COLUMN: USM baseball, softball back
Southern Miss' top two spring sports have each put together fine seasons.
And, boy, were both ever due for one.
It's no secret both programs have dealt with their own shares of struggles over the past few years — softball certainly for longer than baseball.
Since taking over for Corky Palmer in 2010, Scott Berry has gotten the Golden Eagles to a Regional twice, and none since 2011. That's far from the expectation of a program that was among the most consistently quality teams for more than a decade.
However, things are looking up for Southern Miss, which is currently tied atop the Conference USA standings with Rice. The Golden Eagles are 33-14 overall and 17-6 against league opponents. There have been bumps in the road this season. First, the team struggled mightily in midweek games. Then, there were snags in the form of series losses at UAB and Florida Atlantic last month. But now Southern Miss has won three consecutive games and have looked good doing so.
The Golden Eagles have been considered by some among the national media as a likely candidate to host a Regional tournament given the way things have gone thus far. If that happens, it would be an awfully grand re-entry into the party for Southern Miss. It can't afford to take its foot off the gas, though.
Freshman Walker Powell will take the hill for Southern Miss on Sunday in his first start as a Golden Eagle.
"Walker has pitched well and caught our eye as a freshman in a relief role," said Berry. "He's had good stuff and projects where he will be a starter for us, so we want to put him out there and see how he handles it."
As far as the Southern Miss softball team, Wendy Hogue's bunch swept a doubleheader from UTEP Saturday clinching a spot in the Conference USA Tournament, which begins next week at Denton, Texas.
The Golden Eagles, which won three league games last season, have flourished under Hogue in her second season at the helm. And they're playing their best ball at the right time. The job Hogue has done in such a short period of time is remarkable. She's led Southern Miss to more Conference USA victories (13) than any season since 2004. The team's 27 overall victories are the most since 2006.
It's a good time to be fans of both programs.
Contact sports writer Jason Munz at 584-3107. Also, follow @munzly on Twitter.
