It’s a little bit more difficult to judge the preseason schedule because the COVID-19 pandemic cut short everyone’s season last year leaving it hard to gauge how teams will compete this year.
However, it’s safe to say that the 2021 season will be the most talented year of college baseball probably in the history of the sport. The MLB Draft, which traditionally snags away some of the game’s best players, had only five rounds last season instead of the usual 40. The return of so many players and talent is crazy to think about.
It’s safe to say Southern Miss will be deep in pitching, with hitting and COVID-19 arguably being the differences in making a run for Omaha. More on that later.
First, let’s take a look at the Golden Eagles’ schedule for the 2021 season and who will be the teams to watch for in C-USA. One of the main keys for Southern Miss will be maintaining a high Rating Percentage Index or RPI. Yes, that’s the usual problem most seasons, but this year it will be a bigger worry with some conferences choosing to play conference-only schedules. That makes the NCAA committee’s decision making harder regarding who should get at-large bids and host a regional, which Southern Miss is more than capable of doing this season. Side note, I’ll be referring to the D1baseball.com preseason rankings.
MID-WEEKS
Southern Miss will only play eight mid-week games this year, which includes No.7 Mississippi State, Alabama, Southeastern and South Alabama, who the Golden Eagles will play three times. These mid-week games can often be the deal breakers in earning at-large bids and hosting a regional. Obviously earning wins over a Mississippi State team that was 12-4 and an Alabama team that was 16-1 last year would be huge. I’m curious to see how Southern Miss’ pitching will do against the SEC.
NORTHWESTERN STATE
We often overlook Southland Conference teams, but we often forget that they can pull together some scary teams. Northwestern State was off to a 12-4 start last year with a notable series win over Wichita State, who was off a to 13-2 start. Northwestern State can’t be overlooked but they should be a season-opening sweep.
UCONN
UCONN, who is now back in the Big East, has been a program on the upswing and is not scared to challenge any program. Their 2021 schedule is no exception with the Huskies playing No. 16 Virginia, No. 3 Texas Tech and Coastal Carolina. There is a very good chance that UCONN could enter the game ranked, or this game could determine either team jumping into the rankings.
JACKSONVILLE STATE
Jacksonville State should be another easy weekend. In fact, losing a game in the series would hurt the RPI more than winning. The Gamecocks were 7-8 when the season ended.
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
ULL - yes I still call them that - has fallen from the tree since being a feared powerhouse in the Sun Belt. The Ragin’ Cajuns haven’t made the NCAA tournament since 2016. Despite starting last season 8-9, ULL won six of its last seven games. It’s hard to say what kind of team ULL will be, but the Ragin Cajuns always field a competitive team.
MISSOURI STATE
It’s not that long ago, Missouri State led the nation in home runs. However, since their last 40-win season in 2018, the Bears haven’t been quite the same. Maybe having all of its players gaining an extra year of eligibility under their belts will be the difference. Missouri State was 9-8 and had yet to face the toughest part of the schedule. This is another team that the Golden Eagles can’t overlook.
C-USA
The top teams to look for are Louisiana Tech and Florida Atlantic. The circumstances of playing C-USA’s top two contenders couldn’t be more difficult for the Golden Eagles. Southern Miss will play LA Tech, who was 11-6 in 2020, eight times. Four games will be played at home and four games will be played on the road with each Saturday being a doubleheader.
Southern Miss will end the season against Florida Atlantic on the road. That weekend series could have a lot of implications on the line. Both teams could easily be ranked and playing for not only the conference’s regular season title, but the series could also be the difference in securing an at-large bid or hosting a regional. FAU was 10-6 last year with three of their losses to top-10 ranked teams. The Owls also picked up an 11-2 win over No. 6 Miami.
Southern Miss has the makings to have a memorable season and the talent to make it at Omaha. While most teams bring back absurd talent, I don’t think many will have the pitching depth Southern Miss will bring. If the Golden Eagles pull off some big wins and the lineup comes around then this could be a fun season.
Andrew Abadie of Pine Belt Sports can be reached via email at andrew@pinebeltsports.com. Follow him on Twitter: @PineBeltSPORTS.
