USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Southern Miss baseball team will host a Regional in the NCAA Tournament this summer as it pursues a national championship. Conference foe Troy will also play in the postseason.
The Golden Eagles congratulated the Trojans during a watch party upon seeing their rival make the field. It helped absolve players following a recent display of poor sportsmanship.
Here at the Southern Miss watch party, big applause for Troy getting in the field. pic.twitter.com/KxdSojmae9
— Dima Mixon (@dima_mixon) May 25, 2026
Southern Miss baseball congratulated Troy.
The Golden Eagles were a shoo-in to make the NCAA field after winning both the regular season and conference tournament crowns in the Sun Belt. The only question related to their seeding.
Southern Miss won 44 games this year while owning the 12th-best RPI in college baseball. That put them firmly in position to host a regional and in the mix to earn a Top 8 national seed.
While they just missed out a guaranteed host opportunity for the Super Regional round, they did land the No. 9 overall seed. They’ll compete with Virginia, Jacksonville State, and Little Rock in the opening bracket.
Troy, meanwhile, was squarely on the bubble. They finished the year at 32-29 and an RPI of 35.
The Trojans played well enough in the conference tournament to boost its resume. That included a win over the Golden Eagles this past Saturday. In the end, it may have been the difference between being in or out.
Unfortunately, the Trojans couldn’t further improve their outlook. They came up one game shy of a championship opportunity, falling to Southern Miss in a rubber match elimination game on Sunday.
That was the last of three meetings in the conference tournament, and the sixth of the season. Many ended dramatically in a closely contested rivalry.
Three matchups were decided by one run. The most exciting finish came in the Sun Belt Tournament.
The Golden Eagles showed up the Trojans.
During the first conference tournament showdown, Southern Miss overcame a four-run ninth inning deficit to walk the Trojans off.
Down to their final strike, the Golden Eagles belted a game-winning grand slam to put an exclamation mark the comeback. Fireworks followed in the form of poor sportsmanship.
#35 on Southern Miss bumps the catcher after the walk-off grand slam and #32 on Troy comes to his catcher’s defense pic.twitter.com/mQQVkseJfN
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 23, 2026
The home dugout poured onto the field. One Southern Miss player bumped the Troy catcher. It was unnecessary.
The excessive celebration led to criticism from viewers. The Golden Eagles redeemed themselves by showing respect to the Trojans upon seeing their NCAA Tournament inclusion.
Troy will travel to Florida where it’s slated as the three-seed in the Gainesville Regional.