A stormy weekend in Montgomery, Alabama – one that included several delays throughout – didn’t rain on Southern Miss’ parade as the Sun Belt’s top seed went on to win its third conference tournament title in four seasons.
On Sunday, the Golden Eagles won a semifinal game against 4-seed Troy earlier in the day before advancing to play 7-seed Louisiana in the championship game. The Ragin’ Cajuns’ unanticipated run in the tournament came to an end at the hands (and bats) of Southern Miss, who won the title match 11-7.
JUST IN: The Southern Miss baseball team won its third Sun Belt championship in four years with an 11-7 win over Louisiana. pic.twitter.com/pWDqHkVlna
— SuperTalk News (@SuperTalkNews) May 24, 2026
How it happened
Southern Miss jumped out early, scoring 11 runs in the first five innings. Louisiana countered with a lone run, making the score 11-1 going into the sixth inning. The offensive explosion by the black and gold was in part due Seth Smith and Matthew Russo home runs, along with extra base hits from Davis Gillespie and Ty Long.
Three outs from what would have been a run-ruled game in regular-season play, Louisiana managed a run in the top of the seventh.
While Southern Miss was unable to put up any more runs, the gap was too large for Louisiana to close. But it wasn’t without trying. Lee Amedee hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth before Mark Collins followed with a three-run shot, making it an 11-7 game.
Southern Miss reliefer Teague Broadhead came in and secured the final two outs to send his team back to Hattiesburg with the trophy.
What the coach said
Christian Ostrander, in his third year as head coach, managed his second Sun Belt Tournament title run. Though he’s still somewhat new to holding the main clipboard, Ostrander has continued a long tradition of championship runs.
His predecessor, Scott Berry, led the program to five conference tournament championships between 2010 and 2023. Berry brought Ostrander aboard as the team’s pitching coach ahead of the 2018 season.
“Everything is special. Each team has its own DNA, and I have been fortunate to be here as part of Southern Miss with a lot of championship teams,” Ostrander said after Sunday’s win over Louisiana.
Ostrander spent part of the press conference commending the fans and his assistant coaching staff while specifically pointing to the hard work of the players since well before the season even begun.
“This all begins with the weight room, the classroom, and then the field,” he said. “It’s very long, and for these guys to get rewarded with this moment, it’s special.”
Sun Belt dominance
After hoisting the 2026 Sun Belt Tournament trophy, Southern Miss had a handful of players named to the All-Tournament team: Colby Allen, Drey Barrett, and Matthew Russo with Joey Urban being named the tournament’s MVP.
Since joining the Sun Belt heading into the 2022-23 athletic season, Southern Miss has won three of four conference titles (2023, 2024, and 2025). The Golden Eagles also won this year’s regular-season title.
Next up
Southern Miss, heading into the weekend ranked No. 8 in the nation, is expected to be an NCAA regional host site when the top 16 seeds are announced Sunday at 7:30 p.m. CT. Fans can comfortably begin making accommodations for a first-round series in Hattiesburg, which would begin Friday, May 29.
The entire NCAA Tournament field will be unveiled Monday at 11 a.m. CT.
