SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927•WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM•APRIL 6, 2022|VOLUME107|ISSUE25
GOLDEN EAGLE SPOTLIGHT PG 2
C-USA DEPARTURE PG 4
DREAMVILLE
PG 6
Blaze and Haize: Girl finds passions to overcome struggles with childhood disability
LOREN JONES
SM2 FEATURES EDITOR
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aize Hinton of Soso, Mississippi, seemed like a healthy baby when she was born in September 2015. However, at two months, her parents noticed she was not using her right arm. A visit to the pediatrician sent Haize and her family to a neurologist in Jackson, Mississippi. From there, the family traveled to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas, where they learned Haize had suffered from a massive stroke leaving two-thirds of her brain dead. As a result, doctors said it was likely she would never walk or talk. Haize’s mother, Katie Hinton, began looking for ways to help her daughter. During the search, they found Brooke King, Leigh Ann Hunt, and Taneshia Quinn of Jeff Davis County Therapy. They were aiding in therapy to help people like Haize. At eight months old, Haize began speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy to give her a chance at a semi-normal life. With the help of a walker and therapy three times a week for three hours, Haize took her first steps by age two. During the last two years, Haize went to The Children’s Center for Communication and Development on the USM campus to continue her therapy. The Center provides the skills, resources and confidence children with disabilities need to face everyday life and helps them build a foundation for a brighter future. While she no longer goes to the Center,
Haize continues to go to therapy. “Even at such an early age, Haize had the drive to do better. She wanted to do things like everyone else,” Connie Parish, Haize’s grandmother, said. Now six years old and ready to graduate from kindergarten, Haize continues to grow and become more independent each day. She remains limited in movement but continues to push through her limitations. She has found a love for riding horses, especially Blaze, her grandfather’s horse, to the point people stop to watch as she runs through a barrel race pattern. She doesn’t care about having the fastest time because all Haize wants is to have fun. However, speed has become her confidence booster when she is aboard Blaze pushing him to run faster. “Her confidence level is high when she rides. She just laughs. She wants Blaze to go faster, run more,” Katie Hinton said. Haize pushes herself to show that she can do things like others her own age, even with a limitation. She discovered creative ways to achieve everyday tasks. She looked to others with a disability like hers to learn how others work around their restrictions. “Once, when cleaning up, I tried to get Haize to let me close a zip-up bag because I did not think she could, but she proved me wrong by doing it herself, even if it took her a bit,” Scott Parish, Haize’s grandfather, said. With continued therapy treatment and firm support, Haize continues to do everything she loves to do as a kid trying to enjoy her childhood.
Haize used a walker at an early age to help her walk.
Courtesy of Hinton Family
“I love playing outside with my brothers, playing doctor and riding my horse, Blaze,” Haize said.
Haize has found her passion for horseriding with her horse, Blaze.
Courtesy of Hinton Family
NEWS MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS
SM2 News Director
Charlie Luttrell charles.luttrell@usm.edu
Executive Editor
Kyra Lampley kyra.lampley@usm.edu Entertainment Editor Loren Jones loren.jones@usm.edu Printz Reporters A’Darius McCormick adarius.mcormick@usm.edu Dima Mixon dima.mixon@usm.edu Koby Moore koby.moore@usm.edu Jackson Howell jackson.howell@usm.edu Jessica Besnard jessica.besnard@usm.edu Cordaveon Carter cordaveon.carter@usm.edu
Printz Photographer Sean Smith sean.a.smith@usm.edu
WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM APRIL 6, 2022 Golden Eagle Spotlight: A talk in the jungle
A’DARIUS MCCORMICK PRINTZ REPORTER
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his week’s Golden Eagle Spotlight goes to something instead of someone this week, which is Hattiesburg Zoo, its exhibits and upcoming events. The director of education, reservation and wildlife Jeremy Cumpton shared all the zoo’s fascinating information with us. Hattiesburg Zoo broke its record for the highest attendance in a single day Thursday, March 17. Over 4,000 guests attended the zoo to check out all of their fascinating exhibits and several attractions. “It’s always an excitement when we see as many people as we did on that day,” Cumpton said. “I started off here almost nine years ago, and we had very little attendance happening at the time compared to what we have today.” Hattiesburg Zoo acts as the home to 100 species around the zoo from favorites like giraffes and zebras to rare
animals like the chacoan peccary. The zoo houses several attractions: a train ride, carousel, petting zoo, ropes course and wallaby walkabout. Another McCormick and Cumptom talk at the Hattiesburg Zoo’s giraffe exhibit. Sean Smith/Printz attraction called the sloth experience, visit the sloth things exotic, visit Hattiesexperience gets a great deal of experience tab on the Hattiesburg Zoo’s website or take attention. burg Zoo’s website. a trip to the zoo down 17th “It sells out in between The zoo will present an Avenue. three to six months in adEaster egg hunt called Watch A’Darius McCorvance, Eggz-otic Easter April 16th mick’s full interview with and it’s where people get and a monarch butterfl y conCumpton at the Hattiesburg to go and make the soft diet,” servation project later in the Zoo on the Southern Miss Cumpton said. “They get to spring. Earth Day willbring Student Media Center’s feed the sloths, take pictures more events to the zoo April Youtube page on the latest with the sloths, depending on 22nd. episode of Southern Miss TV. the sloth’s mood.” For more information on To sign up for the sloth
USM Library hosts annual edible book festival A’DARIUS MCCORMICK PRINTZ REPORTER
U The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not 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 eligible for publication, all submission must include name, class distinction, major, phone number and email address. Submissions should be emailed to printzeditors@gmail.com by 5 p.m. on the Friday before publication. 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.
Opinions expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, its publication manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications.
SM’s Joseph Anderson Cook Library hosted its annual edible book festival on its second floor April 1 to commemorate classic literature. The annual event halted last year when the pandemic continued to rise, and assistant professor of University Libraries Diana Simpson sounded excited to bring the event back this semester. “Libraries and cultural institutions around the world really put on these festivals around April 1st every year,” Simpson said. “So, we’ve been doing this here at the library for about six or seven years, and it’s just a fun event.” The entries represented several different pieces of literature, like ‘Man on the Moon’ and ‘The Si-
lence of the Lambs’, with edible art. Using actual vivid food sculpture or silly wordplay, each of the entries showed off their book in different ways. One entry used a pun to represent its book. “It’s actually a BLT sandwich. Representative of the book called ‘The Notorious RBG’, and they call their creation Notorious BLT,” Simpson said. “And actually, they won a category. They won the ‘punniest’ category.” The festival’s judges voted for several other categories. The rest of the categories were most mouthwatering, most nutritious, most creative, best virtual and people’s choice. Contestants pulled out all of their creativity to win these categories. “And the most creative
Ed Simpson’s submission for ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Photo/Sarah Hooper
was the “Graveyard Book”. Someone made a cake with an actual graveyard scene,” Simpson said. The entries included all sorts of foods, such as banana pudding, french bread, wine and even gushers. The contestants were not limited to anything at all. One of the contestants may be familiar to some students. Ed Simpson, the director of USM’s School of Communication, entered the contest with his
edible take on ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’. “He entered our contest, yes, and his entry did not win, unfortunately,” Diana Simpson said. “But it was very creative.” Keep an eye out for the annual Edible book festival next year around the same time, and if you want to join the competition, registration will open March 2023. Save the date!
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APRIL 6, 2022
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Letter to the Editor: Poverty. Homelessness. College students. MONYONNA BRAXTON
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ne study found that nearly three out of five students experienced basic needs insecurity during the pandemic, meaning that they did not have stable access to housing or food. I was one of them. On September 18, 2020, I was physically assaulted and left with nowhere to go. I felt alone, abandoned and rejected. School became tertiary; my focus was getting through the days. I could not comfortably afford food or health care. I often wondered how this could happen to “someone like me,” a good student who is hardworking and dedicated to her studies. When I sought help from people on campus, I was initially met with responses like, “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing that I can do” or “Speak with your guardian.” I distinctly remember feeling like a burden to admin-
istrators. It was not until I was introduced to a woman in Mobile, AL that I received the assistance that I desperately needed. This stranger, now godmother, knew how to navigate higher education in ways that I did not. My instructions were to communicate my concerns with my program directors. Once in contact with the right people, I received the help that I needed. While my situation may seem uncommon, it is far from it. In a landscape basic needs survey of nearly 200,000 students, 48% reported that they experienced housing insecurity, and 14% experienced homelessness in the fall of 2020. Black students were 16% more likely to experience basic needs insecurity than their white counterparts. Knowing how common this issue is nationally, begs the
question: how prevalent is housing and food insecurity on our campus? How many students skip meals or cannot pay their rent? The good news is that there is growing support for meeting students’ basic needs from the university’s stance such as Eagle’s Nest Food Pantry, Swipe Away Hunger, and Seymour’s Career Closet which seeks to support students, faculty, and staff members here at The University of Southern Mississippi. Though my situation has improved, the problem of homelessness on our college campus still exists. Regrettably, there is no specific department or person at USM whose job is to support students’ basic needs. The good news is that there are creative ways to meet students where they are - with dignity and care. Conducting a basic needs
SAPA Sexual Assault Awareness Month Calendar
Survey Opportunity for Journalism Capstone The journalism captone class is working on a project that will be released April 29. Following the sexual assault protest on campus, students started a petition for a zero tolerance policy to the university that has yet to be adopted by USM. This project studies sexual violence on USM’s campus, student’s interest and campus climate. Since the project revolves around USM students, the class has created a survey to gather statistics. This survey helps these journalists understand the climate on campus as it relates to sexual assault, harassment and victim-blaming. Please consider taking the survey below.
study to find out how common this issue is would give campus leaders a better understanding of how and where to address homelessness on college campuses. Once data is collected, we will be able to provide ample support to vulnerable students. Recommendations include establishing a safety net for students, such as placing a percentage of finances in savings, which would help students experiencing temporary insecurity. Additionally, creating mentoring programs would benefit the student in aspects of the student being connected to various resources on campus. So, the question that I leave administrators and those in a position of power is simply: How are you using your platform to reach the students who are often ostracized or unnoticed?
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APRIL 6, 2022
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Case Closed: Southern Miss officially leaves Conference USA
JACKSON HOWELL SM2 REPORTER
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initially decided upon doing. After some discussion between he long legal battle is offithe three schools and the Sun Belt cially over: Conference USA granted Conference, Southern Miss, MarSouthern Miss permission to exit shall and Old Dominion decided to the conference before the 2022-23 jump ship early, citing Conference season. USA’s unwillingness to negotiate an “Conference USA, Marshall early exit. University, Old Dominion UniverConference USA responded by sity, and the University of Southern threatening legal action, which soon Mississippi have reached a resolution followed. Conference USA and that allows the schools to withdraw the Sun Belt released 2022 football as members at the end of the acaschedules that both featured the demic year,” Conference USA said three exiting schools, which further about the three outgoing schools in complicated the situation. a joint statement released March Conference USA attempted to 29. “The Universities will compete force arbitration, but the circuit as members of the Sun Belt Confer- courts of Forrest County (Southern ence.” Miss), Cabell County (Marshall) and Southern Miss mulled the exodus Norfolk (Old Dominion) all favored as early as December 2021 before their respective schools in blocking making an official announcement the arbitration. on February 11 that detailed their As the court cases reached a intentions to leave. crescendo, Conference USA reached Conference USA immediately an agreement with the three schools pushed back against Southern Miss which allowed them to join the Sun – alongside Marshall and Old DoBelt a year early. minion who made similar announceThe Student Printz requested a ments on the same day. copy of the separation agreement Conference USA bylaws state from Southern Miss, but it is up to that universities are required to give Conference USA to release those 14-months notice before leaving the matters. The university stated the conference, which the three schools conference will allow the informa-
KYRA LAMPLEY EXECUTIVE EDITOR
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tion to become available after 30 days unless they force legal action to keep the agreement private. “We are delighted to welcome Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss as full members of the Sun Belt Conference on July 1, 2022,” Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill said in a statement on March 31. “This expansion will produce even stronger regional rivalries... Our future is bright, and the 2022-23 academic year promises to be one of the most anticipated in Sun Belt History.” Conference USA will continue with 11 teams during the upcomng academic year as their expected new members are not set to join until
Image special to the Printz 2023-24. Southern Miss was a founding member of Conference USA, and it came after serving 43 years as an independent athletic program. This will be only the second major conference for Southern Miss in nearly a century. The Golden Eagles will conclude its time in Conference USA by hosting the conference tournament at Pete Taylor Park in May.
AASO hosts blood drive at USM
minutes is the lowest estimated time of blood donation and can result in saving up to 3 lives. On Thursday, March 29, the University of Southern Mississippi’s AASO (Afro-American Student Organization) hosted a blood drive through the MS Blood Services to help those in need. Students, faculty and community members were encouraged to come out and participate in the event. Every year, blood drives are held throughout the United States to help those in need. It is a vital substance for the function of the human body and holds high value to the medical community. According to the American Red Cross Blood Services, approximately 6.8 million people in the U.S. donate blood. 40 percent of that isprovided by the Red Cross. Senior Erin Logan, the vice-president of AASO says that by sponsoring this event, the organization hopes to help the surrounding commu
nities. “One thing that we’re all about is community,” Logan said. “Doing a blood drive like this helps to cherish and take care of the community itself while also bringing more of USM to students and to Hattiesburg.” Blood donations are used for a plethora of reasons including supporting patients who may need surgery, cancer treatments, childbirth or blood loss from life-threat ening injuries. Because of this, diversity in blood supply is crucial in
ensuring that the needs of all patients are met. Those with rare blood types greatly benefit from having donations. Payton Temple, a junior construction management major, says that he hopes his donation will help someone in need. “Donating blood is some
thing that came to my attention probably my sophomore year of college,” Temple said. “You’re giving back to not just your community but all around.” To give blood or find out more information, visit www. RedCross.Org.
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ENTERTAINMENT
APRIL 6, 2022
J. Cole and the Dreamville camp strikes again with their latest Mixtape D-Day
KOBY MOORE PRINTZ REPORTER
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his past Friday, The Dreamville label dropped their follow-up to their Grammy-nominated Revenge of the Dreamers III album back in 2019. The name of the mixtape was called 'DDay: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape'. This album features Dreamville artists, J.Cole, Bas, Cozz, Omen, Lute, Ari Lennox, JID and EarthGang. This is the fourth compilation by Dreamville again, this one coming after the Revenge of the Dreamers album in 2019. There are 15 tracks on the mixtape and the mixtape comes out to 47 minutes. So, it’s not a long listen at all and you could listen to it multiple times. This mixtape was a Gangsta Grillz mixtape hosted by DJ Drama, which is very significant, because some of the most celebrated and popular hip hop mixtapes were Gangsta Grillz mixtapes, including mixtapes like Dreamchasers 2 by Meek Mill, Dedication 2 by Lil Wayne, and many others, so there’s a lot of history behind the Gangsta Grillz mixtapes. This had the essence of a mixtape too, because there were many freestyles over instrumentals to other songs. DJ Drama talked at the beginning and end of the song and of course it felt like most of the artists on here were comfortable and got off on these tracks. My favorite songs from off the mixtape, were 'Lifestyle' by Bas, featuring A$AP Ferg, which stood out to me the first time because Bas was spazzing and going off. Then, A$AP Ferg came and did what he did on the track, which was really good. 'Heaven’s EP' by J. Cole was another standout- Cole was rapping over the 'Pipe Down' by Drake instrumental, and he was just floating over that beat. 'Coming
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Foo Fighters Temporary Metal Persona with ‘Dream Widow’
JESSICA BESNARD PRINTZ REPORTER
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oo Fighters, or mostly just the lead vocalist Dave Grohl, released ‘Dream Widow’, a metal EP, under the fictional band Dream Widow from their horror-comedy film ‘Studio 666.’ The EP was released on March 25th, the same day Foo Fighters’ drummer Taylor Hawkins died. It’s difficult to Courtesy of SoundCloud imagine a version of Foo Fighters without the delightful Down' by Ari Lennox was another Hawkins on the drums. He could good song. Ari Lennox never disappoints when she’s on a record and I pound the drums behind Grohl in a way that you would never think especially loved the 'I’m Going Down' sample that was used in this twice about wishing it was anyone else–not even Grohl. song. Other songs that I enjoyed Grohl has had a history of perwere 'Barry' from Simpson by JID, 'Big Trouble Freestyle' by Cozz and forming different genres besides Nirvana’s grunge and Foo Fighters’ 'Starting 5' by Lute, Cozz and Omen. classic rock, such as his heavy metMy standout artists other than al project Probot in 2004 and his J.Cole and JID, who I didn’t really hardcore punk rock band Scream expect anything from because I in 1989. It isn’t his first delve into listen to them regularly, were Bas the metal scene and ‘Dream Widand Cozz. I started to grow a liking ow’ makes it obvious. to Bas after hearing his song 'The Grohl is the main man behind Jackie', but on this mixtape, he ‘Dream Widow,’ especially voreally made me look forward to his cal-wise, showcasing yet another album or what he has coming out talent of his that people may have in the future. Cozz is someone I been unaware of. Drums, guitar, never really heard anything from, writing, singing, screaming—he until these last two projects by Dreamville and he is incredible and does it all. The EP starts extremely strong very lyrical, and he seems very underrated because I don’t hear his with ‘Encino,’ which is thrashy, ferocious and lightning-paced but name a lot. the remaining songs don’t exactly I give this mixtape a 7 out of keep this pace. ‘Encino’ contains 10. When I heard that this mixtape was coming out, I was excited all the necessary elements of metal. because it’s a big project from ‘March of the Insane’ comes Dreamville and then when I heard closest to matching the energy of it was a Gangsta Grillz mixtape, my ‘Encino’ with its vicious vocals and excitement heightened because I pace. know the history behind that mix‘Cold,’ the second track, stands tape. as my favorite–giving me a little I’m going to give this mixtape a few taste of Pantera in the beginning. more listens but I enjoyed it and Grohl’s voice booms powerful and Dreamville doesn’t disappoint hauntingly like a monstrous being, again. it truly blows me away.
Courtesy of foofighters.com
My other favorite track is ‘Becoming’ which sounds so enticing with Grohl’s voice once again thundering over you. It’s tastefully doomy. ‘The Sweet Abyss’ is much more sweetly melodic than the others, sounding like a spicy Foo Fighters. If it stood at just the chorus, this would be a song I could imagine Foo Fighters normally releasing. ‘Angel With Severed Wings’ is heavy, but its lyrics are probably heavier. This is another song that, at times, sounds like it could be a regular Foo Fighters’ release. My only wish is that more songs on the EP matched its starting track ‘Encino’ but nevertheless, it turned out fantastic and the majority of ‘Dream Widow’ sounds quite similar to organic metal, very original and old school. Foo Fighter’s ‘Dream Widow’ makes for hellish fun and Grohl blew it out the water with this jam. In my honest opinion, I think I prefer this EP over any Foo Fighters’ album I’ve ever heard, though I am a Foo fanatic (I just made that term up). I hope there will be more of this in Foo Fighters’ future but most importantly, rest in peace Taylor Hawkins. 9.5/10.
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Carter’s Countdown: Top 100 Songs
0. Japanese Denim – Daniel Caesar: He may be a very controversial figure but as mentioned before, we separate the person from the artist. This song represents and showcases his musical ability perfectly. This song encapsulates pure and sweet love with a stripped-down electric guitar and his soothing and soulful vocals accompanying them. The mixing and mastering of this song make it what it is honestly capturing a very urban yet modern sound. The emotional and heartfelt lyrics make this one of the best pure love ballads of our generation. 69. I Like It – DeBarge: One of the most inspirational and sampled groups in R&B history, this family-based group absolutely delivers on capturing the essence of being in the honeymoon phase of love. With the funk of that legendary bassline and the slight, but powerful playing of the horns in the back, this is another one of your mothers’ favorites and one of the most instant cookout classics. This song will forever be one that will get you in the groove. 68. Sunflower – Rex Orange County: I get instant flashbacks every single time I hear this song. I discovered this incredible and talented indie artist in ninth grade and I have loved him ever since. He introduced me to a different side of pop that at the time I wasn’t
very infatuated with but now have a slight love for it. ‘Sunflower’ is about a failed relationship that he wanted to work but knew it wouldn’t. The inspirations are all over the place with this song which makes it such a fun and loving song. 67. See You Again – Tyler, The Creator: A genius is what I would describe this man as he is such a great producer and artist. He took the melodic rap trend by storm and made it his own in a unique fashion that hasn’t been seen. This song is about how he is so deeply infatuated with this girl and how he always just wants to see her and be around her. Kali Uchis sings the chorus and makes it sound so angelic and lovely. Tyler raps his heart out on this song and puts his emotions on his sleeve when writing and producing this, which makes this song one of the most unique I have heard on this list. 66. Not in That Way – Sam Smith: This is an emotionally powerful ballad that showcases the negatives of the friendzone. In this song, he is talking about how he fell in love with a friend and how he knows that those feelings will not be reciprocated. This is a struggle most people have been through in life knowing there is someone they wanted and believe they were compatible with but would never work out. Just the powerful yet emotionally vulnerable vocals from
Sam Smith and a stripped-down electric guitar makes the ballad all the purer and rawer. 65. SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK – JOJI: The production absolutely makes this song what it is, added with some heartbreaking, gut-wrenching lyrics that make it one of the best of this generation. Joji is very underrated vocally and this song put him on the map and got him the attention he deserved. The very modern 808 sound for a popish, vulnerable song about an emotional break-up provides a new fresh perspective from your typical heartbreak songs. When it gets to the chorus, it feels as if you’re floating in the clouds or reaching the top of the rollercoaster waiting for the fall. 64. Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here – Deborah Cox: Deborah Cox puts on one of the greatest vocal performances with this one. She absolutely bodies this song and captures the pure emotion that this song requires. Regardless of her pure excellent vocals, the backing vocals were also outstanding and the production didn’t outshine her. She might be a onehit wonder but this hit is in your aunt’s playlist. 63. Paradise – Coldplay: Reestablishing the pop genre with their unique and sometimes breathtaking sound, this song showcases why they are one of the greatest of all time when it comes to making
music. ‘Paradise’ makes you feel like you are in a faraway imaginary land just enjoying the peace and nurturing sounds of being in your own little world. Every time I hear this song, instant dopamine fills me and all my worries are far away. Chris Martin provides very reassuring and comforting vocals to his beautiful song. 62. Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder: He’s your grandma’s favorite artist and rightfully so as this song was very revolutionary for music. In ‘Sir Duke’, he talks about how music is something that will always move you. He pays homage to artists such as Sir Duke Ellington (who is my actual blood relative not to flex or anything), Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. It’s a feelgood song nonetheless with a great, encouraging and informative message. 61. Lately – Stevie Wonder: Back-to-back by one of the greatest of all-time this song is a complete 180 of the previous entry. ‘Lately’ is about how he can tell he is losing the love of his life slowly but surely. Stevie absolutely tells a heart-wrenching story with this song and makes the listener feels his pure and raw emotions. The love he has for her is still there, but she doesn’t love him anymore and is moving on to someone else. You can hear the pain in his voice when singing about this subject and it’s absolutely making this song such a beautiful divorce song.
8 SPORTS
WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM APRIL 6, 2022 Southern Miss jumps to national leaderboards after series win against La Tech
DIMA MIXON AND KOBY MOORE
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outhern Miss Baseball took possession as the conference leader and moved into national recognition, including a No. 18 ranking by D1 Baseball, after earning a series win against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Game One: Southern Miss Baseball picked up right where they left off from its last series, beating conference foe Louisiana Tech 8-2 Friday night. Right-handed pitcher Tanner Hall lifted the Golden Eagles with a stellar performance on the mound. The Golden Eagles also hit the ball well, which helped propel them to victory. Hall pitched eight innings, allowing just six hits and two unearned runs. Hall had a career-high 102 pitches in the game, with 76 of those pitches being strikes. Hall also tallied 11 strikeouts and no walks. “And if you have the pitching as we did with Tanner, it will be hard to win today if you are the other team,” Head Coach Scott Berry said. “What can you say? 11 strikeouts, no walks, covered on eight innings, 102 pitches...” Between the third and sixth innings, Hall had downed eight batters in a row and did it with ease.
Ewing celebrates a home run with Dickerson.
“It’s just kind of the same strategies, just attack hitters because that is what we do as a pitching staff, and that is what we have done all year, and we have seen success, so that gives us a lot more confidence going back out there and doing the same thing,” Hall said. Hall picked up his fourth win of the season, and he has stamped his place in the weekend rotation. The Golden Eagles got things going with a double in the bottom of the first by shortstop Dustin Dickerson. Reece Ewing then blasted a two-run homer to right field to give the Golden Eagles the early lead, and they never looked back after that. Outfielder Carson Paetow gave the dugout something to get fired up about in the bottom of the eighth after second baseman Will McGillis led off the inning with a single. Paetow crushed a firstpitch fastball and homered to center field. The home run gave the Eagles a commanding 8-2 lead. “We definitely feed off each other a lot. The energy is unreal in that dugout, and when one of
Sean Smith/Printz
our buddies does good, we love each other a lot, and we are really close.” Paetow said. McGillis led off the third inning with a home run of his own to give Southern Miss a 3-0 lead, and a couple more runs were batted in by center-fielder Gabe Montenegro and Dickerson. “We swung it well last weekend at Western Kentucky, and it just carried over into today. We had some great atbats. I think the thing that impressed me is how we use the whole field, we hit well with two strikes, and obviously, when you hit three home runs, it’s huge,” Berry said. Game Two: Southern Miss Baseball could not find a way to get it done against Louisiana Tech on Saturday, losing 4-2. The strong pitching of Cade Gibson lifted Louisiana Tech and the Golden Eagles struggled to drive in baserunners. A record 5,706 fans were in attendance, which set a Pete Taylor Park record that was previously set earlier this season in a game against Alabama. Southern Miss started the game on a hot streak, getting three hits from the first three batters. Outfielder Reece Ewing drove in center fielder Gabe Montenegro and then first baseman Christopher Sargent fell into a double play, scoring Dickerson, and Southern Miss took the 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the second inning, Gabe Montenegro was hit by a fastball that knocked him right above the eye. He was down for several minutes, and after he walked off, the energy seemed to be sucked away from the Golden Eagles after he exited the contest. “It really did. But we should have
had some energy after that, but it hurts losing Gabe. I don’t know how long he is gonna be out. But I hate to see that.” left fielder Reece Ewing said. The Bulldogs’ starting pitcher had an impressive outing, and after the first inning, he blanked the Golden Eagles. “You know, you gotta tip your hat to their starter, he did a great job. We took the fastball away from him and then every inning after that he pitched backward and really had his off-speed working,” Berry said. Louisiana Tech scored in the fourth inning on a fielder’s choice RBI and took the lead for good in the fifth. After leadoff singles by Logan McLeod and Wade Elliott, Steele Netterville blasted a pitch over the left-field wall and took the lead 4-2. Hunter Riggins, the starting pitcher for Southern Miss, took the loss. His final line was 6 IP, 5 H, 4 ERs, 6 Ks, 1 BB on 85 pitches. A positive note for the Golden Eagles is Blake Johnson returned from injury after missing several weeks with a hand injury. Game Three: (Koby) Southern Miss defeated the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 8-0 in the rubber match of their three-game series at Pete Taylor Park. Southern Miss’ bats struck early in the first two innings as Slade Wilks brought in Carson Paetow with an RBI single in the first and then Paetow hit a three-run home run to make it 4-0 in the second. Southern Miss held onto that lead until the seventh inning when the Golden Eagles added four more runs, including a Reece Ewing three-run home run that put the game out of reach. “We had it on Friday and LA Tech took it away from us yesterday. Certainly, they had it coming into today. Our guys responded well in all phases of the game.” Berry said. One of the key stars of the game was again starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep. Waldrep finished the game pitching seven shutout innings with 91 pitches (59 strikes), ten strikeouts, one hit, three walks and no runs. Waldrep logged his third straight game with more than ten strikeouts in a game, earning him repeat C-USA Pitcher of the Week award and improving him to 3-1 on the season. “I definitely had all of them, we had everything going, one through four was working, so it was a good day,” Waldrep said.