Final Louisiana 7, Southern Miss 11 SBC Baseball Championship

[sportsfanatic21]

That 9th inning display was SO good for this team.

Beaten down physically from 7 games in 6 days and it was obvious that the entire team was completely exhausted. And getting beat down on the scoreboard.

Then these dudes showed the heart and grit that make them what they are…and against one of USM’s best relievers. A huge jolt of confidence after what could have been a bummer of a day that could have taken some of the shine off of what they accomplished this week. Two of the outs in that 9th inning were Mandino flying out to the wall in right center, and Blaze hitting a rocket right at a perfectly positioned right fielder. That was so impressive to see from these guys. Some can say what they want about Coach Deggs, but when a team shows you who they are…believe them. And he has a ton to do with who this group has become.

I know if I was a host school, I wouldn’t want to see “Louisiana” listed in my regional. And whoever that 2/3 seed is in whatever regional it is, certainly won’t be happy.

[billbeck451]

I doubt that the sun belt will learn anything, but this tournament was at a ___ty venue with no fans, just the fact that UL had to but bus tp Troy most of their games and the USM got to stay at the same stadium the whole way through was pathetic. Now lets hope we get the seeding that we deserve which would be a 2nd seed and not a 3rd seed at a rigged up regional

[Turbine]

11-7 looks much more respectable

[BBCajun]

Besides bragging rights & getting to be the home team for the 1st game is there any real advantage to being a 2nd seed vs a 3rd seed in regionals?

[sportsfanatic21]

I doubt that the sun belt will learn anything, but this tournament was at a ___ty venue with no fans, just the fact that UL had to but bus tp Troy most of their games and the USM got to stay at the same stadium the whole way through was pathetic. Now lets hope we get the seeding that we deserve which would be a 2nd seed and not a 3rd seed at a rigged up regional

I’m not sure being a 2 seed is a good thing. I read today (and maybe the person who wrote it was mistaken), but the top 32 (hosts and 2 seeds) will all be seeded and placed accordingly. The 3 and 4 seeds will be assigned to regionals based on whatever criteria they normally use.

The reason I say being a 3 may be better is because if the Cajuns are a 2, they will likely be either the 31st or 32nd seed…which means being placed in either UCLA’s or Georgia Tech’s regional.

As a guy who watches a ton of college baseball, neither of those regional assignments (having to beat either of those teams multiple times) is where you want to be.

I’m certainly not saying any of the SEC regionals, other ACC regionals, or somewhere like Kansas or Nebraska would be easy. But there’s a reason UCLA and Georgia Tech have been ranked as 2 of the best (if not THE best 2) teams in the country all year long.

[HELMUTVII]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think a 2 or 3 seed makes that much difference because 2 plays 3 and the winner or loser follows the same path regardless of seed.

[cajundiehard]

Maybe the SM fans will quiet down a bit. Or not.

These guys won’t give up. May not get the result, but still trying to end it on a high note.

I'm seeing a lot of respect from USM fans on Twitter/X.

[Redbug58]

If we get to a two seed, we will play a lower ranked team hopefully giving us a better chance to win in the first round.

[Duckster]

I doubt that the sun belt will learn anything, but this tournament was at a ___ty venue with no fans, just the fact that UL had to but bus tp Troy most of their games and the USM got to stay at the same stadium the whole way through was pathetic. Now lets hope we get the seeding that we deserve which would be a 2nd seed and not a 3rd seed at a rigged up regional

Don't understand the SBC's attraction to Montgomery for the baseball tourney. Why not try going to Pensacola instead. There's a nice AA ballpark there.

[sportsfanatic21]

If we get to a two seed, we will play a lower ranked team hopefully giving us a better chance to win in the first round.

Maybe. The difference between most of the 2s and 3s is negligible. And what 3 seed you face will typically depend solely on where you are (3 and 4 seeds are assigned “relatively” geographically for the most part).

Most of the time, in order to win a regional, you’re gonna have to beat the host team twice. And you’ll have to do so while also winning at least one other game (maybe 2 more). You want to be in a regional with the weakest host team as possible.

[NewsCopy]

Top-seeded and No. 8-ranked Southern Miss took an 8-1 lead after three innings and withstood a valiant Louisiana rally in the final three innings to earn an 11-7 win in the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship Game on Sunday at DABOS Park.

Southern Miss (44-15) scored in the first five innings in win its second game of the day after opening Sunday with a 6-2 win over Troy in an elimination game. Louisiana, playing its seventh tournament game in a six-day span, fell to 39-23.

Louisiana, which reached its third SBC title game since 2022, will await its destination when the NCAA Regional pairings are announced on Monday.

The Golden Eagles got home runs from Seth Smith and Matthew Russo in the first inning off Louisiana starter Andrew Herrmann (7-5) for a 3-0 lead before adding three runs in the second and two in the third for an 8-1 lead.

Louisiana got on the board in the third inning when Donovan LaSalle belted his 11^th home run of the season. The Ragin' Cajuns threatened in both the fourth and fifth innings, but left the bases loaded in both frames with the Golden Eagles adding a pair of runs in the fourth and one in the fifth for an 11-1 lead.

The Ragin' Cajuns added a run in the seventh on Blaze Rodriguez's RBI single before mounting a rally in the eighth behind a pair of home runs.

Lee Amedee belted a two-run homer to right field off USM reliever Josh Och before Mark Collins later added a three-run blast to left.

Drew Markle added a pair of doubles for Louisiana while Amedee and LaSalle had two hits apiece. JR Tollett pitched the final 4.2 innings for Louisiana – his longest outing since March 15, scattering four hits and striking out four.

Thomas Crabtree (2-2), one of eight pitchers used by Southern Miss, was credited with the win. Smith and Ty Long had three hits each to lead the Golden Eagles' 15-hit attack with Joey Urban, Russo and Davis Gillespie recording two hits each.

More from RaginCajuns.com

[billbeck451]

Don't understand the SBC's attraction to Montgomery for the baseball tourney. Why not try going to Pensacola instead. There's a nice AA ballpark there.

Biloxi is central to plenty of teams and has more to offer than Pensacola

[IdeaL]

Don't understand the SBC's attraction to Montgomery for the baseball tourney. Why not try going to Pensacola instead. There's a nice AA ballpark there.

On the Ragin Review postgame show earlier they were saying Pensacola is very busy for Memorial Day Weekend and hotels would be very scarce.

[Redbug58]

I haven’t been in the ball park in Biloxi, but the Pensacola “Blue Wahoo’s” stadium is one of the best I’ve ever been to. It’s built out into the bay with water on 3 sides. Absolutely beautiful.

[NewsCopy]

In their seventh game of the Sun Belt Tournament this week in Alabama, the UL Ragin' Cajuns didn't appear to have much left in the tank.

Not until the ninth inning, that is, when the Cajuns exploded to five late runs.

It wasn't enough for a comeback for the ages in an 11-7 loss to top-seeded Southern Miss in the title game at Dabos Field in Montgomery, but it was a fitting illustration of everything coach Matt Deggs' club showed throughout the week in Alabama.

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