MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2019 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Hudson, Blackwell, Browning, Burton, Caughman, Clarke, DeBar, Fillingane, Hopson, Jackson (32nd), Kirby, Massey, McMahan, Norwood, Seymour, Simmons (12th), Watson
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI "GOLDEN EAGLES" BASEBALL TEAM AND COACH SCOTT BERRY FOR WINNING THE 2018 C-USA TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP AND FOR AN OUTSTANDING SEASON, INCLUDING ITS THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN NCAA POSTSEASON COMPETITION.
WHEREAS, for much of the 2018 season, the talk around USM baseball was the potency of the Golden Eagles' big bats and potent offense. Over a five-day stretch in May at the MGM Park in Biloxi, the USM Golden Eagles Baseball Team rode its pitching to win the 2018 Conference USA Baseball Championship; and
WHEREAS, Junior Right-Hander Mason Strickland won "Most Valuable Player" after throwing a three-hit, complete game 6-0 shutout over Charlotte to put top-seeded USM in the Championship Game for the third consecutive season. Then, in Sunday afternoon's finale, Junior Left-Hander Adam Jackson and Senior Right-Hander Keller Bradford combined to limit the hard-hitting, third-seeded Owls on three runs on seven hits as the Golden Eagles claimed their second Postseason Title in three years with a 12-3 victory; and
WHEREAS, Southern Miss (43-16) also won the League's Regular Season Title, giving the Golden Eagles both in the same season for the second time (2003). The Tournament Title came with C-USA's automatic bid into the NCAA postseason, the third consecutive year the Golden Eagles have made the 64-team field. "I'm just so proud of everybody because it's so hard to do what we did," USM Coach Scott Berry said, "to win the Regular Season Conference Title and then hold off seven other teams to win an automatic postseason bid." The Golden Eagles' five starters in the C-USA postseason, Nick Sandlin, Stevie Powers, Walker Powell, Mason Strickland and Adam Jackson posted a combined 1.05 earned run average; and
WHEREAS, USM fell to College World Series-bound Arkansas in the opening round of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional. With the loss, the second-seeded Golden Eagles (44-17) dropped into an elimination game with third-seeded Dallas Baptist University (41-20). The Golden Eagles played Dallas Baptist in the opening round and handed the Patriots a 9-0 loss; however, the Patriots avenged its opening round loss with a 9-4 victory; and
WHEREAS, Southern Miss Juniors Nick Sandlin (Evans, Georgia) and Luke Reynolds (Forest, Mississippi) were each named to a pair of All-America Baseball Teams by national publications. Sandlin earned "First-Team" honors by both Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America, while Reynolds garnered "First-Team" selection by Collegiate Baseball and "Third-Team" accolades from Baseball America. Sandlin, the Right-Handed Pitcher who was converted from the team's Closer to top-starting Pitcher this season put together a 9-0 record with a 1.13 earned run average. In 14 starts, Sandlin has 95 1/3 innings to his credit and has allowed 51 hits, 15 runs (12 earned) and 15 walks to go along with 134 strikeouts. The Golden Eagle Ace led the country in both ERA and WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched/0.69), along with being in the Top 10 in hits allowed per nine innings at 2nd (4.81), seventh in strikeouts and seventh in strikeouts-to-walk ratio (8.93). Sandlin was a semifinalist for both the "Golden Spikes" and "Dick Howser" Awards after also being named the Conference USA "Pitcher of the Year" and a member of the League's All-Tournament Team. Off the field, he was a C-USA All-Academic Team selection and an Academic All-District pick. Reynolds, who had not played collegiate baseball since the 2015 season, earned C-USA "Player and Newcomer of the Year" honors on the strength of a .400 batting average with 20 doubles, a triple, 15 home runs and 60 RBI. He added 69 runs and has tied a single-season school record with 63 walks. The Golden Eagles' Third Baseman also led the squad in slugging percentage (.727) and on-base percentage (.562), while stealing eight of nine bases. He made only seven errors in 135 fielding attempts for a .948 fielding percentage. Reynolds led the country in walks, and on-base percentage, while also ranking in the Top 10 in walks per game at 2nd (1.07), fifth in slugging percentage, sixth in runs and tied for ninth in batting average; and
WHEREAS, the 2018 USM "Golden Eagles" Baseball Team Roster is: Bryant Bowen, C; Drew Boyd, LHP; Lee Marcus Boyd, INF; Keller Bradford, RHP; Cody Carroll, RHP; Storme Cooper, INF; Cole Donaldson, C; Trent Driver, RHP; Fred Franklin, OF; Matthew Guidry, INF; Jordan Hayes, RHP; Erick Hoard, INF; Robert Iacobelli, C; Mason Irby, OF; Adam Jackson, LHP; Daniel Keating, OF; J.C. Keys, RHP; Jaylon Keys, INF; Casey Maack, INF; Will McGillis, INF/OF; Calder Mikell, RHP; Gabe Montenegro, OF; Alex Nelms, RHP; Ryan Och, LHP; Walker Powell, RHP; Stevie Powers, LHP; Luke Reynolds, INF; Nick Sandlin, RHP; Hunter Slater, OF; Colt Smith, RHP; Mason Strickland, RHP; Sean Tweedy, LHP; Matt Wallner, OF/RHP; Jacob Weirich, LHP; and Jarod Wright, RHP; and Head Coach Scott Berry, Associate Head Coach Chad Caillet, Assistant Coaches Christian Ostrander and B.A. Vollmuth, and Coordinator of Baseball Operations Collin Cargill; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we join The University of Southern Mississippi students and alumni in recognizing these outstanding amateur athletes who have brought honor to their university, their community and to the State of Mississippi:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate The University of Southern Mississippi "Golden Eagles" Baseball Team and Coach Scott Berry for winning the 2018 C-USA Tournament Championship and for an outstanding season, including its third consecutive year in NCAA postseason competition, and extend to the players, coaches, parents, and sponsors our best wishes for success in the 2019 season.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Head Coach Scott Berry, forwarded to USM President Rodney D. Bennett and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.