No. 8 Southern Miss Breaks Out of Offensive Slump with Blowout Win

Senior outfielder Joey Urban's grand slam helps the Golden Eagles silence their critics

Mar. 31, 2026 at 2:10am

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A fractured, cubist-style painting depicting a college baseball game, with the players and field abstracted into bold, angular shapes in a vibrant color palette, capturing the raw energy and momentum of the game.Southern Miss' offensive explosion against Appalachian State showcases the team's resilience and ability to silence their critics through hard work and confidence.Hattiesburg Today

The No. 8 Southern Miss baseball team broke through their recent offensive struggles with a 13-4 blowout win over Appalachian State on Sunday. Senior outfielder Joey Urban played a big role in the victory, hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the second inning to give the Golden Eagles an early 6-0 lead. Despite criticism over their team batting average, Southern Miss remained confident and let their hard work pay off in the series-clinching win.

Why it matters

Southern Miss has been ranked in the Top 10 twice this season, but their offensive struggles had drawn criticism. This breakout performance shows the team's resilience and ability to silence the doubters through continued hard work and confidence.

The details

The Golden Eagles currently rank 12th out of 14 Sun Belt teams with a .266 team batting average, but they exploded for 13 runs on Sunday, including three home runs. Urban's grand slam in the second inning gave Southern Miss a comfortable lead they would not relinquish.

  • The game took place on Sunday, March 31, 2026.
  • Southern Miss has 26 regular-season games remaining after this victory.

The players

Joey Urban

A senior outfielder for Southern Miss who hit a grand slam in the team's 13-4 win over Appalachian State.

Kyle Morrison

A senior second baseman for Southern Miss who is batting second-best on the team next to Joey Urban.

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What they’re saying

“Yeah, for sure. Any time you can come through in a big spot like that, especially with everything that's been said lately, it feels good.”

— Joey Urban, Senior Outfielder

“I think the biggest thing was just seeing all the work start to show. We never really felt like we were far off. It was more about staying confident, trusting our approach, and not trying to do too much.”

— Joey Urban, Senior Outfielder

What’s next

The Golden Eagles will look to build on their recent momentum when they face Southeastern Louisiana in a midweek rematch at Pete Taylor Park on Tuesday night.

The takeaway

This offensive outburst by Southern Miss shows the team's resilience and ability to silence their critics through continued hard work and confidence. Despite the recent struggles, the Golden Eagles remained self-assured and let their play do the talking, which paid off in a big way with this blowout victory.