Southern Miss baseball is just three weeks away, and Head Coach Scott Berry, junior infielder Will McGillis and senior outfielder Gabe Montenegro sat down with various media outlets Thursday, Jan. 27 to preview the upcoming season.
Last season, the Golden Eagles posted a 40-21 (22-9) record and ended their impressive run in the NCAA Oxford Regionals with a 12-9 defeat to the Ole Miss Rebels in the win-or-go-home championship game.
With the team being relatively young last year and with eight starters returning this season, the hype and potential for this team are high.
Berry opened the day off with a concise but precise opening statement, touting how excited the coaches and players are and how hard they have worked since fall camp opened in August.
“We are excited about the opportunity and the challenges that lie ahead,” Berry said.
Berry is just 34 games away from being the winningest coach in Southern Miss baseball history, which Hill Denson currently holds.
“I have to put all the credit to the people around me,” Berry said. “It is the people around me that have made me successful, but whatever comes, I give credit to the players and the coaches and the administration.”
The team has a formidable non–conference schedule, which currently ranks #35 in the country in toughness. There are notable games on the schedule including North Alabama to open the season, followed by South Alabama. They also pull a series with Louisiana, Tulane and Dallas Baptist.
They are also playing three SEC opponents: Alabama, Ole Miss and defending national champions, Mississippi State.
“We have North Alabama before we play any of those teams,” McGillis said. “We are really excited about that schedule.”
McGillis finished last season with 11 home runs and 45 hits on the season. Berry said that McGillis was like ‘a second coach’ on the field.
“Coach Berry has always told me that the reason he liked me was going back to high school, my baseball IQ. I know I have a strong ability to lead and know the game and can be a couple of steps ahead of where somebody else might be,” McGillis said.
The team is also excited to have Gabe Montenegro return, who finished last season with a team-high 82 hits and four home runs.
“Ever since I first came here, I felt at home. Everyone is so welcoming.” Montenegro said, reflecting on what the fans meant to him. “Having all this support from everyone, I will always appreciate that.”
Berry said the team had set its goals for the season on January 1, did not mention what they were but nothing short of an appearance in the postseason. Montenegro did not shy away from his goal for the season.
“My goal is to get to Omaha,” Montenegro said. “This year I want to make it all the way, and I’ll do anything possible to help the team so we can make it all the way.”
Southern Miss has only been to Omaha one time- in 2009. With a tough non-conference slate and a tough conference, they will be battle-ready if they make it that far.
Will they? Time will tell, but it all starts Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. versus North Alabama.
