HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Louisiana Tech ramps up for a three-game series against a familiar opponent in Southern Miss starting Friday, February 21 with a 4 p.m. CT scheduled first pitch at Pete Taylor Park. Saturday's tilt is scheduled for 2 p.m. with the series finale starting at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday.
The last time the Bulldogs and the Golden Eagles met, Southern Miss took two of the three games during a weekend series in March during the 2024 season. LA Tech and Southern Miss each have five wins in the previous 10 matchups with the Golden Eagles having taken four of the last five series played at Pete Taylor Park.
Game Information
Date: Feb. 21-23, 2025
Venue: Pete Taylor Park (Hattiesburg, Miss.)
Time: 4 p.m. CT (Friday), 2 p.m. (Saturday), 1 p.m. (Sunday)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: Sportstalk 97.7 FM / LA Tech Athletics app
Stats: LATechSports.com/stats
Weekend Rotation: Friday (Grant Hubka, RHP) | Saturday (Luke Nichols, LHP) | Sunday (Luke Cooley, LHP)
Series History
Series Record: Southern Miss leads 20-32
Last Meeting: March 10, 2024 (W, 18-11)
Streak: W1
The Bulldogs are off to a 4-0 start after a weekend sweep over Maine to open the 2025 campaign. Second baseman Michael Ballard led the way for LA Tech in nearly every offensive category, logging a .533 batting average with a staggering 1.533 OPS, eight runs, three doubles, a homer, six RBI, five runs, four walks and a stolen base.
Luke Cooley was outstanding in his Bulldog debut, shoving five scoreless innings while allowing just two hits, one walk and fanning seven Black Bear batters. Luke Nichols also shined in his first start of the season. The Preseason All-Conference USA selection went 6 1/3 innings giving up one earned run on three hits, one walk and six punchouts.
LA Tech's sweep over Maine in the season-opening series was the second-straight year the Diamond Dogs swept their opening weekend and the sixth time it's occurred since 2017. Dating back to last season, the Bulldogs currently hold an 11-game regular-season winning streak at home after starting the year 4-0.
Previewing The Golden Eagles
Southern Miss is off to a hot start of their own this season, starting off 5-0 and most recently coming off a midweek upset victory over #18 Mississippi State at home Tuesday night, 3-0.
The Golden Eagles are led by Ozzie Pratt, Joey Urban and Matthew Russo on the offensive side. Pratt leads the team with eight base hits and is one of four players with a home run this season for Southern Miss. Urban is batting an impressive .700 through 10 at-bats and is the only player for the Golden Eagles thus far with a double, a triple and a home run.
Russo and Urban are tied for the second-most hits with seven behind Pratt.
Southern Miss' pitching staff is coming off a weekend where three of their starters all posted scoreless outings. JB Middleton and Matthew Adams both went six full innings and allowed just three hits and a walk. Adams ended his outing with nine strikeouts and Middleton with four.
Grayden Harris tossed five innings allowing just two hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts.
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