The Southern Miss pitching staff boasted the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the country and were top 20 in the country in earned run average and strikeouts last year.
But starters Hunter Stanley and Walker Powell and reliever Ryan Och put up at least half of those numbers.
Despite the loss of that production, pitching coach Christian Ostrander believes his staff is filled with talent and potential.
“I think this staff could be as good as any staff I’ve had,” Ostrander said. “I really believe that. I think it’s different. Last year, was a really good staff. Hunter and Walker were proven. This year there is not as much proven, but I trust what I see. If they go and do what they are capable of and more importantly, if they accept roles and understand that there is depth and not get frustrated with this, that, or whatever and go be them, I think that you will see a staff that will be a handful and keep us in a lot of ball games.”
Heading into this season, Ostrander believes he has six options for starting pitchers.
It could be a regular sight to see Southern Miss change its weekend rotation as Ostrander was quick to point out that the early weekends’ starting rotation is never the same as the weekends late in the season.
“It’s a good problem to have (that many options),” Ostrander said. “We have worked hard these last five years to get this to where it’s at with growing a staff and get them to come from the ground up a little bit.
“This year in particular, there are a lot of options. I don’t know if there is one right answer with who to pitch, when and so forth. We’ll figure that out as we go. I think there are six guys that are in the mix. All of them could go out there and start and give us a chance to win.”
RHP Ben Ethridge/LHP Drew Boyd
Ethridge and Boyd are the returning starters from last season.
Ethridge is the most proven arm that returns as he posted g a 3.25 ERA, struck out 82 batters and walked 13 in 14 starts and 16 appearances. Ethridge has looked and stayed consistent in the fall and spring scrimmages and will be the Friday night starter.
“Ethridge has had a good fall and a good spring,” Ostrander said. “He is what he is. I know exactly what he is going to do, and he’s very efficient. His stuff is getting better with time, and what I mean by that is that some velocity might start creeping up a little bit.
“It’s a great, comforting feeling to know what you are going to get. That doesn’t mean he is going to be perfect and doesn’t mean he is always going to win, but just to know what to expect. I think that’s a very important quality for a starter.”
Boyd struck out 56 batters and walked eight while posting a 4.21 ERA in his 13 starts last year. In the past, Southern Miss has always almost included a left-handed pitcher in its rotation. The Oak Grove product is the only proven starting left-hander, as he could be either the Sunday starter or a mid-week starter.
“Boyd has been here the same amount of time that I have been here with five years together,” Ostrander said. “His maturity, growth and development, just who he is not just as a player but as a young man, is off the charts. This is his last rodeo. He knows it. He told me verbatim, ‘Use me any way that you want. Give me the ball as much as you want. Don’t worry about my arm. Let’s roll.’ That’s kind of the mentality he has.”
RHP Hunter Riggins
The Delta State transfer posted a 9-4 record, a 2.97 ERA and struck out 91 batters in 115 innings. The addition of Riggins added a proven starting arm that the Golden Eagles needed as a safe bet. Riggins has been consistent in both the fall and spring and will be the Saturday starter.
“He knows who he is,” Ostrander said. “He knows what he is, and he knows how to pitch. He doesn’t get sped up. I compare him a lot to Walker Powell. I feel like I know what I am going to get. You can execute a game plan in multiple ways with fastball command or off-speed.
“His fastball command (is what attracted me). We have plenty of harder throwers than him. He’s going to run it up there between 89 and 92. His command and ability to land it glove side, get it on a lefty or righty. He has some plus off-speed as well.”
RHP Hurston Waldrep
The sophomore flashed signs of potential last season after Waldrep shut down Florida State and Louisiana Tech in the postseason. He is arguably the hardest-throwing arm within the staff as he tops out at 97 mph. In 16 appearances, Waldrep recorded a 3.31 ERA, struck out 16 batters and walked eight.
In the fall scrimmages, Waldrep started on Fridays and showed steady improvement. Waldrep would struggle in an inning but would bounce back. He will be the Sunday starter.
“I think his strike percentage and consistency in the zone is a big thing,” Ostrander said. “Obviously, the stuff is there, and the power is there. He has worked his tail off. You are not going to find somebody that puts in more time and not just what you see, but it’s behind the scenes with how he takes care of his body, eats, rests and hydrates. It’s pretty impressive. It’s pretty intense, but it’s paying off for him.”
RHP Tanner Hall
Hall has the potential of being eventually becoming the ace of the staff with how efficient he has been in both the fall and spring.
Hall pitched a gem in relief as he helped the Golden Eagles beat Ole Miss in the Oxford Regional as he held the Rebels to one hit in five innings. He finished the season with a 5.02 ERA but struck out 32 batters and walked six.
“Last year was a tough year to manage pitchers,” Ostrander said. “You didn’t have many midweek games, and you had four games on the weekend, and you had starters that were going so deep. It was hard to keep a rhythm, and it was hard to keep guys fresh. Now that we are back to the regular schedule, I think there will be more consistency. Tanner last year had some really bright moments and had some growing pains too. That’s part of it as a freshman.
“The way he ended last year has kind of catapulted him. He’s a confident young man and not scared. He’ll compete with anybody. He’s a strike-thrower with really good stuff.
“He has really evolved. It’s the maturation that you hope to see.”
Hall could pitch either on Sundays or during the midweek.
RHP Tyler Stuart
Stuart is also one of the hardest throwing arms the pitching staff has, with him topping out at 97 but consistently staying at 95 mph. His 6-foot-9 frame has made him a pro prospect.
Last year was Stuart’s first season returning from Tommy John surgery. Stuart’s numbers reflect that as he held a 7.16 ERA, struck out nine batters and walked seven. Although his stats don’t reflect it, Stuart had more promising moments than bad and steadily improved in his 13 appearances.
“We have built the arm back up and focused on his mechanics,” Ostrander said. “He came back last year, and it started to come together for him. He’s coming into his own and throwing the ball really well for us.
“He supplies a lot of power. The thing with Tyler that I have been so impressed with is that, yeah, there is power, but there is also pitch ability. He’s a strike-thrower. To have the combination of that is very comforting. He’s going to pitch a ton for us this year; which role, time will tell.”
In both the fall and spring, Stuart showed off his capabilities as a starter. He’ll likely earn midweek starts at the beginning of the season, but his development could be crucial come the start of the postseason.
BULLPEN
There are several arms that the Golden Eagles can count on in the bullpen. The most proven arm is closer Garrett Ramsey, who was practically unhittable in his first nine appearances.
The most critical production to replace is Och’s, who was a hard-throwing left-hander. Chandler Best has the potential to fill that role, especially since he has discovered that pitching in relief is a role that fits him best. Justin Storm will also see more innings and specifically in matchups. Jones College transfer Dalton Rogers will also be another hard-throwing left-hander that the Golden Eagles rely on.
Along with Rogers, some other new options include Pearl River CC transfer Landon Harper, quarter-slot right-hander Will Tynes and freshman Niko Mazza, who has topped out at 93 mph.
Matthew Adams will return to his middle relief role while Aubrey Gillentine, Isaiah Rhodes and Blake Wehunt will be other viable options from the pen. Dustin Dickerson could also see the mound again this season with him throwing bullpen sessions this spring.
