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Southern Miss’ Wizard of Oz guides one of nation’s top pitching staffs

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Southern Miss’ Wizard of Oz guides one of nation’s top pitching staffs

Southern Miss sophomore Hurston Waldrep has dominated batters thus far in the 2022 season. (Southern Miss media relations)

Southern Miss lost its top two starting pitchers and the Golden Eagles’ top arm out of the bullpen after reaching an NCAA Regional championship game at Oxford last season.

Walker Powell and Hunter Stanley, the two starters, and Ryan Och, the reliever, all play professional now. Among them, they provided 24 victories against only six defeats and an earned run average of just over two runs per game. They struck out roughly five times as many batters as they walked. They were dominant was what they were.

Rick Cleveland

So, how in the world do you you rebuild all that? 

In the Golden Eagles case, they just reloaded.

Southern Miss, currently ranked as high as No. 11 in the country, has replaced those guys. And guess what: This season’s Eagle pitching staff has produced numbers far better than last year’s. Last year, Southern Miss had a team earned run average of 3.74 and opponents hit .236 against them. This season, Eagle pitchers have a team ERA of 2.86, nearly a run lower, and opponents hit just .222.

READ MORE: Christopher (Oz) Ostrander: This guy knows his stuff

In fact, Southern Miss pitching ranks in the top five of nearly every NCAA statistical category. Little wonder the Golden Eagles enter a three-game at Florida International (FIU) Thursday night with 24-8 record and the nation’s ninth best RPI. All that has been achieved against a schedule that currently ranks 23rd most difficult in the nation.

Christopher Ostander has become USM’s pitching Wizard of Oz. (Southern Miss media relations)

The one constant in all this pitching success: pitching coach Christian Ostrander, known in college baseball circles as Oz, as in the Wizard of. Ostrander carries the additional title of associate head coach this season as a reward for the job he has done.  If he is not the best in the country at what he does, he certainly belongs in the conversation. Ostrander, a Delta grad, has been successful wherever he has worked, including stints at Delta State, Jones Junior College and Tech.

Says Scott Berry, Ostrander’s boss: โ€œNo doubt, Coach Oz is one of the best pitching coaches in our game today. He has a unique ability to connect with his pitchers through trust which enables their willingness to listen and develop accordingly. Many of our pitchers have taken their game to another level through his teaching both from the mental and physical sides of the game.โ€

Ostander’s philosophy of successful collegiate pitching can best be summed up in two words: โ€œThrow strikes.โ€

No, Coach Oz is not alone in that regard but he surely seems to get his pitchers to buy into that philosophy better than 99% of the rest. Southern Miss ranks No. 2 in the nation in strikeout-to-walks ratio behind Tennessee. Golden Eagle pitching has struck out (353) nearly five times as many batters as they have walked (75). As a result, the Eagles rank third in the nation in earned run average. A deep bullpen has contributed mightily.

โ€œI tell our guys, โ€˜Don’t give the hitters too much credit,’โ€ Ostrander says. โ€œMake them earn their way on. I tell them to watch batting practice and see how many outs hitters make against BP pitching. Don’t give them any gifts. Make them earn it.โ€

Southern Miss pitchers do. Look at the starters: Tanner Hall has stuck out 68 batters and walked six in 49.2 innings. Hunter Riggins has fanned 41 and walked nine in 48 innings. Hurston Waldrep has struck out 63 and walked 13 in 42 innings. Waldrep, who has been the third starter in the rotation, has been most impressive of all, allowing only 25 hits and posting an ERA of 1.97. Opponents hit a measly .170 against him.

It helps to throw an explosive fastball with command in the 95-97 mph range, which Waldrep does.ย 

โ€œHe’s power-power,โ€ Ostrander said. โ€œHe’s got a four-pitch mix with that fastball, a slider, a curve and a split change that when he throws it right is a big league pitch. He works at it. He is strong as an ox. I call him Thor.โ€

Waldrep, recruited to Hattiesburg out of Thomasville, Ga., has seemingly out of nowhere after pitching only 16 innings all season in 2021 as a freshman.

Ostrander believes he has more pitchers who might surprise, as Waldrep has, later on.

โ€œWe’re deep, I believe that,โ€ Ostrander said. โ€œWe’ve got some guys down the line who are just waiting for an . There’s only so many innings available and when your starters go deep, as ours have, it’s hard to get everybody the work they probably deserve.โ€

All that depth should bode well at tournament time. Southern Miss โ€“ and โ€“ fans well remember the 2021 Oxford Regional when the Golden Eagles slugged their way to the championship game but then ran short of pitching in the finale, losing 12-9 to the Rebels in a slugfest that featured 12 home runs, seven by the Eagles.

With the depth of the current staff, the Eagles should be better able to handle playing five in four days, as an NCAA Regional often requires.

As this is written, the Eagles are 32 games into a 55-game regular season schedule. Much of the best competition is behind them. With much baseball yet to be played, Southern Miss looks like an NCAA host currently. The Eagles surely pitch not only like an NCAA host but also like a team that could wind up a top eight seed.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Dollar General vehicle theft leads to two arrests in Tupelo

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www.wcbi.com – Aundrea Self – 2024-11-04 16:10:00

SUMMARY: In , Mississippi, 19-year-old Joshua James and a juvenile face charges related to a pursuit and the of a police car. James is charged with Directing a Felony to Be Committed by a Person Under Seventeen, Grand Larceny, and Felony Fleeing, with a bond set at $100,000. The incident began on November 1 when police responded to a of a stolen vehicle. After a chase that ended when the stolen truck crashed south of Verona, James was apprehended, while his juvenile passenger fled in a police car, which was later found wrecked. The juvenile’s case will be handled in Youth Court.

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Categories: Crime, Local News


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Lowndes Co. Supervisors talk storm safety for certain areas

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www.wcbi.com – Marcus Hunter – 2024-11-04 15:59:00

SUMMARY: The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors has secured to construct storm shelters in Crawford, Artesia, and Plum Grove, lacking local shelter during severe weather. Each community will four FEMA-funded shelters, accommodating up to 20 people each, on property at a total cost of $103,692, with FEMA contributing $93,000. The supervisors anticipate these shelters will significantly enhance safety for during storms. Vice President Jeff Smith highlighted their importance, expressing relief for community members who have long awaited a secure refuge. While installation timelines remain unclear, the is expected to proceed soon.

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News anchor dropped after social media post telling Trump-haters supporting Harris: ‘Stay home, donโ€™t vote’

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www.foxnews.com – – 2024-11-04 11:51:00

SUMMARY: David “Dave” Elliott, a local anchor for in for nearly 40 years, was fired after expressing political views on social . He revealed on Facebook that his termination was due to his political opinions, specifically mentioning a where he advised people not to vote out of hatred for Donald Trump. Elliott characterized his social media posts as satire, distinguishing them from his professional work. He noted that the discussion with his station’s general about his dismissal was brief, and the topic of social media was raised. WLOX’s management declined to comment on the matter.

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