The Southern Miss baseball team held its annual Breast Cancer Awareness Fall World Series for the third year over the weekend. In a three-game series, the Golden Eagles were divided into a black and a gold team with all donations made over the weekend going to research for breast cancer.
The World Series was the final fall practice for the Golden Eagles.
A few players stood out amongst their peers throughout the weekend World Series. Catcher Chuckie Robinson looked comfortable at the plate. While at bat, Robinson either connected with the ball for a base hit or he got walked almost as if he knew what pitches were coming.
In Robinson’s first at bat, he hit a shot to right field and turned on the burners for a double. The Golden Eagles are hoping this is a sign of what is to come when the 2014 season starts.
Outfielder Breck Kline also had an impressive weekend. The junior out of Slidell, Louisiana, looked to be in mid-season form getting on base more at a high rate. Kline finished last season on a bit of a high note and if this weekend was an indicator of what is to come, then Kline’s smooth hitting streak will continue.
Kline’s high point last season came when he collected a two-run double in the sixth inning of a game that the Golden Eagles won 5-2 against Conference USA foe Charlotte. Kline led the Golden Eagles and helped them get deep in the C-USA tournament, just missing the championship game, losing to UTSA 7-0 in the semifinals.
If the Golden Eagles want to return to the tournament and advance this season, Kline will have to play a big role in it. In Kline’s best game of the series, he had a 5-5 day with all five hits bringing in a runner – he connected for a triple, two doubles and two singles. Kline also had one walk.
On the mound, Jake Winston struggled at times, but it looked to be a little bit of fall ball rust. Winston did a good job keeping his pitches in the strike zone, but just did not have the speed behind his pitches this early in the season.
Winston appeared in nine games and made three starts last season with the Golden Eagles posting a 2-2 mark with a 5.40 ERA, struck out 14 and walked 11 in 15 innings.
There is plenty of time for all of the Golden Eagles to make improvements before the start of the 2014-2015 season in which USM looks to finish atop the conference and make a run toward the College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park in
Omaha, Nebraska.
