Southern Miss is moving forward with major renovations at Pete Taylor Park, but needs support from the public.
The university’s athletics department announced Tuesday its plans to give the baseball stadium a facelift through a fundraising initiative. The initiative, called “Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow,” outlines a plan for the future of Pete Taylor Park that includes significant enhancements to the fan experience, premium seating and hospitality, operations, and ballpark amenities.
Specifically, the program is looking to update the stadium’s front gate, a relocated and enhanced Roost entrance to improve access to the outfield seating area, renovated suites, new suites, a premium seating and hospitality space behind the left field wall, improved seating behind home plate, a mini baseball field for youth to enjoy, and more.
The university also plans to move its existing hitting facility and reconfigure baseball operations spaces to accommodate the broader stadium renovation and future needs of the program.
“Pete Taylor Park represents so much of what makes Southern Miss Baseball special,” Southern Miss athletics director Jeremy McClain said. “The history, the atmosphere and, most importantly, our fans have created an environment unlike any other. This project allows us to honor those traditions while making a significant investment in what comes next for our program.”
Originally constructed in 1984, Pete Taylor Park has been a venue where successful baseball has been played for decades, as Southern Miss is among the top programs nationally. The proposed renovations, which have already been approved by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees, are expected to help the Golden Eagles evolve in the modern era of college athletics.
“The renovations and upgrades to The Pete will make an already great venue even better! We are so excited about what this provides for our fans and players. The performance center will be a game changer concerning player development,” Southern Miss head baseball coach Christian Ostrander said.
“More suites, an enhanced roost, and an expanded lounge will give our fans even more options to watch the game and enjoy the experience,” he continued. “This will certainly help in recruiting and make Southern Miss an even more attractive destination for potential prospects.”
To help bring the renovations to fruition, Southern Miss is calling on fans, alumni, and other supporters to finally support the project. Donations can be made here.
“The vision is not to change what makes The Pete special,” McClain said. “It is to build around it. We want our longtime fans to walk into the renovated ballpark and still feel everything they love about Southern Miss Baseball, while the next generation of Golden Eagles experiences a facility built for the future.”
Southern Miss ended the 2026 season with a loss to Virginia in the Hattiesburg Regional. The black and gold will return to the diamond in February 2027.
