No. 11 Southern Miss Crushed by No. 6 Mississippi State

Golden Eagles suffer lopsided 12-0 loss to Bulldogs in Starkville

Mar. 25, 2026 at 4:06am

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The No. 11 Southern Miss baseball team was thoroughly outmatched by No. 6 Mississippi State, suffering a 12-0 loss in a seven-inning run-rule defeat on Tuesday night in Starkville. The Golden Eagles' pitching staff was hit hard early, and the offense was unable to generate any runs against the Bulldogs' dominant performance.

Why it matters

This loss is a major setback for Southern Miss, which had previously defeated Mississippi State in Hattiesburg earlier this month. The Golden Eagles' uncompetitive showing raises concerns about their ability to compete with elite teams on the road, especially with key injuries to senior players.

The details

Southern Miss junior starting pitcher Thomas Crabtree struggled from the outset, failing to get an out in the first inning as the Bulldogs loaded the bases. The Golden Eagles' pitching staff was shelled for 12 runs, with Mississippi State essentially putting the game away by the third inning. Southern Miss managed just seven hits on the night and was unable to score any runs.

  • The game took place on Tuesday, March 25, 2026.
  • Southern Miss had previously defeated Mississippi State 7-6 in Hattiesburg on March 3, 2026.

The players

Thomas Crabtree

A junior right-handed pitcher for Southern Miss who was unable to get an out in the first inning against Mississippi State.

Christian Ostrander

The head coach of the Southern Miss baseball team, who called the loss "unacceptable" and challenged his team to learn from the experience.

Joey Urban

A senior outfielder for Southern Miss who was the only player to record multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-4.

Matthew Russo

A senior first baseman for Southern Miss who had to be removed from the game after being hit by a pitch near the knee.

Ben Higdon

A senior player for Southern Miss who has been dealing with a hamstring issue and was unavailable for this game.

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What they’re saying

“Ran into a buzzsaw. They earned it early. We didn't execute some pitches early. They kinda singled us to death and then got some big hits later in the game when the opportunity arose. We just didn't pitch it well enough to have a chance against that offense.”

— Christian Ostrander, Head Coach

“It's unacceptable. We don't like getting embarrassed. We don't like getting beat in that fashion. We can handle getting beat, we just weren't competitive enough on both sides, and we couldn't stop their momentum.”

— Christian Ostrander, Head Coach

“Be upset with this and vow that we won't let this happen again. First time this year that we've been uncompetitive in a ballgame. So hopefully the lesson they'll learn is next time we're not gonna let that happen, and we're gonna find a way to stop it and move forward.”

— Christian Ostrander, Head Coach

What’s next

The Golden Eagles will host Appalachian State at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg this coming weekend, looking to bounce back from the lopsided loss to Mississippi State.

The takeaway

This blowout defeat serves as a humbling experience for the No. 11 Golden Eagles, who must regroup and learn from their mistakes in order to prove they can compete with elite teams on the road. The team's ability to respond will be crucial as they aim to get back on track in Sun Belt Conference play.