 2019. The most important factor will be who those wins are against. Coach Berry made a point to address the need for a strong RPI for teams with hopes of competing in the postseason. If Southern Miss can earn a decent number of impressive victories—especially in its five games against top 25 inner state rivals Ole Miss and Mississippi State—then I believe they’ll finally be able to string together a strong enough resume to bring an NCAA Regional Tournament back to Pete Taylor Park.

Southern Miss baseball finished last season 44-18 with a conference record of 23-6. The question is, can they capitalize off last season’s success or decline? The team was also 21-8 at home and 16-6 on the road in 2018.

For 2019, Southern Miss is looking to start their season off at home against Purdue on a three-game set.

Purdue finished last season 38-21.

Southern Miss is in for a tough road ahead, but with the experience in the locker room, they’ll be ready to compete with every team on the schedule.

Due to last season’s success against most teams on the schedule, Southern Miss is looking to be the favorites in most of their match ups.

Troy is one team that will be tough, as the Trojans finished the season 42-21, and they are looking to start right where they left off.

For now, the schedule is looking to be in the Golden Eagles’ favor, and they will look to pick up where they left off last season. My prediction for their 2019 campaign is that the team will win 35 or more games this season.

Southern Miss is primed for another successful season, and if things go in their favor, talks of Omaha are not a wild dream. Southern Miss’ bullpen was probably the weakest feature for the team last year, but despite that, the team should reap the benefits as the bullpen garnered much experience last year, which should make it the high point of the team. The weekend starters are as good as any team in Conference, but whether or not they can compete nationally will be the true test. Stevie Powers and Walker Powell can be a scary duo for teams to face, and neither have to live up to the standard Nick Sandlin set. The bats can easily reproduce an explosive offense which has been an imperative part of the team’s success. The true test for Southern Miss will be the road weekend series against Mississippi State.

This team overall returns a large group of experience and junior college talent that should be able to fill the roles.

Conference USA will be tougher than the last season with Louisiana Tech and Florida Atlantic returning a lot of experience and Rice with the new coach hire.

However, Southern Miss should rule C-USA again and lead them to another NCAA tournament berth.

2019 BASEBALL SCHEDULE FEB. 15-17 VS. PURDUE

MARCH 13 AT LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE

APRIL 5-7 VS. MARSHALL

FEB. 20 VS. TROY

MARCH 15-17 AT LOUISIANA TECH

APRIL 9 VS. OLE MISS

FEB. 22-24 AT MSU

MARCH 19 VS. ULM

APRIL 12-14 AT FIU

FEB. 26 VS. NEW ORLEANS

MARCH 22-24 VS. OLD DOMINION

APRIL 16 AT SOUTH ALABAMA

MARCH 1-3 VS. GONZAGA

MARCH 26 VS. NICHOLLS

APRIL 18-20 VS. CHARLOTTE

MARCH 5 VS. SOUTHERN

MARCH 29-31 AT UTSA

APRIL 23 VS. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE

MARCH 8-10 VS. HOLY CROSS

APRIL 2 VS. SOUTH ALABAMA

APRIL 24 AT NEW ORLEANS

APRIL 26-28 AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE MAY 1 VS. OLE MISS MAY 3-5 VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC MAY 10-12 AT RICE MAY 16-18 VS. UAB MAY 22-26 VS. CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT

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Golden Eagles look to exceed last season’s offensive production DARRELL REESE JR. PRINTZ REPORTER outhern Miss finished last season with a record of 44-18 and 23-6 in conference play. Former players such as Luke Reynolds and Nick Sandlin led the way, both offensively and defensively. The two standouts helped lead the team into the 40-win range in each of the last three seasons, as they have consistently competed with the best teams in the country. That being said, the Golden Eagles have some pretty big shoes to fill in order to capitalize off last season’s success.

The question is: who will step up to fill them?

Yes, the team did lose some tremendous talents, but there are still veteran leaders and key pieces in the locker room. Senior pitcher and right fielder Matt Wallner is a key returning guy for the team, and his production will help the team tremendously if it carries over from previous years. Wallner earned All-American status in his first two seasons with the team. He has racked up 35 homers and 130 RBIs as a Golden Eagle, and he is currently projected to be a first-round pick in the 2019 MLB draft.

Head coach Scott Berry spoke about Wallner during his Media Day press conference concerning his production from last season and expectations going forward.

“He’s one of the more exciting players obviously that has come through our program. I think he’s at a point right now where he’s the guy that everybody surrounds themselves with. Luke Reynolds last year, I don’t think I really saw that,” Berry said. “We had him one year, but he wasn’t eligible to play when he came out, I mean just took over. And certainly, Matt has the ability to do that, both physically and mentally. He’s got to do it, we’ve got to have other guys around him that do it.”

Senior infielder Storme Cooper is another guy that has shown sparks of brilliance in his time with the team. The senior has appeared in 141 games in

Gabe Montenegro rounding third base.

Devon Dollar | Printz

his career at Southern Miss, including 72 starts at second base. Though he did not crack the starting defensive lineup last year as a junior, Cooper is set to get more playing time due to his production over fall camp. Coach Berry also spoke highly of him during media day on the improvement he has seen from the senior during the fall.

“Storme Cooper had a really good fall for us,” Berry said. “He’s much like a Nick Dawson, who we had back in 2016 that was a really steady player. He didn’t make the great plays, but he made the routine

plays. That’s what we ask from that position up the middle. Storme played a really good shortstop this fall. Will McGillis is another guy that could see some action there. Those are our two candidates at shortstop. Hunter LeBlanc, freshman, will also see him some time as well whether in the outfield as a starter, whether it’s going to be as a pitch hit, pitch runner, but a very, very exciting guy; one that you’re going to be writing about in years to come, maybe this year also.”

Redshirt sophomore Gabe Montenegro played

in a total of 59 games and started in 54 of them.

As a sophomore, Montenegro did well at the plate, racking up 11 doubles and three triples to go along with a .979 field percentage as an outfielder.

The roster is full of other experienced players who have played parts in creating the current winning environment at Southern Miss. Berry believes his team is prepared mentally and physically to take on the tough schedule that lies ahead of them.

Looking at the 2019 Southern Miss baseball schedule GRANT CHIGHIZOLA MANAGING/SPORTS EDITOR

hile there are new faces on the 2019 Southern Miss baseball schedule, the team will also play many familiar opponents again this season, including in-state, regional and conference rivals.

One of the new teams on this season’s schedule is season-opening opponent Purdue. The Boilermakers finished 2018 with a 38-21 overall record and made an appearance in the regional at Chapel Hill, where they were eliminated by Houston. This season, Purdue sports a newer, younger squad, with 12 true freshmen and three redshirt freshmen on the squad.

The three-game Purdue series is followed by a home midweek matchup with Troy. The Trojans were also a postseason team in 2018 as they sported a 42-21 overall record and reached the Athens Regional in the postseason.

One of the most anticipated series of the season for the Golden Eagles is the second weekend series of the season for the team. Southern Miss will travel to Starkville, Miss., for a series against Mississippi State. Last season, the Golden Eagles completed a season-opening three-game sweep of the Bulldogs at Pete Taylor Park. However, the Bulldogs rebounded during the season and advanced to the College World Series, where they were eliminated by eventual national champion Oregon State.

Another in-state rival that Southern Miss will face again in 2019 is Ole Miss. The two programs squared off on two different occasions last season, with Ole Miss winning both games by scores of 7-6 and 11-3. This year, the Golden Eagles will look for revenge in two contests against the Rebels. The two teams first meet on April 9 in a

neutral-site matchup at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Mississippi, and then again at Pete Taylor Park on May 1.

South Alabama is on the schedule once again, and the Jaguars are slated to travel to Hattiesburg for a single midweek game on April 2. Southern Miss played two games last season against the Jaguars and split the season series, losing 10-9 on the road and winning 5-3 at home later in the 2018 season.

Another 2018 postseason team the Golden Eagles will face is Gonzaga University. Gonzaga appeared in the Minneapolis Regional, where they were eliminated by UCLA. The Bulldogs finished 2018 with a 33-24 record and could give the Golden Eagles a challenge in the three-game series between the two teams. Southern Miss will also host Worcester, Mass.-based Holy Cross March 8-10. The Crusaders finished 2018 with an 18-27 record.

Southern Miss also has a slate of midweek non-conference games against Louisiana-based schools in February, March and April. The Golden Eagles play New Orleans on Feb. 26, Southern on March 5, Louisiana-Lafayette on March 13 and April 23, Louisiana Monroe on March 19 and Nicholls State on March 26.

Out of those teams, Louisiana-Lafayette notably finished with a 34-21 record last season and played a two-game series against Southern Miss in 2018. The Golden Eagles and Ragin’ Cajuns split the series 1-1, with Southern Miss winning game one 9-8 and Louisiana Lafayette taking game two by a score of 7-4.

Conference USA play is where Southern Miss saw its highest levels of success last season. The 2018 squad finished with a 23-6 record in C-USA and ended as not only the C-USA tournament champions, but the C-USA regular season champions as well.

This year Southern Miss opens conference play

Andrew Abadie | Printz

on the road against Louisiana Tech March 15-17.

The Bulldogs won two out of three games at Pete Taylor Park when the two teams met last season, and LA Tech finished conference play with a 21-9 record, second only to Southern Miss. Louisiana Tech is one of the key conference series to follow closely this season as the Bulldogs could present a challenge to Southern Miss once more.

In addition to the LA Tech series, Southern Miss will go on the road to play C-USA opponents UTSA, Florida International, Middle Tennessee

Team celebreated C-USA Championship win.

and Rice. Heading to Hattiesburg for conference play this season are Old Dominion, Marshall, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic and UAB. If Southern Miss can get multiple wins over the high caliber opponents on its schedule, especially series wins, then it will help the team greatly in terms of RPI at the end of the season. In conference play, the team must finish with a similar or better record than 2018’s record in order to have a shot at hosting a regional in 2019.

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Student Printz to participate in new sports poll

GRANT CHIGHIZOLA

MANAGING/SPORTS EDITOR

tarting with the 2019

Daily Northwestern (Northwestern

25 teams in the country, according

collegiate baseball season,

University), Indiana Daily Student

to the poll’s voters.

the Student Printz will

(University of Indiana) and The

The poll will officially begin during

be a founding member of the new

Daily Athenaeum (University of

the opening week of college baseball

Collegiate Sports Writers Poll. The

West Virginia).

and will continue until the end of

poll is a network of collegiate student

Poll founder and administrator

the season. At the end of the season,

newspapers, and the sports editor

Andrew Abadie, current executive

the poll will vote on a coach, pitcher

of each participating newspaper

editor of the Student Printz, talked

and player of the year. During the

will serve as a voter and that paper’s

about how the poll came to fruition.

season, the poll will denote with

representative to the poll. Each

mine said how

parentheses how many first place

voter will serve as a representative

interesting it would be to see

votes a team recieved during a

of

collegiate sports writers vote in a

particular week. The final poll vote

collegiate baseball poll, given that

will be determined by mathematical

As of now, there are a total of

they see and report on teams so

consensus, which means that each

16 collegiate newspapers that will

heavily,” Abadie said. “I thought

voter’s ballot will be averaged into

be participating in the poll. Those

that was an interesting idea and got

the final poll.

newspapers, including the Student

to work on making it happen.”

their respective geographical

regions and conferences as well.

“A friend of

Eventually, the goal is to create a

Printz, are: The Temple News

For the first edition of the poll,

full representation of all regions and

(Temple University), The Miami

Abadie, along with the current

conferences to be published weekly

Student (Miami University), The

Student Printz sports editor will both

and included the other various

Setonian (Seton Hall), Daily Titan

serve as voters. A new administrator

participating newspapers, if they

(Cal State Fullerton), The University

will be selected from among the

choose to do so.

Star (Texas State), The Minnesota

member newspapers before the 2020

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Daily (University of Minnesota),

collegiate baseball season. Also,

student newspapers and hopefully

The Daily (Ball State), The Daily

when a voter either graduates or

for future reporters to network with

Texan (The University of Texas at

leaves their position at their school

each other,” Abadie said.

Austin), The Daily (University of

newspaper, that voter’s vote will be

Additionally, the poll will be

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passed down to their replacement as

released every Monday on the

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sports editor.

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South Carolina),

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Included in this special baseball edition of the Student Printz is a preseason poll highlighting the top

in each weekly spring edition of the Student Printz.