Southern Miss baseball wins Sun Belt title with 11-7 victory over Louisiana

Southern Miss defeated Louisiana 11-7 to win the Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament Sunday in Montgomery, Alabama. The Golden Eagles, the top seed, secured their third tournament title in four years, following a semifinal victory over Troy earlier in the day.

The game was delayed multiple times due to weather but did not slow Southern Miss’s offensive surge. The team scored 11 runs in the first five innings, including home runs from Seth Smith and Matthew Russo, along with extra-base hits from Davis Gillespie and Ty Long. Louisiana responded with a single run in the sixth and mounted a late rally, with Lee Amedee and Mark Collins hitting home runs in the ninth to close the gap to 11-7.

Southern Miss relief pitcher Teague Broadhead secured the final two outs to seal the victory. Coach Christian Ostrander, in his third year leading the team, praised his players and staff for their hard work. Ostrander’s team has now won three of the last four Sun Belt tournaments since joining the conference in 2022.

Several players earned all-tournament honors, including MVP Joey Urban and teammates Colby Allen, Drey Barrett, and Russo. The Golden Eagles also claimed the regular-season title this year.

With the win, Southern Miss is expected to host an NCAA regional, as the team is ranked No. 8 nationally. The NCAA tournament selection show is scheduled for Monday at 11 a.m. CT, with first-round games beginning Friday, May 29, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

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