THE
S TUDENT PRINTZ SERVING SOUTHERN MISS SINCE 1927
Monday, March 17, 2014
Volume 98 Issue 42
ALUMNI
ON CAMPUS
USM alumna in coma after South By Southwest drunk driving accident
Cadet Landrum to compete for national title
Music festival takes deadly turn
Yolanda Cruz Printz Reporter
William Landrum
Jay Janner/ Associated Press
Allison Edwards Printz Reporter
Festival goers received a gruesome surprise March 13 when a drunk driver plowed through a crowded street killing two people and injuring up to 23 others at Austin’s annual South By Southwest Music Festival. Among the injured is The University of Southern Mississippi alumna Sandy Le. Sources say that Le suffered
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NEWS War and Society Book club discusses KGB memoir.
injuries to her brain and that she is currently in a coma though recent MRI reports show some improvement in her condition. According to CNN, the 21year-old suspect was pursued by police when they saw him driving in the wrong direction on a one-way road. Instead of pulling over, the driver accelerated into a busy street hitting cars and pedestrians. Witness Russ Barone described the horrific scene to CNN reporters. “It looked like
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something out of a movie,” Barone said. “A few people lying on the street with their friends around them trying to get them up, trying to get them back to life. Hopefully, they are.” The suspect was captured in a foot chase by an officer who brought him down with a taser. He will be charged with two counts of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault by vehicle, according to police. Those wishing to help aid the victims and their families
FEATURE Polymer Science School names Wiggins as new director.
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can donate to the SXSW Cares Fund with the Austin Community Foundation at www. austincommunityfoundation.org. According to the website, the funds will be disbursed to those most affected through a community-based process to be created by representatives of SXSW, the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau and the City of Austin with the Austin Community Foundation. The Student Printz will continue to monitor Le’s condition in the coming weeks.
OPINION Pets in college What to consider before adopting a new best friend.
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A Southern Miss student was recently named Mississippi Army National Guard’s Soldier of the Year. William Landrum, a member of the Army ROTC program and criminal justice major, won the award after extensive competition. “I feel so blessed and honored to have the opportunity to be able to represent Mississippi,” Landrum said. “It has been a great experience and I know that I can take a lot from it to further my career as an officer in the United States Army.” Landrum had to prove that he was one of the top members of his unit to be given the opportunity to compete. “Every unit will pick one of their best soldiers, and my unit picked me to represent us at a battalion level competition where I came in first place and moved to
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See SOLDIER, 3
SPORTS Baseball Problems continue to plague team.
THE S TUDENT PRINTZ
Page 2 | Monday, March 17, 2014
Editorial Staff Executive Editor Kathryn Miller kathryn.miller@eagles.usm.edu 850.565.0812 Managing Editor Alan Rawls gregory.rawls@eagles.usm.edu Chief Copy Editor Chris Greene chris.greene@eagles.usm.edu Copy Editor Courtney McNichols courtney.mcnichols@eagles.usm.edu News Editor Nikki Smith ashly.smith@eagles.usm.edu Sports Editor Joshua Campbell joshua.m.campbell@eagles.usm.edu Design Editor Joshua Byrd joshua.j.byrd@eagles.usm.edu Art Director Susan Broadbridge susan.broadbridge@eagles.usm.edu Webmaster Chris Greene chris.greene@eagles.usm.edu Graphic Designers Cody Bass cody.bass@eagles.usm.edu Parker Brewer parker.brewer@eagles.usm.edu
EVENTS Monday, March 17
Friday, March 21
TEEAM Officers Meeting 5:00 p.m. TCC 227
Baseball UTSA 6:00 p.m. Pete Taylor Park
Tuesday, March 18 Luckyday Blood Drive 10:00 a.m. Charles Lane Baseball Louisiana-Monroe 6:00 p.m. Pete Taylor Park
Wednesday, March 19 The Point Meeting 7:00 p.m. RC’s Lounge
Thursday, March 20
Women’s Tennis UAB TBA Hattiesburg, Miss.
Urban term of the week:
The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not necessarily represent those of the faculty, staff or administration of The University of Southern Mississippi. We welcome letters to the editor representing similar and contrasting opinions. To be eligilible for publication, all submissions must include name, class distinction, major, phone number and email address. Submissions should be emailed to printzeditors@gmail.com by 5 p.m. Friday. Please limit them to 500 words or less. The Student Printz reserves the right to refuse publication or edit any material on the basis of clarity, space or journalistic ethics.
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Saturday, March 22
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The Student Printz newspaper is currently hiring writers of any major. If you are interested in writing for the Printz, contact Executive Editor Kathryn Miller at Kathryn.Miller@eagles.usm.edu. Submissions should include work experience and three writing samples.
Alabama Hot Tub (noun): When a person or group of people line the bed of a pickup truck with a tarp, fill it with water and relax in it. It’s so hot today, I might have to grab a tarp and turn my Chevy into an Alabama Hot Tub. source: Urbandictionary.com
St. Patty’s Day Fun Facts - There are 34.7 million U.S. residents with Irish ancestry. This number is more than seven times the population of Ireland itself. - Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish. In 2009, roughly 26.1 billion pounds of beef and 2.3 billion pounds of cabbage were produced in the United States. - The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in the United States on March 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City. - More than 100 St. Patrick’s Day parades are held across the United States. New York City and Boston are home to the largest celebrations. - There are seven places in the United States named after the shamrock, the floral emblem of Ireland, including Mount Gay-Shamrock, WV; Shamrock, TX; Shamrock Lakes, IN; and Shamrock, OK.
NEWS
Monday, March 17, 2014 | Page 3
SOLDIER
was confident he had this, but still knew there were no guarantees. continued from page 1 The winner was announced that night at a banquet, and by the state competition and also this point Landrum felt that got first place,” Landrum said. winning was not everything. “I knew that winner or not “But (to) be chosen I guess just being physically fit, knowing I was blessed to even have all the material and just being the opportunity to be able to a well-rounded soldier all compete and that it has been an honor,” he said. together.” Still, a win was rewarding. The actual competition “After they called my name for Soldier of the Year for Mississippi took place Feb. and I was awarded the trophy 24-28 and comprised of I was overwhelmed with multiple events and tests joy and felt so honored to such as a physical fitness represent Mississippi in the test, written essay and land regional competition.” “This is a monumental navigation. Many of his days feat,” said Maj. William “Lee” started at 4:30 a.m. After talking with some of his Henry of the Army ROTC other competitors, Landrum department at Southern Miss. The next portion of the knew this was going to be tough and did not have much competition for Landrum is to compete on the regional level room for mistakes. “My competitor Scott and I against representatives from were literally neck and neck Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, after day three when he came Alabama, Georgia, South out on top after the combative Carolina, Florida and Puerto Rico. The competition will event,” Landrum said. The final event to determine kick off in Florida and consist who would become Soldier of similar events to the stateof the Year came down to a level competition. Whoever board meeting and soldier’s advances from the regional creed, which Landrum felt competition will move on to very comfortable with. He compete for the national title.
LOCAL
Festival 5K run
Michael Kavitz/Printz
Runners and walkers kick off the seventh annual St. Thomas Aquinas Irish-Italian Heritage Festival with a 5K on the Longleaf Trace March 14.
ON CAMPUS
LOCAL
Russian memoir sparks Irish-Italian festival parade book club discussion Allison Edwards
Michael Kavitz/Printz
Stephen Giles celebrates the seventh annual St. Thomas Aquinas Irish-Italian Heritage Festival performing with his bagpipes during the parade Saturday morning.
people have always seen their do it,” Farrell said. country as one of the great Farrell said there are at least Printz Reporter states in the global order.” six other book clubs that meet at “Nostalgic attitudes towards the the Hattiesburg Public Library Over spring break, Hattiesburg’s Stalin era are still very prevalent including a rock and roll book War and Society Roundtable book and Putin in a sense plays off of club, four adult fiction book clubs club met March 11 to discuss that nostalgia as well,” he said. and a teen book club. “Spy Handler: Memoir of a KGB LaPierre commented that many Allison Abra, a USM history Officer” by Victor Cherkashin. citizens of Crimea in Ukraine, a professor and two-year member of KGB was the main security former Soviet territory, carry two the War and Society Roundtable, agency for the Soviet Union from passports in their pockets and explained that the group had 1954-1991. pledge to advocate an alliance recently received a small grant Each month the group with Russia. This is a fact that from the Mississippi Humanities discusses a new book, with this the West seems to overlook when Council to help fund the purchase year’s theme being “spies and considering Russia’s current of the monthly books for checkout lies.” The discussion was lead occupation of Crimea. at the library. by Brian LaPierre, a Russian According to Sean Farrell, Next month the group will historian and associate professor assistant director of the discuss “Inside the Cuban of history at The University of Hattiesburg Public Library, the Revolution: Fidel Castro and the Southern Mississippi. group has been meeting for nearly Urban Underground” by Julia LaPierre talked about the a decade as a collaborative effort Sweig. The discussion will be led significance of a KGB memoir such with the Department of History by USM professor Matthew Casey. as “Spy Handler” which gives at Southern Miss to reach out to For more information visit an alternative view that might the public. www.usm.edu/war-society or join challenge our understanding “We have worked with the the group’s Facebook page The of what Soviet Russia was like. history department over the Dale Center for the Study of War Using that information, we can years on lots and lots of events and Society - Southern Miss. gain some enlightenment about and maybe 10 years ago the the current conflict in Ukraine. Center for War and Society was “Stalin still has a (remarkably) trying to make its resources Plato Closet of Hattiesburg is good reputation among a known to people outside the NOW HIRING! We are hiring for large slice of Soviet society,” academic community, outside all positions. For more information LaPierre said. “Stalin is also Southern Miss, so they partnered and applications go to credited with restoring Russia’s with us, and we decided that a platosclosethattiesburg.com great power status, and Russian book club was the best way to
FEATURE
Page 4 | Monday, March 17, 2014
LOCAL
WUSM kicks off annual fundraiser
Michael Kavitz/Printz
Justin Martin and Courtney Ingle set up a booth outside the Keg and Barrel Saturday for WUSM’s third annual Slumgulligan Campaign, which will raise funds for the only public radio station in Hattiesburg. Available products for purchase include t-shirts, pint glasses and wristbands to gain access to the show that WUSM is putting on at the Keg and Barrel April 6.
ON CAMPUS
Wiggins dubbed School of Polymers director Wilton Jackson Printz Reporter
Known for his high quality of research and renowned leadership skills, Jeffrey Wiggins was named the new director for the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials at The University of Southern Mississippi. For the past year, Wiggins served as the school’s interim director, taking over after longstanding director Robert Lochhead. Lochhead gave up the position to spend more time in the classroom and complete more research in the laboratory. “I am honored to have this opportunity to serve the School of Science and Technology and the university in this capacity,” Wiggins said. “I am particularly humbled by the
confidence provided to me from my colleagues, students and the university administration.” Among his initial goals as the new director, Wiggins plans to hire and develop the next generation of polymer science faculty and maintain a fulfilling experience for all polymer science students. “He truly cares about the success of each of his students,” said Laken Kendrick, a junior polymer science student. “He has a great relationship with faculty and will bring new ideas and resources to help improve our school.” Serving as a member of the Southern Miss polymer science faculty since 2005, Wiggins has research emphasis in sports and high performance materials, glassy polymer networks, sustainable and degradable
polymers, reaction extrusion and polymer processing. His research and teaching abilities led him to much success, resulting in numerous innovative opportunities that include creating a high performance football helmet cushioning system implemented by Rawlings Sporting Goods, collaborating with other colleagues to establish a partnership between the university and General Electric (GE) Aviation and starting an advanced next generation aerospace materials development infrastructure at the university. “I look forward to working with Dr. Wiggins in his new role,” said Patricia Biesiot, interim dean of the College of Science and Technology. “His leadership qualities and organizational skills make him an ideal fit for the position.”
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Jeffrey Wiggins was named the new director of the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials at USM after serving as interim director for the past year.
In August of 2008, Wiggins reached out to Rawlings executives, stating he had an idea for advancing the cushion of a football helmet. However, because Rawlings had not created a helmet over the past 20 years, they were only willing to start the project if he could produce a helmet that would be competitive in the market. Wiggins created The Rawlings Neuro Responsive Gear (NRG) helmet, implementing dual protection inside the helmet by combining a layer of foam reinforced by pneumatic cushioning made of pressurized “air bladders” that take over and absorb the energy from highly compulsive contact by athletes. Wiggins leads a team of researchers at Howard Technology Park, GE Aviation’s new facility that opened last April in Ellisville. At the facility, he works with researchers in the polymer science labs at Southern Miss to create advanced, composite materials such as fan blades for the global market. The fan blades are lightweight
and durable, translating to fuel savings, energy efficiency and reduced maintenance for high class jet engines. In addition, Wiggins has graduated five doctoral candidates from his personal mentoring and takes pride in his polymer students being successful at finding employment after graduation. Nearly 100 percent of undergraduates in the program find high-salary jobs immediately, while 100 percent of the graduate students have jobs waiting on them. “You get out of your education what you put into it,” Wiggins said. “If you join polymer science at Southern Miss, we are going to facilitate your journey, push your mind into places you did not think you could reach, assure you a meaningful career and help you achieve what you want in your professional life.” To learn more about the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials at Southern Miss, call 601.266.4868 or visit www. usm.edu/polymer.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Monday, March 17, 2014 | Page 5
REVIEW
‘Mr. Peabody and Sherman’ packed with hilarity Bradley Presson Printz Reporter
A certain fear washes over me every time I go see a new Dreamworks animated movie. Unlike its more illustrious animation rival Pixar, Dreamworks has a track record that is less than stellar. For every “How to Train Your Dragon” it seems like there is a “Shark Tale” shortly after. Fortunately, with “Mr. Peabody and Sherman,” Dreamworks hit the mark. The film follows the titular Mr. Peabody, a Nobel Prizewinning genius who happens to be a talking dog, and his adopted human son Sherman as they use Peabody’s time machine, the WABAC, to learn about history firsthand. Things move along swimmingly for the duo until Sherman starts his first day of school. At school, Sherman gets in an altercation with a school bully named Penny and ultimately bites her. The incident attracts the attention of a Children’s Services agent Ms. Grunion, who threatens to remove Sherman
from Peabody’s care. In order to prevent this, Peabody invites Penny and her family to dinner at his home. While Peabody impresses Penny’s parents, he leaves Sherman to patch things up with Penny. As Sherman goes about making amends with Penny, he spills the beans about the WABAC, and from here hijinks ensue. After Penny is left stranded in ancient Egypt, Sherman enlists his adoptive father to save the day. From there, Sherman, Peabody and Penny find themselves in numerous times and places as they cross paths with King Tut, the Trojan army, Leonardo da Vinci and others. Despite the complex historical plot, the film manages to avoid getting bogged down in the details. Instead, it focuses on keeping things light and fun, which it does incredibly well. “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” provides no shortage of laughs, as witty jokes, plentiful puns courtesy of Peabody and historical references collide in an incredibly smart and hilarious manner. Delivery of lines is sharp and fresh, especially from Ty
Burrell, the voice of Peabody. Taking a note out of the Pixar book, the film has plenty of sentimental moments that are really touching, with Peabody and Sherman’s father and son dynamic being particularly heartwarming. Thankfully, the film manages to be sweet without becoming overly sappy. The tender moments are balanced out by plenty of humor and action, as the film strikes the perfect balance of all three. In terms of visuals, “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” can compete with the best in the animation world. The film is visually delighting, and the character design is charming and quirky. One of the highlights of the film, from both a visual and emotional standpoint, is when Sherman and Penny use one of da Vinci’s flying machines to soar around Renaissance Florence. The scene is a turning point in their relationship, and is visually stunning, with incredibly energetic and gorgeous visuals that ooze a sense of freedom and fun. There are a few parts where
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the film is lacking however. Some parts of the film, like the Trojan War, introduce characters who are truly funny and do affect the plot, but the scenes are too brief and the characters are too absent for the rest of the film to really feel like they added to the experience. Another problem I had with the film was the character of Grunion. The character, who serves as the main antagonist, is incredibly
one-dimensional and has little backstory. She hates Peabody and desperately wants to remove Sherman from his care, but her motivations and the reason for this animosity toward Peabody are never really explained. Despite these issues, “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” manages to stay funny, sweet and, above all, fun.
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OPINION
Page 6 | Monday, March 17, 2014
LIFE
Think before fetching a furry friend Kristy Shelley Printz Reporter
Lately, I’ve noticed college students being very interested in getting a pet. Whether they want to adopt them all when they volunteer at Southern Pines or see them in the window at Animal Medical Center on Hardy Street, they have puppy or kitty fever. I was once in this position, which is why I currently have two dogs. If you know me, I love my dogs way too much and getting them was the best decision I ever made. However, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. So, maybe this article will help those of you who are struggling with whether or not you should get a pet while you are in college. Pro: Dogs are always so excited to see you. Literally the second you walk in the door, they are jumping for joy. Their tails are wagging, they lick your face and sometimes they run around the house to get all their newfound energy out. Con: Their excitement can often lead to peeing. Yeah, they are super pumped to see you and you are super pumped to see them. You start talking to them about how much you missed them and love them and...pee. Sometimes they like your friends so much that they pee on them. Not cool.
Pro: Dogs bark at everything.
If you’re like me and afraid of the dark or being alone, your trusty pal will let you know of an intruder, someone who looks like an intruder from outside or confirm your suspicion that your house is actually haunted. Con: Dogs bark at everything. Like, the birds flying outside, your neighbor Kelly whom they’ve seen a million times and the other neighborhood dogs who walk by your house. Nap time between classes? Better think again.
Pro: You have someone to eat dinner with. Sounds sad, but it’s awesome to come home and start cooking and then feeding your pet. It’s like you’re having dinner with them. And they are full at the same time you are, so they’re ready to snuggle and watch tv when you’re done. Con: Dog/cat food is expensive. All of it. Especially if you are trying to be the best pet owner ever and get them the healthiest and best food, oh man. This is one of those moments you decide to be a grandma and never go out because buying $30 pet food is better than a few drinks at DeRe. Pro: You will always have plans. No matter what day of the week or what time of the day, your animal is always ready to play with you, snuggle with you, go on a walk with you – whatever you want to do. Also, if you’re really into exercising, taking your dog on the Longleaf Trace is a great way to bond with them but do something for yourself at the same time. Con: When you do have plans, they have to revolve around your pet. So, that one Saturday where you plan to go to lunch with a friend, shopping after that, ice cream after that, shower and get ready for your dinner and a movie date after that and maybe a few drinks after that, you have to re-evaluate. Because your dog has to be taken out three times a day, fed twice a day and of course they need some play time in between. But since many of us are busy college students, I don’t recommend everyone go crazy and get a dog or a cat. They require more attention than just the average treat or belly rub. They need shots, check-ups and other medications that can be quite expensive. They need to be trained so they’re not chewing up your furniture or peeing all over your house.
Most importantly, though, they need to be loved and cared for – all the time. So, you’ll have to be willing to
make sacrifices for them. But in the end, I love having my dogs. They’ve taught me patience, responsibility and
how to be selfless. I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.
Kristy Shelley/Printz Reporter
Obi (Boston Terrier)
Kristy Shelley/Printz Reporter
Teebo (Pekingese)
Kristy Shelley/Printz Reporter
SPORTS
Monday, March 17, 2014 | Page 7
BASKETBALL
Conference USA tournament Lady Eagles fall in championship to MTSU fate to be decided Monday Wilton Jackson
Printz Reporter The University of Southern Mississippi Lady Eagles finished the regular season on an 11-game winning streak, beating North Texas on the road, 80-77. On March 13, the Lady Eagles (24-5) entered the 2014 Conference USA Women’s Basketball Championships as the second seed facing seventhseeded Old Dominion University. With high level of play from senior point guard Jamierra Faulkner and her supporting casts, Southern Miss knocked off Old Dominion, 83-64 to advance to the semifinal round of the tournament. The two teams went back-andforth in the first half; however, the Lady Eagles led 46-40 at the half. Southern Miss went on a 12-2 run to open the second half, increasing the lead to 58-42 with 16:47 remaining in the game. Despite the Big Blue cutting the deficit to eight on several occasions, the Lady Eagles took full control over the second half. For the game, Southern Miss shot 55.9 percent (33-of-59) from the field, converted 6-of10 from the beyond the arc and committed only 14 turnovers.
Freshman Brittany Dinkins led all scorers for the Lady Eagles with 19 points, followed by Jamierra Faulkner’s 10th doubledouble of 15 points and 12 assists while Kierra Jordan added 16 points. Shae Kelley led all scorers for Old Dominion with 13 points. In semifinal action, Southern Miss defeated third-seeded UTEP in a come-from-behind win, 84-70 to extend its leaguebest winning streak to 13 games. The Lady Eagles advanced to the championship game to host top-seeded and no. 22 Middle Tennessee State. Jamierra Faulkner led all scorers for the Lady Eagles, scoring 22 of her 26 points in the second half and tied for a gamebest eight rebounds and seven assists to become the C-USA career assists leader with 854. In addition, two other Lady Eagle player finished in double digits in the contest. Jerontay Clemons scored 17 points and Tamara Jones netted 13 points. Southern Miss shot 47.5 percent (28-for-59) from the floor and an impressive 80 percent (24-for-30) on the game. Senior Kayla Thornton led all scorers for UTEP with 20
points, followed by Stacie Tellers with 13 points and Chrishuana Parker finishing with 12 points on the afternoon. Top-seeded Middle Tennessee State snapped the Southern Miss 13-game winning streak, winning 84-55 in the C-USA title game Saturday evening. The Lady Eagles (26-6) scored the first five points to open the game before Middle Tennessee went on a 15-7 run, capped off by a three-point shot from the 2014 C-USA Player of the Year Ebony Rowe to give the Blue Raiders a 15-12 lead with 10:32 to go in the first half. From there, Southern Miss scored eight straight points to take a 20-17 advantage with 5:35 remaining in the half. Middle Tennessee was led by an aggressive defense to go on a 13-2 run before the half, forcing Southern Miss into five turnovers. The Blue Raiders led at the half, 30-22. In the second half, the two teams went back-and-forth over the first several minutes; however, Middle Tennessee (29-4) was too much for Southern Miss. With 15:30 left in the second half, the Blue Raiders led 41-31 and went on a 16-2 run that spanned seven minutes, putting the Lady Eagles
in a huge deficit to overcome. Middle Tennessee led by as many as 31 at one point, in part due to Southern Miss fouling down the stretch. For the game, the Lady Eagles shot 41.8 percent (23-for-55) from the field, 17.6 percent (3for-17) from three point range and 66.7 percent (6-for-9) from the charity stripe. The Blue Raiders shot 50 percent (29for-58) from the floor, enjoyed a 25-10 advantage in points off turnovers, outscored the Lady Eagles 19-9 in second-chance points while converting 17-for-24 from the free throw line.
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Jamierra Faulkner led all Lady Eagle scorers in her doubledouble of 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, followed by 15 points from Tamara Jones and 12 from Jerontay Clemons. Ebony Rowe scored 23 points to lead the team in scoring followed by C-USA Freshman of the Year Olivia Jones’ double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds. The Lady Eagles will receive their postseason bid on “Selection Monday” of whether or not they will play in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament or earn a spot in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
Southern Miss snubbed from NCAA Tournament: slated for NIT matchup against Toledo Joshua Campbell Sports Editor
On Sunday, Southern Miss became the highest rated RPI team with at least 27 wins not to make the NCAA Tournament in the history of college basketball. While some may say that the loss to Louisiana Tech in the semifinals of the Conference USA tournament was the Golden Eagles’ undoing, their snub had more to do with the other teams on the bubble. The last four teams in were Xavier, Dayton, BYU and Nebraska. It appears as though that USM’s résumé was just as good or better than all of these schools. Take a look at the résumés of these four schools and compare them to USM. Xavier (21-12, 10-8) are losers of eight of their last 14 games and were ousted in the semifinals of the Big East tournament. They lost to nontournament teams like Seton Hall (twice), Georgetown and USC while having an RPI of 49. Dayton (23-10, 10-6) lost in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 tournament and lost to non-
tournament teams like Rhode Island (14-18) and Richmond (19-14). They finished with an RPI of 43 and were sixth in their conference during the regular season. BYU (23-11, 13-5) lost the West Coast Conference championship game to Gonzaga and lost to non-tournament teams like Portland, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine and Utah. They finished with an
RPI of 33. Nebraska (19-12, 11-7) lost in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament and lost to non-tournament teams like UAB, Purdue, Penn State and Illinois. They finished with an RPI of 46. Southern Miss (27-6, 13-3) lost to non-tournament teams like UAB, Middle Tennessee State, Western Kentucky and Louisiana Tech. Of the bubble
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teams, USM had the highest RPI Conference USA teams also had of 31. They were the highest more top 50 non-conference ranked team in terms of RPI wins than the Atlantic 10 did. not to make the tournament for Only time will tell if the the second straight season. selection committee got it right, Looking at all these résumés, but at first glance, there is no one could make an argument doubt that USM got snubbed. that BYU had a better résumé, Southern Miss head coach but it appears that USM had Donnie Tyndall was far from a better overall body of work thrilled with the news that USM than the other three bubble did not make the tournament. teams mentioned. Also, an “I can’t sell the fact that it’s argument could easily be made OK, or it’s going to be better that USM had a better body in the long run,” Tyndall said. of work than other teams that He also said that his team’s got in like Tennessee, Iowa and main goal was to make the Arizona State. NCAA Tournament. C-USA appears to have been Instead of going to the big snubbed altogether with Tulsa dance, USM will participate being the only team that got in in the NIT Tournament, the after winning the conference little brother of the NCAA tournament. There were five Tournament. Last season, teams in the conference with USM was a no.1 seed in the over 20 wins, four with 13-3 NIT, but was upset by BYU in records and one (Tulsa) with a the quarterfinals. 12-4 conference record. This season, they are a no. 3 While the Atlantic 10 has seed and will play Toledo (27-6) proven over previous seasons in the first round on Wednesday that their teams can compete at home at 7:30 p.m. The NIT with the big boys, there is no begins Tuesday and carries way that they had six teams on until April 3 when the that were all better than championship will be played in Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech Madison Square Garden. and Middle Tennessee State.
SPORTS
Page 8 | Monday, March 17, 2014
BASEBALL
Golden Eagles’ issues continue Joshua Campbell Sports Editor
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles’ struggles continued over the break as they went 3-4 while losing their series to Missouri 2-1, losing to South Alabama and taking two of three from Marshall. USM was outscored 11-7 in their series against Missouri with their bats remaining relatively silent throughout. They dropped game one of the series 4-1 with their top four hitters combining to go hitless in 14 at-bats. Bradley Roney was the only Golden Eagle with more than one hit in the game. They got a pretty strong outing from starter Conor Fisk who lasted 6 2/3 innings while allowing four runs on five hits, but fanned eight batters. Fisk now has 32 strikeouts in just 19 2/3 innings of work on the season. In game two of the series, USM lost their third straight game by a score of 6-4. Tim Lynch, Mason Robbins and Connor Barron each had two hits in the game with Lynch connecting on three hits. Barron drove in two runners while Robbins drove in another. Starter A.J. Glasshof struggled mightily, lasting just 1 2/3 innings and gave up five runs on five hits to go along with four walks. It appeared as though the game was going to get severely out of hand, but reliever Jake
Winston was able to come in and right the ship. Winston pitched 4 2/3 innings without surrendering a run and struck out two. USM was able to pull within one run in the sixth, but Missouri freshman Jake Ring stole home in the eighth inning to secure the victory. Game three of the series was a true pitching duel as the two teams combined for just ten hits on the afternoon. USM starter Cameron Giannini continued his early season success as he turned in 7 2/3 innings of four hits ball, surrendering just one unearned run in the eighth inning before being replaced by Roney. Roney also continued his dominance on the mound as he recorded the final four outs of the game to pick up his fifth save of the season. He struck out three of the four batters he got out. Roney also had the lone highlight for Southern Miss at the plate when he connected on a two-run home run in the fourth inning to score Dylan Burdeaux. It was Roney’s first home run of the season. Those two runs proved to be the difference as USM picked up the win 2-1. Southern Miss was set to play the University of New Orleans Privateers on Tuesday, but the game was cancelled due to severe weather in the Hattiesburg area. USM continued play on Wednesday when South Alabama came to town boasting an 8-7 record coming in. Neither team was able to find success at
the plate as they combined for just nine hits, but USM’s shaky defense once again proved to be the difference. South Alabama was only able to connect on six hits, but five USM errors allowed them to put five runs on the board. Nick Dawson, Breck Kline, Taylor Nunez, Nick Johnson and Sean Buchholtz each committed an error for the Golden Eagles. The pitching for USM was rather impressive as five pitchers combined to give up just one earned run while compiling eight total strike outs. Starter Cody Carroll lasted four innings, giving up just two hits without allowing a run. Dawson drove in the lone USM run in the third inning on a single to centerfield, but USM mustered just two hits the rest of the way. South Alabama picked up their ninth win of the season in the 5-1 victory, dropping USM to 7-10. USM’s fortunes finally turned when they traveled to Marshall Friday for a three game set to begin conference play. Another pitching duel took place Friday as starters Christian Talley of USM and Josh King of Marshall turned in stellar performances. Talley pitched five strong innings, giving up three hits and four walks while striking out nine. The USM defense again let their pitcher down as Talley surrendered an unearned run in the sixth due to an error that extended the inning. King entered the ninth inning
with a 1-0 lead for Marshall, but USM was able to finally get something going against him. He left the game with the bases loaded and no outs despite the ball never leaving the infield. Kline’s pinch hit magic showed up huge once again as connected on a 3-1 offering that turned into a two-run double that scored Lynch and Roney to give USM a 2-1 lead, their first of the day. Dawson would later add another run with a sacrifice fly before Roney picked up his sixth save of the season to seal the game. USM’s bats finally came to life in game two of the series, the day portion of Saturday’s double header. They came out firing on all cylinders, scoring five runs in the first inning. Lynch homered after Barron and Sterling both struck out to lead off the inning. USM would then load the bases, but Andrew Furr cleared them with a three-run double down the right field line. Marshall would cut the lead to four in the fourth inning, but Matt Durst extended the lead back to five with a solo shot in the fifth inning. Barron made it a six-run game in the eighth inning when he connected on a solo home run of his own, USM’s third of the game. However, Marshall made it interesting in the bottom of the frame, collecting four runs to cut the lead to 7-5. But USM’s offense was not done as they added two more runs in the ninth to put the
game away. Kline delivered with another big pinch hit as he singled to right field with the bases loaded to score pinch runner Michael Gilbert. An error netted USM the second run of the inning. Cameron Ginanni was solid once again as he picked up his second straight win after pitching 7 1/3 innings. Ryan Milton, who entered the game in the eighth inning for USM, picked up his first save of the season. Game three of the series and the night tilt of the day-night double header did not go USM’s way however. A shaky start from Glasshof, who lasted just 3 2/3 innings, and an anemic offense paved way for USM to pick up their 11th loss of the season and first in conference play. Barron was the only Southern Miss player with two hits as USM only registered five hits. Five of the eight starting position players failed to come away with a hit. If USM is to start grouping together wins, they are going to have to change the narrative that has been their undoing all season. Their failure clump together hits and their errorprone defense will have to improve moving forward. USM (9-11, 2-1) will continue their season when they play host to Louisiana-Monroe Tuesday before a three-game series against UTSA begins Friday.
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