Although Southern Miss’ baseball team learned roughly 15 minutes before head coach Scott Berry’s official retirement announcement, the news was still a bit of a shock.
Yes, there had been some speculation amongst the team, but none expected the news to come.
“He came in there and spoke to all of us and hit everybody like a truck, especially us older guys who have been here for a while,” said Southern Miss pitcher Tanner Hall on how the team learned the news. “I feel like Coach Berry has taught more than just baseball but how to be a man in this world. He’s taught more than just about anybody.”
However, once the news spread, players, former players, coaches and fans flooded social media with admiration for Berry. And the reason for that is Berry’s character, which is why after 23 years at Southern Miss and 14 seasons at the helm, Berry’s legacy is not remembered most for his wins on the field but rather for the person he is.
BERRY MEMORIES
Southern Miss captain Danny Lynch first met Berry when he joined his older brother, Tim Lynch, for an official visit. Lynch’s first memory still sticks with him because Berry taught him the importance of a handshake, and for Lynch, it’s the embodiment of who his coach is.
“I think I was in the seventh or eighth grade,” Lynch said. “I came up here for Tim’s visit. The one thing he taught me right away was a firm handshake.
“He said always give a firm handshake when you meet somebody because you can tell a lot about a person with how they shake someone’s hand. It sticks with me today. You can’t say one thing that you take away from the guy. It’s just how you live your life, and it’s how he lives his life. Every day, no matter what your job is, you come ready to make the best out of the day.”
When starting shortstop Dustin Dickerson first met Berry, he didn’t realize who he was at the time and thought he was USM’s pitching coach. His first unknowing interaction with his future head coach was a showcase at Pete Taylor Park.
“There was a man sitting behind third base,” Berry said. “I had pitched in a summer ball game, and he was talking to me. He didn’t have a hat on or anything. I thought it was the pitching coach, and come to find out, it was Coach Berry. That was the first time I met him.
“My dad came to me and said, ‘You know that was the head coach.’ He was proud of me the way I wasn’t nervous when I talked to him. If I had known that was him, I would have been a little more nervous and probably would have been antsy…after I found out he was the head coach, I was kind of in shock.”
But according to Dickerson, he’ll remember the tough love Berry showed him because he never took it as an insult because it was his coach’s way of showing he cared.
“I like when he gets on to me,” Dickerson said. “I remember at UTSA I was going through a struggle, and we had a doubleheader. I remember Game 1; we won, but I wasn’t playing well, and I didn’t have a lot of energy. He pulled me out of the dugout, and he asked why he should play me.
“I didn’t know what to say. He said, ‘You should probably start acting like you want to be here and be the dirtbag I know you are.’ I’m thankful for him. He is always looking out for us as a team and for me as an individual.”
STORYBOOK ENDING?
In typical fashion of Berry’s teams, the Golden Eagles are in contention for a conference championship and are in a position to host a regional, but with still much baseball to play.
However, the circumstances are different than past seasons because the focus of the program’s season will slightly shift from just reaching the college world series and winning a championship to doing it for Berry. And for as much success as Berry has had, as he is the winningest coach in program history, a trip to the College World Series eludes him. The only appearance in program history was back in 2009, which was the final season for his longtime friend and predecessor Corky Palmer.
The last time the team addressed was before Tuesday’s practice during pitching coach Christian Ostrander’s regular speech before practice.
“If it was up to him, I don’t think he would have announced it,” said closer Justin Storm. “I think he would rather finish the season and do it that way because he didn’t want the distraction or influence to be on him. He wants to be about baseball and baseball only.
“I think honestly what would make him the most proud and happiest would be to just play our brand of baseball and continue to do what we have always done and what he has coached us to do. You think about it immediately because of how much he has done for us. You want that for him. We want to win. It’s not added motivation because I think the motivation is already there, but if you can’t get excited to play baseball for that man, then I don’t know who else you could do it for.”
Lynch feels the same sentiment as Storm and believes that it won’t need to be addressed and is something that will happen naturally for his team, which is in the middle of experiencing a 13-game win streak.
“You kind of let it naturally do what it’s going to do,” Lynch said. “I think it will subconsciously make you play a little harder, give that little extra that’s needed to win these tough games late in the season. I think we have to keep playing the way we have been playing. If it becomes a good thing or an issue, then we can address it then. I don’t think we need to force it.”
Southern Miss will close out the regular season at home against Louisiana. The series will be played from Thursday to Saturday, with first pitch on Thursday set for 6 p.m.
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